The best thing about Autumn.

What’s the best thing about Autumn? Is it the leaves turning a lovely shade of gold as they fall from the trees? Maybe it’s the crisp Autumn mornings? The chance of an Indian Summer?

For me, it is none of those things. The best single thing about Summer turning to Autumn is the chance to wear a trenchcoat.

Of all the coats, jackets, cardigans and cover ups that we wear, the classic trenchcoat is the most iconic. It works in any shade, can be worn with the belt fastened neatly, or tied jauntily, and is just as good as a short jacket as it is in the classic knee-length version. It is a true fashion original, and every women needs at least one in her wardrobe.

The trenchcoat has been with us for a long time. The classic designs are by Burberry and Aquascutum, luxury items that change little from year to year yet remain utterly covetable. They are modelled by the likes of Kate Moss, Gisele, Lily Donaldson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Most recently Harry Potter star Emma Watson enhanced her youthful beauty with a Burberry trenchcoat, showing that real style classics transcend age.

Our beautiful icons of the past embraced the lure of the trenchcoat. Katherine Hepburn was born to wear a trench, as was Audrey Hepburn, who embraced George Peppard at the denouement of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ whilst wearing an amazing beige trenchcoat. Thus in one romantic movie scene two icons of style were united forever. The embodiment of French style, Catherine Deneuve, looked so poignantly fashionable in her trenchcoat in ‘The umbrellas of Cherbourg’ that she is instantly logged in your mental style catalogue under C for Chic.

But the trenchcoat is not just an icon of fashion glories past. Remember the scene in Sex and the City where Carrie cheats on Aiden with Mr Big for the first time? What was she wearing? That’s right, a great short trenchcoat with the belt tied at the waist for extra bad girl attitude. What did Kate Moss choose to wear when questioned by the police following drug allegations against her? Right again – a classic Burberry trench, belted up in the proper way to enhance her good girl credentials. Angelina Jolie’s coat of choice? A great black trenchcoat.

Think of any style icon and they will have been snapped wearing a trench. Alexa Chung wears one. Mandy Moore had a fab bright yellow one. Victoria Beckham has one in every colour. And now, fabulous Mad Man star Christina Hendricks has become the face of ‘London Fog’ for the Autumn 2010 campaign to seriously steamy effect.

Trenchcoats are stylish. Trenchcoats are fashionable. Trenchcoats are practical. They keep your best outfit dry whilst maintaining your serious fashionista kudos. My mom looks fab in her short classic m&s trench, my younger sister looks funky and cute in her Lipsy salmon pink ruffled effort. If you can’t afford the Aquascutum trench, then head to M&S because either way you are guaranteed to look the best you possibly can, whilst facing a rainy day. What more could you ask for?

Related Articles

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• Women take charge on the autumn runways (telegraph.co.uk)
• Kate Moss Launches Essentials Collection for Autumn/Winter 2010 (shoppingblog.com)
• Kate Moss Launches Essentials Collection for Autumn/Winter 2010 (piercemattiepublicrelations.com)
• Neil Barrett for Herno Trench Coat for Autumn/Winter 2010 (selectism.com)
• A Guide to Fashion Personality Types (womensfashion.suite101.com)
• Kate Moss in Balmain (denimblog.com)
• ‘Harry Potter’ star Emma Watson replaced as face of Burberry: Sky News (nypost.com)
• Aquascutum Autumn 2010 Campaign (selectism.com)
• Emma Watson Canned from Burberry, Replaced by ‘Transformers’ Actress (pbpulse.com)
• 10 Hottest items this week (myfashionlife.com)

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