IT’S nigh on impossible to know what to wear to work these days, all thanks to the unpredictable phenomenon that is the glorious British weather.

Of a morning, I look out of the window, check my phone for the weather forecast and listen to the radio’s description of what lies in store. I then try and put together an outfit which is going to cover all of the promised precipitation and whatever else might be ahead of me.    

Because we girls are all slaves to fashion to a certain degree, we cannot just do as the men do. Really, a shirt, tie, trouser and sensible shoe combo covers most bases and can be easily and swiftly adapted to any and all possibilities. Lucky blokes.

We gals, however, must try and select suitable fashion for the day ahead - and for weather which might do something completely different half way through the morning or even from one minute to the next. 2013 has been particularly trying so far. 

We might leave the house in a light jacket and flats, but a few hours later might be in need of woolly tights, a scarf and a cosy jumper to sustain us in a sudden hailstorm. Or we might leave bright sunshine to enter a freezing office where the heat’s been turned off because it is (supposedly) nearly summer.

If wind’s in store, that means no skirts or anything flimsy which will be blown all over the place by big gusts. Rain? No trouser legs which will drag in puddles or coats with half-length arms. Very bright sunshine? No shirts or tops which could reveal, gasp, sweat marks. 

Recently, I seem to always be getting it wrong. I leave the house in my duffel coat, two other layers and with boots on as it seems grim grey and chilly, only to find that the sun finally decides to get his hat on around lunchtime, and I am therefore completely boiling and totally inappropriately clad.

One of the reasons women have such large handbags is because they have to carry all-weather options around in the event of such an emergency. At some points, I have had a woolly hat, gloves, umbrella, tights and tight repair kit over my shoulder in addition to the rest of my female requirements – it’s no wonder I have a bad back.

This of course is in addition to the hair and make-up challenges of the weather. At the first sign of humidity, my barnet turns to frizz, and exposure to water has the same awful effect. Don’t get me started on hat hair.

All in all, it’s pretty hard to appear presentable faced with such hurdles from the heavens.