How Should A Trench Coat Fit A Woman?
How should a trench coat fit a woman? And what should you look out for in a good quality trench, before investing in one?
It's getting cold and even though we've mostly been indoors with the lockdown here, whenever I've had a chance to get outside I've been throwing on my trench coat - which made me think I hadn't made a fit guide on that yet - so here it is!
OVERALL BODY FIT
The trench coat should be treated more like a raincoat when it comes to fit, you should be able to fit some thicker clothing underneath it as it's a coat designed to protect you from wind and sometimes rain (if you're after a waterproof one). The body and arms of the coat should never be tight or pulling, it's not a fitted garment. Look for a trench that skims and is a little loose on the body.
SHOULDER FIT
This can be an expensive alteration to make if you buy the wrong should fit in a coat, so you want to check that the sleeves and across the back of your shoulders aren't tight. The seam connects the sleeve to the coat should be sitting on the edge of your shoulder. If you have a jumper/sweater on when you try the coat on in the store, move your arms around in the coat, if there's any tightness in the upper arm and shoulder you should try a size up. If the coat is so loose that the should seam is sagging off your shoulder, you need a size down.
Here are some other blog posts all about fit below:
How Should A Trench Coat Fit A Woman - Waist & Sleeve length
WAIST
The waist of the trench is the closest area the coat can fit, apart from the shoulders. So the buttons along your chest and waist should fasten comfortably without pulling across your chest. If your trench coat has a belt, check to make sure the belt loops that are stitched onto the garment are sitting on your waist and not too close to your hip area.
If the waist of the trench coat is hitting your hips, it's too long in the body. You would be best, in this case, to look at another brand, try petite sizing or if there is a waist seam - have the waist lifted on the coat at the tailors.
SLEEVE LENGTH
When you're picking your trench coat, sleeve length is something that can be easily adjusted if your sleeves don't have detail around the cuff. If the sleeves have details like a strap across the cuff then the sleeve will need to be taken up from the shoulder which can be expensive as multiple parts of the jacket need to come apart to make this adjustment.
Between the crease where your wrist meets your hand and your first thumb knuckle is where you want your trench coat's sleeve to end. Beyond this point, the overall look of the trench starts to look too big on the wearer and can look sloppy.
I've made a video about how a trench coat should fit a woman as well as put together a few trench coat looks for your own wardrobe inspiration! You can check that out below.
How Should A Trench Coat Fit A Woman: Quality & Fabric Choice
What fabric should a trench coat be made from?
These are such classic coats and they can be expensive, so it's important to buy your coat in a fabric that will last you many winters to come. Natural fabrics like cotton, wool gabardine or leather are great fabric options. Look at what your lining is made from too - viscose and silk are quality lining choices and will make for a durable coat.
Signs Of Quality In A Trench Coat
You should always check the care tag on the garment before you purchase to ensure you're prepared for the care involved with owning the garment. Most trench coats are dry clean only, so if you hate the dry cleaners, finding a trench coat that can be laundered in other ways might be the way to go.
Look along the hems and stitching for loose thread, check the stitches are even and there aren't any pulls on your fabric. It's also good to check how firmly stitched on the buttons are and see if the coat comes with a spare button in case you need it down the track.
Want to learn more than just how a trench coat should fit a woman? I've made a Pinterest board full of trench coat outfit inspiration. Click below to see the board!
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