This is my perfect kind of weather. Beautifully sunny but still chilly enough for a coat can mean only one thing - it's officially trench coat season.
Amal Clooney's coat collection has to be one of the best I've ever come across, so I'm looking to her for inspiration on how to style a trench coat. The thing that stood out to me from these images taken back in 2018, was the one detail that really takes her trench coat to the next level - even if she's only carrying it artfully over her arm!
Hers if of course a Burberry trench coat. The giveaway? The instantly recognisable check print lining. It's such a simple but striking detail that elevates an otherwise simple piece, and it's a feature that as a fashion editor, I know I always look for when shopping for trench coats.
I've found a classic Burberry option you can buy if you want to follow in Amal's footsteps, or alternatively you could try one of the designer lookalikes I've found to keep everyone guessing.
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Amal's longline Burberry style is a timeless classic. The belted waist, the heritage check lining, the buckle detailing. It's a lot of money, but if you can invest in the real deal, I promise you won't regret it.
Hobbs is one of the best British clothing brands on the high street, and this shower resistant trench is sure to sell out by April. It's available in regular or petite lengths, and in sizes 6 to 22. One reviewer wrote: "Beautiful classic coat, and great quality fabric."
If you're petite, or want a style that shows off trousers and skirts, a cropped option is a really easy way to work a trench into your wardrobe. The gingham lining on this style sets it apart from the competition.
My own favourite trench coat is a khaki style from Alexa Chung's M&S collection, purchased years ago. That has a striking blue tartan lining, and it really is such a talking point. I often get asked if it is by Burberry!
With the cuffs turned back and the coat left untied, a statement lining really will be a feature of any spring ensemble you put together. Particularly when blustery spring days makes your trench coat flow out behind you!
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This is a more subtle lining, but again it just exudes Stealth Wealth. Marks and Spencer coats are some of the best you can buy, so buy it now and love it forever.
I could wax lyrical about French clothing brand Sezane, but I'll save you some time: Sienna Miller has got this coat and it's just impossibly chic. Wear it with jeans and T-shirts on repeat.
The appropriately-names 'Windsor' mac will make you feel like royal. I love how this is styled on the model with white jeans and a denim shirt with a knit layered over the top.
You might be asking what's the difference between a mac and a trench? Freelance Fashion Editor Antonia Kraskowski was the one who explained it to me: "a trench coat is double-breasted, usually with two rows of buttons, large lapels and has a belt at the waist.
"While a Mac - or Mackintosh to give it its proper name - has a single row of buttons, no belt or lapels and either a simple collar or none at all."
