The Style Express

In the early nineteen hundreds, Thomas Burberry developed the fabric known as gabardine and proceeded to build on designs by himself and others to develop a water proof coat.  He presented it to the British Army  for the soldiers as a work coat.  It began being used by front line soldiers in the “trenches”, hence the name.   Many brought them home after WW l and it soon after became a fashionable piece.  Some identifiable parts that are still included on most of today’s traditional coats are sleeve straps,  a topstitched belt with D rings, and shoulder straps or epaulets.  A back shoulder flap or yoke, and a wide notched collar are also desirable details.  When designed long ago, these details all had a function.  Today, it is a beautiful piece of clothing and a real classic.

Fashion wisdom  from Chanel to Tim Gunn  and every stylist in between declare it a “must have” for a woman’s wardrobe.  I have trouble with “must haves” but I am becoming a bigger fan of this coat every year.   I think I like a bit of a twist to the traditional  tan or khaki trench.  Although, if someone gave me one like the coat below, I’d have to take it!  Burberry makes several trench coats with a variation on each.  Truly, there is not a more fashionable look than this. Add a beautiful scarf and you can almost go anywhere.

trench coat/ Burberry

I have one almost just like the one below.   The red is my little twist to the classic.  A removable lining is a real plus to these coats also.  I like linings that button out.

DKNY trench/ Bluefly.com/ $149.00

If you are  looking for a true water repellent trench,  you’ll want to make sure it has some nylon or a nylon (or some other like fabric) blend of some sort.  100% cotton will obviously not repel and likely absorb water.  Very uncomfortable!  I like the short version shown here and the zippers give it an edgy look.  Really cool and hip looking.  Really big picture too!

Brema trench/ Nifyfits.com/ $330

I don’t think you can beat the cute factor on the one below.  Plus, the price is fabulous.  Black and white will look great with jeans, khakis, or try a black pencil skirt, bright yellow scarf, and black platform peep toes.  Can’t beat that for spring.

Black and white floral trench/ Charlotte Russe/ $38.99

February might be a really great time to find a traditional tan trench on sale.  The new pieces retailers are receiving  will most likely be prints, florals, heavy linings, and spring colors.  A true water-resistant trench coat will be a great functional piece to have and will look fantastic with almost any outfit you choose to pull together.  If you’ll wear it,  I’d say you could safely invest in a coat like this.  But, if you are just going for a great looking trench imposter, then don’t hesitate to go for cotton blends in cute prints and don’t worry about being water-resistant.   I just left TJ Maxx in Brentwood  and they had a handful of really cute ones.   I hope you decide to give this icon a try!!