The last time I was in London, I visited Check It Vintage, a shop that specializes in Burberry. Then, I had been a longtime admirer of the classic Burberry trench but had never owned one. I've just never been a trench girl. Instead, I've always leaned more into leather or fuzzy styles when it comes to coats. Trench coats, I thought, just weren't exciting enough, but I wanted to understand the hype. I figured if anything could convince me otherwise, it would be the classic cool London girl trench.
After spending hours looking through racks of the signature house check, I started to realize the appeal of a trench, which made up most of the store's inventory. What makes it so desirable is how wearable it is. You don't need a special occasion to wear a trench. You don't need to change your entire outfit to make it work on top. A trench is a feasible option in nearly every situation. And unlike most of my other coats that I fear of wearing during a downpour, trenches were made to weather any storm (quite literally).
Trenches have and will always be a timeless essential, even if you're like me and it's taken you a while to come around to the look. But I feel like they're also trending for the upcoming season. Trenches had a big moment when everyone was fixated on quiet luxury, but now people are realizing that their classic cool look works with everything. That's what makes it luxurious, and that's what true luxury is after all, right? You don't just have to be a minimalist to appreciate a trench. If anything, a trench works even better with a more over-the-top wardrobe because it's simple enough to accompany any aesthetic.
Ultimately, I didn't end up finding my dream trench coat in London. Instead, I walked away with a less practical (but extremely cute) cropped Burberry coat and a miniskirt. But the itch to find the perfect trench didn't go away, and I have spent much of August researching an option that I'll wear for the next couple of months. My findings are below.
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