I'm in the Seattle area, and also started commuting 8 mi at the beginning of last fall (albeit only one way until a few months ago, before that it was 2 mi in the morning to the bus stop). I can't help with jacket or pants. The North Face softshell I used was great for a few months and then started absorbing water. For pants I just used tights, which were great going only one way and would dry out overnight.

For shoes, once I made the switch to SPD (Shimano Click'r) I bought PI Elite Barrier Shoe Covers. They worked very well, with the exception of water coming in from the bottom of the shoe (through the cleat) or watere eventually running down through my socks (which is why I need rain pants for next winter). But, for my 40 minute commute, if I kept my tights (PI select) on the outside of the covers, it rarely got in. The one time my socks got completely soaked was after ~2 hours of riding in heavy rain (not during a commute). Size is definitely a problem though, but 42 should be fine. I have size 46 shoes, and the XXL barely fit. Durability-wise, they do have a rip on the bottom, but I do need to stop relatively often. On the other hand, I just picked up another pair for $30 at Amazon, so if you wait for a good deal, they can be pretty cheap.

For gloves, I ended up going with the PI Pro Barrier WxB Gloves. There's also the 3x1 gloves that are the same as the previous ones + a liner inside. I just use a separate liner when it's cold (Smartwool liner gloves). The PI gloves don't let through much, if any, water (I think my hands are wet mostly because they're sweaty) and they're very comfortable. They still look as good as new. That being said, if you want perfectly dry hands, I think it's impossible. But with these gloves, my hands never got that wet (except for the aforementioned 3 hour ride, but I think they were the last to fail).