Trench Coat Guide - How To Wear & Buy A Burberry or Aquascutum Trenchcoat

Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette! Today's video is about trench coats. We discuss the 15 hallmarks of a quality, authentic trench coat, how to buy it, and everything else you need to know about this iconic garment. Few garments elicit such contradictory impressions. Originally, it was a military garment that served soldiers in the trenches but later, actors in Hollywood adopted it and loved it. Today, the trench coat is popular with men and women all over the world. Just like with many other garments, it's unclear what the exact history of the trench coat is. If you want to learn more about the history behind the trench coat, please take a look at our guide where we discuss it in detail. Today, you can find trench coats in all kinds of variations from different companies and different qualities with different details. The goal of this video is to help you find a trench coat that is as authentic as possible that suits your style. So what are the 15 hallmarks of an authentic trench coat? Here we go. First, let's talk about the material. Today, the most popular trench coat material is called gabardine which was invented by Thomas Burberry around the middle of the 19th century. It's a tightly woven fabric that is supposed to withstand rain and keep you dry. Most trench coats today come in different material compositions. 100% cotton is the most expensive one and the most desirable one. Another option that's very popular especially with Burberry's coats is 51% cotton and 49% polyester. This material blend has a great track record of standing up to the elements and therefore, it's also recommended. On the other hand, all kinds of coats with more polyester than cotton are simply a cheaper version and you should stay clear of them because they make you sweat. As a recap, go for 100% or 51% cotton gabardine. When it comes to color, the iconic trench coat has this kind of khaki camel color that I'm wearing here today. However, you'll also find trench coats in navy, black, red, green, and basically any other color under the sun. If you travel a lot, I recommend to get a darker shade maybe like black or navy such as here, otherwise, stick with the traditional khaki or camel color. Three, sleeve style. Trench coats come with many different sleeve styles. The two most popular ones are either the raglan sleeve which I'm wearing right here and it's characterized by the fact that the sleeve goes all the way over the shoulder and is sewn together at the back of my neck. The alternative is here where you can see there is a shoulder seam right at the shoulder. Basically, there is not one that is better than the other, it's simply that the raglan sleeve is probably a little more traditional and what you should pay attention to is the size of the armhole. Oftentimes, the raglan sleeves are cut very deep and although that seems to be comfortable, it's actually not. You always want to go for a rather small armhole. In my experience, Burberry trench coats often have a smaller armhole with the shoulder seam and raglan sleeves are usually a little bigger. The fourth hallmark is that you want a double breasted trench coat. Yes, trench coats also exist as a single breasted version, however, because of its military background, the original trench coat is always double breasted. Personally, I much prefer the double breasted style and that's the only thing I wear. The fifth hallmark of a trench coat are epaulets. Epaulets are these little tabs on the shoulder and in my case here, I even added little emblems and even though you're not in the military anymore, this is something that highlights that it's an authentic trench coat. The sixth hallmark is the so-called gun flap or storm flap which you can see right here. Originally, it was used to prevent the gun from getting wet or getting water inside or to actually button over your trench coat like so to prevent the water from running inside and getting wet. The seventh hallmark is the hook and the throat latch which really allows you to keep everything really closed so you're protected from the elements. The eighth hallmark is D-rings on the belt which were actually little rings on the belt of the trench coat which were used for all kinds of things like water bottles, grenades, and anything else that you wanted to carry. The ninth hallmark is sleeve straps as you can see here and they are simply there to make your sleeves tighter to keep out the wind and keep you warm. Ten, it's a deep yoke bag. The reason to have a deep yoke bag is to keep the water away from you and to keep you dry. The eleventh hallmark is the wedge bag and the wedge helps to keep the wind out even if you unbutton it and the buttons are there so you can close it if you want and open it if you need a greater range of movement, for example, when you run. Personally, I always leave it unbuttoned because I like the look of it and if I have to run, I can. The twelfth hallmark is the through pockets. A real trench coat should have accessible pockets from the outside and from the inside. That way, no matter if you wear it buttoned or unbuttoned, you can always reach your pockets. The thirteenth hallmark is leather buckles. Sometimes you can find trench coats with metal buckles but usually, they are always covered in leather. It could be brown or black or whatever works for your color but look for the leather buckles. Hallmark number fourteen is the checked lining. For example, Aqua Scutum has a famous blue and kind of mustard yellow lining versus Burberry has a so called Nova check which is black, red, and beige, and white. Sometimes you can also get additional liners which basically end at the sleeve and they help to keep your body warmer. Because of that, you can wear your trench coat not just for one season but sometimes for two seasons. When you buy an old trench coat, oftentimes, the liner is gone and you can get liners you can button in and ones that you can zip in. Make sure you know what liner you need if you want to buy one separately otherwise, they won't work together. The final hallmark is that a real trench coat should be made in England. I know even famous companies like Burberry today make them sometimes in Italy or in Asia or in other countries but I think the real iconic trench coat should be made in England. If you want to buy a genuine made in England trench coat, I suggest you go with trench coats pre-1999 from Burberry because there are lots of them out there and you can always recognize them on the label because it says Burberry's and then an apostrophe at the end. Today, Burberry is written Burberry without an S at the end and without an apostrophe. That's how you can distinguish whether you have an older garment or a newer one. One big problem when buying a trench coat is sizing. It is so difficult because the sizes are oftentimes much bigger so if you want to buy one especially on eBay or on other places remotely, make sure you know the measurements. Oftentimes sellers don't know what size the garment is even though in older Burberry trench coats, the size should be on a label on the inside pocket so it's best if you know your measurements and the coat's measurements. For Burberry specific sizing, please check out our guide where we talk about it more in detail. So now you may wonder what kind of trench coat should I buy? I think there are a number of different ones out there. You can get one from AquaScutum, from McIntosh, from Burberry and personally, I think the old Burberry's and AquaScutum are the most authentic ones and those are the ones I would buy. Last but not least, you may ask yourself when you can wear a trench coat. Basically, a trench coat is ideal for in between seasons, it can be worn with suits, some people even wear it with evening garments such as tuxedos which I think is not ideal but if you just have one coat with you, then that's what you have and that's what you should use. When I travel, I like to bring a trench coat because it's a very classic garment, it can be warm or a little cooler depending on the liner and it's always classic and elegant. If you enjoyed this video, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel and also to our email list. That way, you will never miss anything from us again and I'll even throw in the ebook about the 15 men's style mistakes and how you can avoid them. Stay tuned for next week! Bye!