WHY IT WORKS

Dressing for those in-between days with classic – and not so classic – trench coats

QI’m in need of a lightweight spring coat – what would you suggest?

AAs I spent my commute last week slowly melting in my thick winter coat I knew that it was time to relegate it to the back of the wardrobe: arriving hot and flustered for work is not a good look. But then I made myself late the next day deliberating on blazers – it’s just not quite warm enough yet to travel in them. So I’ve been feeling a bit stuck on the coat front, bringing me to the conclusion that I need a trench. It may seem a cliché in spring but it is genuinely the most stylish and practical solution. Every year I deliberate over which one to buy, and each year I miss out as the best ones sell out fast, so the research for this week’s column will come in very handy.

As a consistent dress wearer I’ll look to buy a longer length so there isn’t too much of a dress hem showing under the coat, but if trousers are in your Whitstable trench is a great shape that will sit smartly over a workwear outfit. Both colour options (stone and navy) have a bright Union flag lining. I also love Rejina Pyo’s Label/ Mix style as it’s not too structured and its creamy tone should suit all skin tones. For something a bit different, Cos has a trench that looks best all buttoned up to show off the lovely collar. If you’re still struggling with the beige-ness of it all, then go for a different colour altogether. Massimo Dutti, the modernclassic specialist of the high street, has one in a pretty dusty peach colour and a longer khaki style that reminds me of cool French girls, which is never a bad thing. And if you want to make a bit more of a statement, then there are plenty of animal print options around, with neutraltone snake skin probably being the easiest to wear.

Now I just have to decide which one will be mine.

This will be my last column in the paper, but it’s not goodbye: look out for my new dress-code busting column in The Telegraph’s Stella

magazine!