Shoes + Rain = Yuck

Admittedly, it hardly ever rains in my neck of the woods...especially this year. We are something like 13 inches of rain below our already low annual average. But, of course, last week I was out and about in my good duds, including my favorite brown 1960s-style pumps. And it rained. Wouldn't you just know it?

And, of course, that's the day we had to stop in the county fair with no time to pop home and change. Needless to say, my favorite shoes needed a severe cleaning when I got home. They'll live, but boy were they a mess.

Which leads me to questions: Why'd we ever stop wearing rain boots. AKA "rubbers"? You know...those little clear booties that just slip over your shoes and keep said shoes and feet nice and dry? Once upon a time I worked in a dry goods store (those are just about a thing of the past, too!). We always had them in stock, but no one ever bought them. And no one seems to even carry them anymore (except, of course, the wonderful AmeriMark!)

I want some...and some more rain to go with them. Check out these ads, both from my December 1953 Good Housekeeping:

Whether you call them "rubbers," "galoshes," "rain boots," or "drizzle boots," why'd we stop wearing them? Did shoes get so cheap that we don't care about ruining them? They go back a long way. Check out this entry on Wikipedia. Do you have some? Do you wear them? Shouldn't we all have some?

A Man in a Crisp White Shirt

I admit it. I am missing Don Draper something terrible. He/Jon Hamm can wear a starched white shirt, dark tie and dark slacks quite nicely, don't you agree?

Why'd men stop wearing crisp white shirts? Even just for Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes? So simple, so easy to wear, so flattering, with jeans or with slacks and tie, a well-ironed white shirt...that fits correctly... just lovely.

So who's your favorite man in a white shirt?