Shopping Challenge: Trench Warfare

Wednesday, May 01, 2013


You might think that comparing my hunt for the perfect spring coat to the First World War is a bit over the top (my, the tasteless war puns are flowing thick and fast today), but they have more in common than you'd think. Both involved carefully-planned strategic campaigns. Both dragged on for years. And both, ultimately, achieved precisely nothing.

Okay, maybe they're not exactly the same. I should probably stop with the inappropriate comparison. But before I do, let me just remind you that trench coats were invented during World War I, so all I'm saying is that maybe it wasn't a complete waste of time.

FINE I'M STOPPING NOW.

Back to my quest for a new coat.


Ever since I bought my beloved navy duffel coat, I've had a hankering for more timeless pieces. When it comes to outerwear, which in my book should always last through several seasons, the classics have more enduring appeal to me. So far, I've managed to acquire a classic Western denim jacket and a vegan aviator. ("Vegan" is just a pretentious codename for "pleather," but vegan sounds classier so I'm going with it. After all, I'm practically a vegan myself. Ahem.)

Now that spring is finally rolling into town, I'm itching to begin my annual search for a trench coat to complete the collection. The trench coat, like most "classic" items, is tricky to get right, which explains why the search has become something of a traditional spring pastime for me. Every year I look, and every year I fail to find anything that fits the bill.

I actually own a sort-of-trench-coat, as seen in this post in which I attempt (very, very badly) to impersonate Blair of Atlantic Pacific. But it's really more of a jacket than a coat - it withers at the merest mention of rain and it has all sorts of trendy, "twist-on-a-classic" details. I don't want a twist on a classic. I want a classic classic. No weird zips, no funny pleats, no zany colours. Just a pale beige, showerproof, double-breasted, just-above-the-knee, belted, long-sleeved trench coat. Why is that so hard to find?

I was ready to resign myself to the fact that the perfect trench coat simply doesn't exist. Or, rather, that it only exists if you're prepared to drop a grand on it which, clearly, I am not. But then I saw this:


And THEN, I saw THIS:


I'm damned if I'm going to be out-styled by a child - even if it is Emmanuelle Alt's child - and a DOG.

This is where you come in. It's been a while since we've had a shopping challenge on ye olde blog. Who has some time to kill and wants to help me track down the perfect trench coat for under £100? You do? Excellent! And, GO.


P.S. A reminder that you can create fancy clickable links in the comments box by copying and pasting this easy snippet of code:
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Images: 1. Vanessa Jackman 2. From Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange via Vogue 3. The Sartorialist 4. Atlantic Pacific 5. Stockholm Street Style 6. The Westerley Trench from Uncovet

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17 boats moored

  1. Linsey1 May 2013 at 09:04

    Viola the classic trench
    I went through a similar thought process a couple of months ago and decided I should invest more in classics. I bought this in navy - was advised by a Twitter poll that beige was too easy to get dirty, but I'm still a bit torn and might buy the beige too.
    This is fully lined and just a normal trench, no zips or jazzy bits. I haven't really tested it in the rain yet but I'm sure it would withstand a shower*. Plus I got it when they had 30% off everything so it was a total bargain. Grazia do 30% off Gap a lot too.

    *when it rains do you use a brolly or should you start the search for the perfect hat??

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    1. Kirsty | A Safe Mooring1 May 2013 at 09:52

      Ooooh, I thought you had it there Linsey, but I'm not sold on 100% cotton. Mind you, the dream trench is 100% cotton too, so maybe I should give it a chance...

      Delete
    2. Kirsty | A Safe Mooring1 May 2013 at 09:52

      Don't even get me started on hats.

      Delete
    3. Unknown1 May 2013 at 10:57

      I was going to recommend Gap. Classic trench coats are very much a Gap Spring staple.

      Delete
  2. Rachel1 May 2013 at 10:02

    I don't think the perfect trench exists for under £100. My sister in law makes amazing ones but at a higher price point. Search Teija on Young British Designers website (I can't do links on my phone)

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  3. E.1 May 2013 at 12:34

    When it comes to classic and durable, I go straight to LLBean. I think they ship internationally. This one is labeled as "water resistant" for light showers. I remember Edinburgh being a "list mist all the time" situation rather than a "constant torrential downpour" situation, but I could be wrong. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68214?feat=trench-SR0&page=commuter-trench-coat&attrValue_0=Stone

    I also love this one from Eddie Bauer in the white with a bright yellow umbrella, but it's maybe not as classic - http://www.eddiebauer.com/catalog/product.jsp?ensembleId=44603&&categoryId=168&categoryName=TRENCH-COATS&pCategoryId=103&pCategoryName=OUTERWEAR-JACKETS--BLAZERS&gpCategoryId=3&gpCategoryName=WOMEN&ggpCategoryId=1&ggpCategoryName=EB&catPath=~~categoryId=168~~categoryName=TRENCH-COATS~~pCategoryId=103~~pCategoryName=OUTERWEAR-JACKETS--BLAZERS~~gpCategoryId=3~~gpCategoryName=WOMEN~~ggpCategoryId=1~~ggpCategoryName=EB&viewAll=n&pg=1&cmPathInfo=null

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    1. Kirsty | A Safe Mooring1 May 2013 at 15:10

      Ooh I really like that LL Bean one - don't know if we can get it here, though, hmm...

      Delete
    2. E.1 May 2013 at 22:24

      I can always mail it to you :).

      Delete
  4. Gill1 May 2013 at 13:02

    http://www.beyondretro.com/en/women/jackets/mac/where/dir/desc/order/news_from_date.html

    Vintage? This shop is on my street if you ever want anything!

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  5. Amanda M1 May 2013 at 13:04

    I got nothin'. But just to totally highjack, if anyone's seen a trench, ideally single breasted but definitely with a full skirt (to obfuscate my own full, um, skirt) I badly need to know.

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  6. Anonymous1 May 2013 at 13:14

    I searched for a very long time for a trench with no 'twists' so I feel your pain. Try Banana Republic - I got mine from there in the post-Christmas sales a couple of years ago and it's been an absolute staple. They have done some truly hideous styling work on the website but it really is a classic; http://bananarepublic.gap.co.uk/browse/product.do?cid=40924&vid=1&pid=000327572SP01-13242

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  7. Cynthia2 May 2013 at 01:31

    Personally I've got my eye on this one in that cool dusty rose color.

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  8. Rosie2 May 2013 at 11:51

    Think I would go for the doggy one in a wee bit bigger size!

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  9. Annabella2 May 2013 at 21:46

    I like the classic trench in theory but I think navy or black is MUCH more flattering on a Scotch blond. You don't want to be tied into weg a jazzy scarf. Then again I'm pissed on the train home so what do I know!

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    1. Kirsty | A Safe Mooring2 May 2013 at 22:23

      ANNABELLA! Thanks for your drunken comment :) xxx

      Delete