The festival season is upon us, and one key piece of kit that festival-goers will need to take is a good set of waterproofs.

I get asked a lot about where to buy festival rain jackets, and so I have put together this little guide to steer you towards buying a cagoule/rain jacket that is both practical, but also stylish.

Here’s your guide to buying festival rain jackets for the festival season. Keeping yourself dry is a reality you’re going to have to face up to. Keeping dry – that’s the easy bit, looking stylish at the same time – that’s the hard part!

Waterproof clothing tends to fall into the following categories:

• Inexpensive waterproofs – do the job, but not the height of fashion. Many festival goers opt for the inexpensive festival rain jackets.
• Fashion cagoules – can look great, but beware not all fashion cagoules are actually waterproof.
• Vintage festival rain jackets – great for a more individual look. You can pick up some great pieces. Again, not all are waterproof, and even the ones that were originally waterproof may have lost their proofing – so you may need to re-proof.
• Technical raingear – usually branded items – The North Face, Berghaus, etc. A good technical waterproof will repel rain whilst being breathable, so you don’t get all sweaty. Much more comfortable than cheap rain gear, price is the main downside.
• Waterproof ponchos – available brand new, and some great army-surplus options, too. A poncho is an all-encompassing overhead waterproof. These usually do a grand job of keeping the rain out, but are not usually breathable, so you can get sweaty. They do make for an excellent groundsheet, though.

INEXPENSIVE WATERPROOFS:

Mac In A Sac:

www.macinasac.com

Mac In A Sac II

I reviewed this Mac In A Sac rainjacket some time ago, and it performed very well. Ok, it’s not a fashion brand, I do like my fashion brands, I have to say I thought it looked pretty good. They do matching waterproof trousers as well – which I suspect you’ll need, no point just the top half being dry. They do ladies versions, too. I do recommend you take a good look around their website. Priced around £27 for the Mac In A Sac II jacket, not going to break the bank.

Peter Storm – Kag In A Bag:

www.millets.co.uk

Peter Storm - Kag In A Bag

A good old fashioned kag in a bag, also known as pac-a-mac. Utilitarian, they do the job. Not a fashion piece, but keeping dry is first priority, and they don’t look too bad. Pack away nice and small, and there are waterproof trousers available. Mens and ladies versions available.

FASHION CAGOULES:

K-Way:

K-Way Leon yellow

The K-Way cagoule has a long heritage. Fashion is cyclical, and you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll be bang on trend wearing a K-Way cagoule this year. This will probably be festival rain jacket choice number one for many! Ladies and men’s versions available, ladies tend to be able to get away with wearing a gent’s version just fine. Matching waterproof trousers are also available.

The jackets can easily be obtained at the likes of Bank, Footasylum, OiPolloi, and Ark Clothing. The trousers not so easily – but try The Gigastore.

Pull and Bear cagoules:

I also quite like these inexpensive cagoules from Pull & Bear.

PULL&BEAR cagoule in yellow

Peaceful Hooligan Head II jacket:

Peaceful Hooligan 'Head II' jacket cobalt

The Peaceful Hooligan Head II jacket is a real beauty. I now have it in both cobalt and navy, as I like it so much. I have also done a full review of it. Expect to pay around £75, and you can pick one up from www.terracesmenswear.co.uk or from their shop in Stoke On Trent, England.

 Henri Lloyd Viking Smock:

Henri Lloyd Viking smock cagoule

Consider, also, the Henri Lloyd Viking Smock. A truly stunning jacket. This Viking Smock design has returned again and again in various colourways and incarnations. This is properly waterproof, and looks amazing. Expect to pay around £175.

TECHNICAL WATERPROOFS:

You get into a whole world of choices, and fabric technologies, and varying opinions on who’s product is best. There are plenty of resources online if you want to do some research. However, here are some of my personal favourites. I like buying technical jackets, I am easily swayed by the style and design.

The North Face – Resolve jacket:

The North Face Resolve jacket

At £90, this is at the relatively cheap end of technical jackets. This is mesh-lined, breathable, and waterproof. You will find it a lot more comfortable, if wearing for prolonged periods, than a cheap or fashion cagoule.

The North Face – men’s Alpine Project Pullover Wind Jacket.

The North Face Alpine Project Wind Pullover Jacket

I have one of these, and let me tell you, it is a beauty of a jacket. To me, this is where style meets practicality and comfort. The colour is sublime. The material is soft, and quiet. It is lightly lined. It has a peaked hood, with hood size adjustment. Small refinements make a big difference when sheltering from both wind and rain. £100.

VINTAGE CAGOULES:

Obviously a broad subject, and the list of possibilities is almost endless. Ebay is an obvious first place to look – where you will find a dazzling array of vintage rain jackets from different sellers.

Try these searches:

• Vintage cagoule
• Vintage kagool
• Vintage anorak
• Vintage windbreaker
• Vintage rain jacket
• Festival rain jacket
• Vintage festival rain jacket

Most major cities and towns will have at least one vintage clothing store – typically selling clothing from the 70′s and 80′s – when many of the best pieces were around. My hometown of Nottingham has 3 that I know of.

You should also check out the Marketplace at www.asos.com – where you will find lots of vintage clothing for sale for both ladies and men.

My personal recommendation for you, is the range of Lacoste Izod cagoules. Here’s me with my latest pick up, from my London shopping trip below;

Lacoste Izod cagoule

These come in a great range of colours, and a few different styles. Most are single block colour, but there are a few different patterns. Some are rarer than others. Easiest to find are red, green, and blue. The yellow is really nice. Black is quite rare.

Lacoste Izod Cagoule on LookBook

Lacoste Izod vintage cagoule on Ebay

Mikey Lacoste

WATERPROOF PONCHOS:

Waterproof German army poncho

Waterproof ponchos can be very practical, and I would probably recommend you get one of these as well as a standard cagoule for festivals. The army ponchos are made of quite a thick pvc or similar material. They are usually totally waterproof, no water will get in, however they are not at all breathable, so can get sweaty.

You can don the poncho if the heavens really open up. These ponchos also make excellent groundsheets. The army surplus ones are best, in my opinion. Most towns and cities should have an army surplus store. You will not struggle to find these on Ebay, or directly from online sellers. Just type in ‘waterproof army poncho’ into Google. Try Amazon, too, there are plenty of ponchos available to buy. The Helikon ones are very good.

Helikon poncho

Ok, well I hope you enjoyed reading this guide to buying festival rain jackets, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment, or email me at thecagoule@gmail.com

Peace,

Jason.