Philadelphia - September 25, 2007

Puddle Jumping

Rainy Day Guide

Rain, rain go away? Not so fast. With these picks, you’ll be happy for the gray days ahead.

What to wear when you go slopping though the mud, puddles, and ginkgo leaves? Slip into Hunter Boots’s Lady N, inspired by Lady Northampton herself. Each boot has a colored woven calf and rubber foot, plus a checked fabric lining.

Beforehand, put on some Hansel from Basel tights or socks. The whimsical woollies come in polka dots, chevron, or stripes. They’ll be the one bright spot on a cloudy day.

Rain hats usually make you think of huge, plastic traffic cones, but Hat Attack’s reversible nylon bucket hats look good and protect you from the elements (Scarlett Alley, 241 Race Street; 215-592-7898).

Time for some comfort food. Try Cafe Lutecia for delicious soups that change daily (2301 Lombard Street; 215-790-9557). Or if you want to hang diner style, the meatloaf at Silk City is big enough to take home for later (435 Spring Garden Street; 215-592-8838). Then head to James for Tuesday night happy hour (10 p.m.-midnight) and nosh on their signature potato gnocchi gratinati while sipping one of their inventive cocktails (824 South Eighth Street; 215-629-4980).

Or stay in, curl up with a good book, and listen to the rain. Pick up Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo’s new book, Bridge of Sighs, or Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk’s Other Colors: Essays and a Story. For some lighter fare? Nicholas Sparks’s newest novel, The Choice, should cure any rainy day blues.

Photo credit (James): Michael Persico