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“It occurred to me there were some fairly obvious reasons to wear a
trenchcoat—because you were a detective, a spy, or a flasher…There are
three reasons to wear a trench coat: because you have something to find,
something to hide, or something you want desperately to show. The
garment that seems to beg you ‘Don’t notice me!’ is also begging you to
take notice, whether the wearer wants you to see what’s underneath, or
whether he wants you simply to fear it. But part of the contract is for
the wearer and the witness—who is also being watched—to maintain the
fiction of non-theatricality, of non-spectacularity, of the extreme
understatement of performance.”
{Barbara Browning}
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| My pretty trench coat in action on a casual day out |
If you're not an expert in styling, then I would recommend you get one in a classic colour - that means black, beige, navy, white, khaki. There are loads of other funky colours you can get, from lime green to lilac, of course, but to start with when building yourself some basic wardrobe collection, going with classic colours will make it easier for you. Now my trench coat is from Warehouse (link here). It's a cropped (because I'm a shortie) navy (because it's a bit more fun than black) trench coat with classic cut (because it goes with everything) and a self-belt (depending on how you tie it you can achieve either a very smart or a casual look), and also some nice zipper detailing (the extra security for my house keys & a mobile phone). It's not the cheapest coat (£65) but it'll be in my wardrobe until it falls apart and I won't have to be buying a new coat every season.
Now my favourite way of styling a trench coat is to go a bit 'Parisian chic'. A pair of boyfriend jeans (I've been eyeing these from Topshop), a striped sailor tee (H&M and Zara do nice basic ones), a pair of black flats or heels (my favourite heels are from H&M), a black handbag and a timeless piece of jewellery (Mesenso is a new brand of classic pearl jewellery - their black pearl pieces are stunning!). And if you feel like this is just a tad too serious for you, you might want to add a pop of colour on your nails (my favourite nail polishes at the moment are these from Marks 'n Sparks).
What's your relationship with trench coats?
Yes or no?
Note: This post is a part of new series called 'Style Staples'. These will be published once every week and are here to help me & others with the my-wardrobe-is-too-full but I've-got-nothing-to-wear attitude. I will feature key items which I believe form the ideal essential wardrobe which is easy to work with and versatile enough for you to be able to incorporate those cat tees that don't go with anything at the moment and just sit on the shelf with a feeling of self-pity!
t of a new series called Style Staples. These will be published once a week and they are here to help me & all the stuck-in-a-rut but my-wardrobe-is-too-full people. It will feature pieces which I believe are essential for creating a good quality versatile wardrobe. Hope you enjoy it!
