Image: Penfield

There’s not much worse than getting stuck in the rain without protection from the elements.  Sure, when the weatherman is calling for heavy storms we break out the gore-tex, but for those days that we just aren’t sure what the weather is going to do we prefer something that looks a little less like rain gear.  This year, our pick for a raincoat that isn’t really a raincoat is the Gibson Jacket from Penfield ($160).

Made of Penfield’s “Hudson Wax Cloth”, the Gibson has been dubbed weatherproof.  No, it isn’t going to keep you bone dry in a hurricane, but the densely woven poly/cotton blend is treated with a wax to make it water resistant.  This leaves you with a jacket that looks great rain or shine, and will also keep you dry should a storm roll though.   Available in Boat Yellow (shown), Heritage Blue, Navy, Khaki, and Olive, you really can’t go wrong with any of the Gibson options, but we are really liking the yellow.  Whichever color you go with, you’ll have a perfect lightweight jacket that works regardless of the forecast this summer.