The Rain in Maine …isn’t such a pain when you brave the elements in style

April showers bring … a great opportunity to shop.

What’d you think I was going to say? May flowers? You’ll have to wait a month to read about that.

I’ve been saving my money for a rainy day, and, as luck would have it, I’ve found plenty of things to spend it on – from cute slickers to hats that are stylish enough to make the Wicked Witch of the West wish for stormy weather. Come to think of it, if she had planned ahead and ditched those striped stockings for a pair of waterproof Wellies, perhaps she wouldn’t have ended up screaming “I’m melllll-teeeeng!”

Speaking of Wellies, or Wellingtons, as I like to call them, I can’t get enough. A few months back, I bought a pair of rubber boots at Marden’s, but I can’t help but think a pair of tall, stripey numbers from L.L. Bean aren’t in my future (you can see them on Page E1). They cost $39, and if you want some for Junior, the kids’ version costs $24.50. I’m also wild about the pair with doggies on them, too. Perhaps I need to grow up. But why?

Well, the Polo Sport rain boots at Burlington Coat Factory would be one reason, I guess. They’re a bit more mature than the pooch boots, and at $20 a pair, buying both isn’t out of the question. For the hipsters in the audience, I recommend the $46 translucent wellies at Shoegazer in Ellsworth. They come in stripes and dots, and they’ll allow you to slog through mud puddles and still look cool.

Looking cool in the rain is no easy feat. The reversible blue and white slicker in my closet is proof of that. But raincoats don’t have to be ugly. At T.J. Maxx ‘n More, I found a chic Michael by Michael Kors trench in tomato red for $39.99 – what a buy for Michael Kors! And the color is enough to banish all thoughts of winter.

If you’re in the market for a rain coat, Burlington Coat Factory (appropriately enough) has the best selection I’ve seen. Marden’s can’t be beat for its prices on sleek trench coats in tan and pink. For cotton trenches, try Filene’s (the long suit jackets make a nice light coat) and Gap. Or you could go online and buy the latest object of my desire, Eddie Bauer’s floral cotton trench ($49.99).

Of course, all the coats in the world won’t keep you fully dry if you don’t have a rain hat or umbrella. I have more hats than I know what to do with, but I couldn’t resist Echo’s reversible cap at The Grasshopper Shop in Bangor ($24.95), or the adorable cotton bucket hats at Kmart ($5.99). They’re reversible, they’re casual, and unless you’re standing in the rain all day, they’ll do.

As for umbrellas, check out The Grasshopper Shop for the cute pop-up floral by Echo ($24.50), or try T.J.s for inexpensive umbrellas in solids and prints.

Me? Well, I have an old standby from Old Navy and a golf umbrella large enough to keep me and 40 of my closest friends dry. But secretly, I’m holding out for a Bangor Daily News newsprint umbrella. They’re a little bit hard to come by, even if you have connections.

Until last week, I was walking down the streets of Bangor in a grubby (and mildly heinous) blue raincoat that resembles something you’d see in a dentist’s office, covering my head with a Burberry plaid rain hat and carrying a mismatched plaid umbrella in olive green and maroon.

Now, I have a fabulous new rain coat that matches my cap, a new cap that matches my old raincoat, and I’m thinking of asking for a BDN umbrella instead of a raise. All in all, things are looking pretty good, even if the weather is still iffy.

When it rains, it pours.

ShopNotes

. Ann Taylor Loft twinsets at Marden’s. $19.99. Enough said.

. New York & Co. is coming to the mall. Perhaps now women under 30 will be able to buy suits in Bangor that aren’t made of flammable materials.