TRENCH WARFARE

Hah, see what I did there…. “trench” as in the muddy pit. Like in a war. Which is why trench coats were invented. So many layers of meaning….AHEM, but anyway. The trench coat has always been the perfect marriage of form and function, the boxy cut and complicated flap arrangements born from the design house of (He-of-the-Nova-Check) Thomas Burberry in 1901. From its humble military origins, the trench coat became THE wardrobe staple of style mavens, kitschy detectives and comic book heroes the world over (cue Clark Kent daydream) and this season the trench is the preeminent item in wardrobe essentials.

Currently there are a plethora of interpretations of the classic trench on the market. Burberry still reigns supreme as the ultimate in wardrobe investment, the range varying from the classic (click for gratuitous Kate Moss shot) to the more modern (read: less functional but more fabulous). Closer to home (and perhaps budget) there are great trenches available at chain-stores, David Lawrence has a fabulous mod-style white cropped trench with black buttons, very Anne Hathaway in Get Smart and Gorman continues the retro spy theme with the aptly named “Agent 99” version in stores now. Sass and Bide have re-worked the trench into a hooded parka for their S&B Vie line, whilst Ginger and Smart have produced a typically pared down but elegant deconstructed trench. 

Going from one extreme to the other, camilla and marc have created a luxurious wool/ cashmere versionbudget number that is resplendent in tangerine, and Ben Sherman is offering a funky for those of us into cheap thrills/ wanting to actually pay rent for the next month.

Whichever trench you choose, bear in mind that we’re hoping to achieve more this aesthetic than this one….