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I love a trenchcoat, but every time I try one on I look ridiculous and give up. What am I getting wrong about this wardrobe essential?
Aha! The much-lauded wardrobe essentials. First, I am going to debunk something. The notion that items such as a white shirt and a trenchcoat both suit — and are appropriate for — every woman is unrealistic. Arguably a trench, or some sort of stylish mac, is very useful when we live in the UK and feel like we have 364 days of rain a year. They are inherently handy in spring and autumn. But a trench in its purest form is not easy to wear.
Trenchcoats were adapted from a military coat worn in the trenches of the first world war — from which it derives its name. It was later adapted for civilian wear by British brands including Aquascutum and Burberry. Traditional trenchcoats are cut from a dense, water-resistant cotton weave called gabardine and have epaulettes, lots of buttons, multiple deep pockets and a storm flap or two to protect you from the elements. It is essentially a busy but highly functional item. The issue with all that detail is that it can easily overwhelm many wearers.
The key is to buy a trench that works with your body and proportions. (Though if you want to go full fashion with the commensurate Herman Munster shoulder and massive volume, then you do not need my help.)
Height first. The more detail, embellishments, accoutrements or volume a garment has, the shorter and wider it can make you look. Too many horizontal lines — including belts — create visual clutter and widen the body. Petite bodies benefit from clean lines: think a streamlined trench or mac with a simple button front, minimal or no storm flaps, and moveable belts for flexibility.
Length is also important. Knee-length or car coat styles work best for petites, while maxis and oversized trenches are easier for those over 5’7” (1.70m) — unless you want to wear a very high heel. Note that it is usual to have to size down these days, with most coats being roomy enough for layering a knit or other jacket underneath. Do try at least two sizes to be sure.
Woolrich’s neat classic is an easy style to wear (£450, farfetch.com). If you are very diminutive, tie the belt at the back to cinch the fabric in and reduce the volume even more. By the way, do not be duped into thinking the only place to wear the attached belt is through the loops. Retie it where it works for your body. With a shorter leg go to the natural waist; with a long leg you want to drop the belt and wear it below the belly button.
A good alternative, and one that is also water-resistant, is Anine Bing’s minimal trench (£450, ssense.com). If you have a shorter arm, wear the sleeves long or roll the cuff to three-quarters length, otherwise pull and roll the sleeve up around the elbow. These small tweaks can reduce the volume in the sleeve too.
A trenchcoat is an investment. If you want to road-test before you commit, rent a trench from By Rotation. It has options from Burberry, Toteme and many more. Or if you are looking for a preloved coat, try Curate & Rotate. The Soeur Dustin trench has poppers to change the collar and sleeve width — genius! (£305, curateandrotate.co.uk).
Shoulders next. If you have a broad shoulder and you add extra details such as epaulettes, storm flaps or anything else that effectively builds out that shoulder, it can make you look broader. The first thing to ask yourself (you can use my Think Shape app to help you) is: what size are your shoulders in relation to your hips? If the shoulder is broader, you need to be careful with those epaulettes. Some are removable, in which case, brilliant: whip ’em off.
A raglan sleeve can also soften a broader shoulder in some instances — it’s all about the angle of the seamline. Also from Curate & Rotate is a pared-back 16Arlington trench with detachable leather collar that can be tweaked to make it work on your shoulder line (£349 on sale, curateandrotate.co.uk).
If your shoulders are roughly the same as your hips, this isn’t so much of a problem for you. Just try and roughly match your shoulder to your hip for symmetry and balance. For narrower shoulders, go all out with the shoulder and upper-body details. This Ganni trench ticks all the boxes, building the shoulder and the bust all at once (£655, harveynichols.com). A cape trench is also a good alternative. Go with Chloé for the top-end (£2,780, mytheresa.com) or, for a more reasonably priced option, Weekend MaxMara (£845, gb.weekendmaxmara.com).
If you are full-busted, be really careful with both shoulder detail and double-breasted styles. You are better served with a clean line. That can be an edge-to-edge style, which means no buttons, or something with a covered placket, which is where the buttons are hidden beneath the flap of fabric, or just something incredibly simple. This soft style from Max&Co is a minimalist dream (£300, gb.maxandco.com). If you really want some detail, have the party at the back. This beautiful trench from Sandro is divine with its pleated back detail (£559, uk.sandro-paris.com).
Finally, a note on fabric. The purist would go for authentic gabardine, which is tough and wears well but is not easy to clean. I like a bit of water-repellent coating because it increases the utility of the coat. Polyester ones are light and some feel amazing; they will feel a touch warmer, though.
There you have it. Know what to prioritise and you will find your forever trench.
Ask Anna
Anna Berkeley is a London-based personal stylist. Every month, she answers readers’ questions about fashion and what to wear. Have a question for Anna? Email her at [email protected]
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