How To Find The Right Trench Coat

With gradually rising temperatures, spring is also returning to our wardrobe: Instead of thick woolen coats, parkas and down jackets, we wear combination favorites such as the trench coat in the transition period – which is also very trendy in the spring / summer season 2018. But do you already know where the classic jacket originally came from and which model fits your figure individually? explaining the origin of the coat and shows suitable trench coats for every figure type.

Father of the trench coat: Thomas Burberry

Whoever thinks of the British fashion house Burberry when it comes to the term trench coat is spot on: in 1914 the textile merchant Thomas Burberry, who had founded his label in 1856, designed the first trench coat. In 1879, the designer invented the robust and water-repellent cotton gabardine. The British military became aware of this and ordered gabardine coats for the armies for the First World War. The classic trench coat was created. The name is also of military origin and can be traced back to the English term trench for trenches.

From trenches to sniffers and Tiffany

The double-breasted button placket, the lapel collar, the shoulder yoke, the shoulder and sleeve straps, the tie belt and the beige or khaki green color are part of the classic trench coat and give it its recognition value. After the war, the soldiers also wore the coat in civilian life and paved the way for today’s jacket classic into the fashion world.
The trench coat hardly remembers its original use for the military today: Over the years, the former uniform of the army became a distinguishing feature of detectives and agents. Humphrey Bogart wore the coat in “Casablanca”, Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” makes two items of clothing a cult – and a sought-after item for fashion-loving women: the trench coat and the little black dress.

The fashion classic reinterpreted: This is how we wear trench coats 2019

In spring and summer 2019, the trench coat will be on the clothes rails in countless variations: in addition to the typical trench colors beige and khaki, models in bright colors such as red or royal blue provide colorful moments – but be careful with the styling of these variants. Depending on the material and cut, colorful trench coats quickly look less elegant and of high quality. If you are not a fan of the classic colors beige and khaki and still venture into the trench business, you should prefer black, gray or navy blue. You are also quite on trend course 2019 with a trench coat in pastel shades such as delicate rose, vanilla yellow, apricot, violet or light blue.

New forms of trench and variety of textiles

The military coat has also changed in terms of fit and cut since its creation. The trench coat originally ended at calf height, but today it can also be cut to length or ankle length and oversized. For example, even smaller women will find a suitable trench that does not overwhelm them optically. The trench coat label par excellence presents extravagant versions of the coat in 2018: Burberry chief designer Christopher Bailey sent his models onto the catwalk for the presentation of spring / summer fashion 2019 in printed leather and vinyl trench, some in bright colors like Neon pink or signal red or with overall check print. Although such designs require a bit of fashion courage, the coats in exciting textiles can be styled just as elegantly as the classic trench coat with a shirt blouse, pleated trousers and pumps.

Figure type guide: How to find the right trench coat

Basically, the classic trench coat is suitable for all figure types – but there are a few small rules for every body shape to ideally emphasize your benefits:

Figure type 1: Curvy figure

Curvy women, in particular, shouldn’t button the coat (unless, of course, if you are otherwise freezing!) – this can quickly look conservative and creates an undefined silhouette. Black trench coats optically cut a slim figure, models with subtle vertical pinstripes as well. The typical waist belt and the resulting A-line also help to create an advantageous hourglass silhouette – even if there may be little waist to be seen.

Figure type 2: Androgynous figure and tall women

For women with a rather androgynous stature and correspondingly wider shoulders, trench-choat models without shoulder pads and straps fit because they emphasize the shoulders. Simple and tight-fitting variants with a narrow lapel and slightly flared skirt are ideal. Androgynous or very tall women can also wear unisex models with a calf-length cut and more masculine details. If you as a woman with an androgynous figure would like to cheat a little more feminine shapes, you should grab a trench coat with a voluminous shoulder and chest area and use the waist belt to form an A-line.

Figure type 3: hourglass figure and little women

In order to emphasize the narrow waist advantageously, but not to make the hips and shoulders appear wider, the collar of the trench coat should be narrow and the belt should be closed loosely. Very small women should use models whose hem ends just below the knee. Otherwise, floor-length or calf-length trench coats will quickly make you look overwhelmed – or as if you had put on the coat by your much larger man.

Style guide: 1 trench coat, 3 outfits

Hello, spring wardrobe! The trench coat is the perfect coat for the transition period and can be worn with a layered look on both mild and cooler days. Three looks that match your trench coat model – and for every figure type:

Casual with jeans

French chic meets British formality: For a casual and elegant look, combine a beige trench coat with a classic Breton shirt, jeans and red lips. You decide whether you want to wear slippers, sneakers or pumps.

Send for dinner

Audrey Hepburn showed it: the combination of a little black and a trench coat ensures an elegant appearance – casually tossed around the shoulders. In addition to the classic version in beige, modern variations in light gray or pastel colors look great with the plain-colored dress. Warning: For balanced proportions, the coat should always be a hand’s breadth longer than the dress.

Serious in the office

The trench coat also always fits in the office and goes well with straight-cut trousers, shirt and loafers. Do you wear skirts at work? The trench coat is also the right choice for a pencil skirt and blouse. Tip: If you want to style the trench coat a little more unusual, simply replace the associated belt with a differently colored leather belt or a belt with an animal print, such as a snake or crocodile print.

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