London Fog trench at Overstock.com

A trench coat is one of the most classic wardrobe items you will own.  It is a wardrobe staple that you can bring out every spring season and wear into early summer.  It’s useful for both wearing to the office and wearing around town since it is classic, but cute.  When shopping for a trench coat, look for one that is higher in quality and more durable.  A cheap trench coat will not even last you through one season before it starts to break down and rip or tear at the seams.

When looking for a trench coat, look for material that is lightweight wool, cotton canvas or gabardine.  All of these materials will be light, but also provide the warmth you need.  Also, look at the details of the trench coat.  If there is reinforced stitching, if the buttons are made of high quality like nickel or tortoiseshell, if there is an extra lining, and if there are details like epaulettes and other special details of the jacket, then you know that the trench coat is something of higher quality.  These extra details will signal to you that time and care were put into making the jacket and the coat will last you a lot longer for the price you pay.

In terms of color, the most traditional colors are black, navy and tan.  If you are looking for a more classic trench coat, you can’t go wrong with any of these colors.  

Every season, there are tons of new trench coats made and sold in these colors.  However, if you want something that stands out more, but will still last a long time, consider a red trench, purple trench or even a green trench coat.  These 3 colors continue to cycle through every season, with red being one of the most popular colors for women.  

Blue trench from Nordstrom

Before you start shopping, consider the budget you have for a trench coat.  Don’t think of the coat as a one season, one wear purchase.  Remember that you will be wearing it everywhere – to the office, to dinner, to lunch, during the day to go shopping.  Also, you will probably be pulling it out for the rain and for heavy weather.  Finally, you can pull it out every season when the weather starts to get slightly warmer, but is still cold enough where a nice warm trench coat will keep you protected.  Therefore, calculate your coat budget to be twice as much as you expected, with the expectation that it will last three or maybe four times as long as you expected.  A nicer trench coat is well worth the money, quality and durability.

If you are considering what style trench coat to buy, go to this article for a style breakdown.  If you don’t know where to shop, I have a list of suggestions in the shopping area.  There are many trench coats to choose from so shop carefully and take your time.  Also, read through these next articles to help you narrow down your selections and find the perfect trench coat for you.