I used to be meteo-dependent. A cloudy day, even in the summer, would easily put me off. The worst were the rainy days. Basically, if the sun wasn’t shining, every chance was that I felt miserable, so much so that my parents had come to be anxious about that kind of days almost just as much as I was and whenever I visited them on weekends the first thing they did in the morning was check the weather, so that they knew what mood I was going to be in and could take the necessary measures to cheer me up. It sounds funny, I certainly think so now, but many of my days felt heavy just because of the atmospheric conditions. Anyway, to make a long story short, I don’t have this problem anymore (in fact, I find the silence of a cold, foggy winter day quite comforting now, a reminder of sorts to slow down a bit), and along the way I have also learned that it takes a little more than the weather to make a day good or bad.
My weather-inflicted discomfort may not have been related to the lack of proper clothing, but I couldn’t agree more with the saying “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing”. And this is where the Hunter boots come in. Because there is one problem I still have when it rains: I never seem to have suitable footwear and end up ruining a pair of boots once a year because of that. For some time now, the idea of Hunter boots has been sneaking up on me. I have no idea whether they would look good on me (do you even bother trying when you don’t have model-skinny legs? / if I wear them with fitted jodhpur trousers will they resemble leggings too much? / would they look completely misplaced in an urban outfit and seem like you are still wearing the clothes from your weekend in the country?) (and I already know the kind of jokes my husband would make, although I must say that he does know good style, which is really an extra proof when I’m in a sartorial dilemma), but one thing is for sure: I had no doubt where to look for for a little inspiration: Mimi Thorisson. She often flawlessly sports a pair in the photographs she publishes on her blog, Manger, taken by her husband, photographer Oddur Thorisson.
Indeed, she lives in the French countryside, in Médoc, and those boots are a perfect fit in the beautiful and bountiful landscape that fuels her stories and culinary adventures. But I was recently reading in an interview with her that her daily uniform was comprised of Hunter boots and a little black dress. You know what they say, you can take the girl out of Paris, but … And if the most classic of dresses works in the country, why wouldn’t the Hunters find their place in the wardrobe of a city dweller, right? The cook, and author of A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse is what I like to call a genuine tastemaker. Good food in good company and the good country life are center stage on her blog, but Mimi Thorisson’s personal style certainly doesn’t go unnoticed either. But we don’t find ourselves asking what she is wearing, do we? It just is what it is. She has impeccable taste, but she doesn’t allow the clothes to speak louder than her or her work. Real women, real style.
photos: Oddur Thorisson
Sad to say I have become a wellie boot expert as a dog-owner living in the rain-soaked west of Scotland…. I think Le Chameau are the best! I do have Hunter short wellies but the soles often split after a period of time. Strictly for recreational short-term wear. Le Chameau last longer. We also tend to have a mix of rubber and leather boots in our “dog-walking” arsenal. The leather hunting/shooting Le Chameau boots have a waterproof goretex lining and are a bit smarter. Le Chameau also do a range of neoprene-lined boots for added warmth and these are my go-to boots in the worst winter weather. Roll on Summer!
Thank you for the insight, Jill. I appreciate it. I have just taken a look at Le Chameau collection and I have picked my favourite, the Venerie. They are smart and if they are waterproof, too, they would make the perfect rain boots for me.