With spring officially less than a week away, we’re all starting to think more seriously about our new season fashion staples. And they don’t come much more ‘staple’ for spring than a trench coat.
An annual go-to for so many of us, there’s a reason the humble trench has remained such a stalwart in our wardrobes over the years.
Lightweight enough to carry us through to summer, oversized enough to fit over our thickest knits if we’re still needing to layer up (which, let’s face it, we’ll likely have to do for at least the first few weeks of the new season) and classic enough that they go with every outfit from workwear to evening wear, jeans to gym leggings – there are very few outfits for which a trench coat wouldn’t be a great fit.
Which is why, every year, it can be something of a mission to find the very best out there. After all, for something with such a recognisable and classic silhouette, shade and structure, how different can one really be from the next?
Having tried hundreds – and bought more than I care to admit – I can unfortunately confirm that they vary enormously. From being too rigid to too short, too thin to too pale, my hunt for the perfect trench coat has seen me take many a wrong turn.
But – if I do say so myself – I’ve really excelled this time around, and found what has got to be the high street trench coat of the season before spring’s even officially arrived.
The perfect length, structure and caramel-camel hue, the real pièce de résistance of this trench coat by Cos is all in the hood.
Practical, yes, in a country where April showers are almost an annual guarantee, but this hood does so much more than keep your hair from getting wet.
A babushka-style covering that can be tied at the front in a knot or a bow – reminiscent of the industry’s current obsession with knitwear thrown over the shoulders and tied at the neck – it only takes this super simple design detail to really elevate this coat and set it apart from so many others in a heavily-saturated market.
Considered enough to make an impactful style statement while remaining timeless enough to genuinely last you forever, this is one of those very few ‘seasonal’ buys that – cost-per-wear – will more than earn its place in your wardrobe.
For more from Glamour UK’s Fashion Editor Charlie Teather, follow her on Instagram @charlieteather.