The rainy season in Lagos is like that uninvited guest who arrives early, stays too long, and messes up your living room—except this time, the living room is your perfectly planned morning routine. Whether you’re rolling in a sleek SUV or navigating danfo chaos, the mission is the same: arrive at work looking like a million bucks, not like a soggy biscuit.
Here’s your ultimate guide to keeping it chic from door to desk.
1. Weather Apps Are Your New Best Friend
Before you even brush your teeth, check your weather app like it’s your bank account on salary day. The Lagos skies have no respect for your outfit planning—one minute it’s sunshine, the next you’re auditioning for Titanic.
- Pro tip for public transport commuters: Leave home earlier than usual to avoid wading through knee-deep water with a bus conductor shouting “Enter with your change o!”
- Pro tip for car owners: Even if you drive, flooding can turn your shortcut into a makeshift lagoon. Knowing the route conditions early will save you from a “park-and-trek” situation.
2. Waterproof Footwear: Your Steeze’s Secret Weapon
Let’s be honest—designer shoes and Lagos puddles are a toxic relationship. Swap your Louboutins or Ferragamos for rubber sandals, waterproof slippers, or crocs until you’re safely indoors.
- Public transport crew: Keep a pair of emergency flip-flops or jelly sandals in your bag. Slip them on for the flooded parts of your trip, then switch back to your corporate shoes in the office bathroom.
- Car owners: You’re not immune—those car park puddles are ankle-deep and not part of your gym’s leg day. Stash a pair of waterproof slides in your boot for those “oops” moments.
3. Invest in Rain Gear That Means Business
Umbrellas are great—until the wind turns them inside out and you’re holding what looks like a broken satellite dish.
- Long raincoats keep your outfit dry from neck to knee.
- Oversized umbrellas double as personal shelters (bonus points if you can fit a colleague under it—they’ll owe you coffee).
- Waterproof garment bags for those wearing suits can save your blazer from looking like it went through a spin cycle.
4. The Commuter’s Survival Kit
Even with all the planning, accidents happen—splashes from speeding okadas, unexpected rain bursts, or that puddle you thought was shallow but was, in fact, a small Atlantic Ocean.
Pack a discreet “rescue kit” in your work bag:
- A travel-size fabric freshener (rainwater smells cute on plants, not people).
- A lint roller.
- A spare shirt or blouse.
- Compact hairbrush or comb.
- For makeup wearers, a mini retouch kit—because panda eyes are for wildlife documentaries, not Monday meetings.
5. For the Drivers: Rain Etiquette Exists Too
If you’re driving, remember that the rainy season isn’t an excuse to turn into a rally driver. Slow down when passing pedestrians unless you enjoy giving strangers a free mud mask. Keep an extra pair of shoes in your car—you never know when you might have to step into a flooded gutter to rescue a stuck bumper (Lagos roads are full of surprises).
6. For the No-Car Crew: The Flood-Route Cheat Code
Know your streets. Some Lagos roads have PhD-level flooding patterns. That backstreet shortcut might look appealing until you find yourself on a waterlogged island, praying your phone doesn’t slip into the abyss. Ask okada riders, street vendors, or even security guards—they often know the driest (or least wet) path to the main road.
7. Keep the Humour Handy
The rainy season will test you—your patience, your wardrobe, your will to live. But nothing ruins your steeze faster than a bad mood. Laugh at the situation when you can—at least it gives you a funny story for your colleagues when you finally arrive at the office, hair slightly frizzed but dignity intact.
The Lagos rainy season is a fashion hazard, but with the right planning, you can step into the office looking like a style icon instead of a wet mop. Pack smart, dress smart, and walk like you own the puddles (just… don’t actually fall in one).
