After seeing the J Crew Chateau Trench online and completely swooning over it and it’s gingham lining, I realized I needed a good, sturdy trench coat with a hood. I debated ordering the Chateau Trench but felt that if it wasn’t going to make it to my store, I didn’t want to spend at least $300 ordering two different sizes and not being happy with either. My decision was sealed in searching for something else when I wanted more than what the Chateau Trench was offering.
Here’s my criteria.
- Hood – This is the main thing I want on my trench coat. I don’t care if it’s removable but I must have a hood.
- Color – Navy is my first choice in color and not the classic beige everyone else has.
- Style/Shape – The Chateau Trench is a shift and just a long rectangle. I want something with shape or with a belt to give it shape.
- Material – I don’t want anything that’s poncho-like or too thin material, which I know will be Poly. I need to have some substance.
Here’s what I found online. Of course, there’s Eddie Bauer, London Fog and The North Face but I was surprised by how stylish they were. My first pick is the Eddie Bauer Girl on the Go Trench. It meets all of my criteria. Instead of buttons or a belt it has princess seams for a flattering fit. The other Eddie Bauer trench is the Pack & Go Trench. Yes, it’s $100 for a trench that you can stuff into one of the pockets but the waist has a drawcord, it looks long enough to cover the booty. Both Eddie Bauer trenches are machine washable too.
The Via Spiga Single-Breasted Trench has a belt and pleating on the bottom. It comes in four colors on Amazon, including Navy. It’s not sold out, despite what my widget above shows. The Old Navy Trench is only available in size Large and above but the olive color is what intrigued me about it.
How bold is this Joe Browns Floral Mac? The hood and the waist both have a drawstring. And though the Boden Mac is an a-line shape I really like it in the Navy Floral Print.
The Via Spiga and Eddie Bauer trenches are on their way to me so I’ll do a follow-up post and review them for you.
Thanks so much for the coat recos. You and I have almost the same criteria, but I hadn’t realized the spring coats would be available yet. I’ve been looking for a navy J. Crew matinee trench look-alike since I missed ordering that one several years ago. I just ordered two sizes of the Via Spiga navy trench coat. It won out because it has about 50 percent cotton and I prefer more of a cloth look than the smooth polyester.