I woke up this morning to a temperature of fifty degrees thinking, what in the world should I wear.  Is it time to rock the boots? Well, the answer was a resounding no, especially as the forecast listed a high of eight-four degrees.  In Houston, October and November seems to be an awkward transition from boiling to bearable to cool to “cold”.  Today, we are in between the bearable to cool phase, which poses a bit of a wardrobe challenge.As I waited in line at Starbucks for my first of a hundred coffees, I ran into a friend who was sporting a wool wrap coat.  Although it was adorable and definitely on trend (more on wrap coats coming soon), I reminded her of today’s projected high temperature and that wool may not be ideal in a few hours.  She looked at me dreading the coming of the afternoon and said, “its Houston…there’s no way to win in Houston.”  Wrong!  When I begin to feel the transition from bearable to cool, it is a sign that it is time to pull out the trench coat from the trenches of my closet (daily pun dose accomplished). Trench coats are great because the fabric is lighter but durable.  A good trench coat can be worn for years and years, and is professional but can be dressed up or down to suit the occasion.  Remember when I mentioned that there were certain pieces I could justify spending a bit more on.  The trench falls into this category.

Have you ever wondered where this all season coat got its name?  Believe it or not, Burberry did not come up with it.  The name dates back to World War I, as the jacket was worn by men on the front line to protect from the difficult weather and terrain they were submerged in every day.  Soldiers were kept warm thanks to the fashion house Aquascutum.  When I worked as a PR intern at Selfridges in London, Aquascutum was a huge favorite of both women and men.  Their jackets are worn by some of the biggest celebrities today, but back during the war, the brand developed the first water repellent cloth. The brand’s name foreshadowed this creation as the name comes from the Latin words meaning shield and water. The trench coat became a fashion staple thanks in part to Burberry who infamously dressed Humphrey Bogart in the classic film Casablanca.  While the trench has been around for ages, its look has evolved over time and has become a gender-neutral wardrobe favorite.

There are loads and loads of fabulous trenches this season, and here are several of my favorites.