The trench coat is one of those pieces that has been around long enough to accumulate a lot of bad versions. Over-designed ones with unnecessary hardware. Stiff ones that look like a costume. Ones that make a man look like he’s either a detective or attending a film festival he wasn’t actually invited to. The double breasted cut is the right cut, we are firm on that, but it needs restraint to work. The lapels have to sit flat. The belt has to tie, not buckle. The length has to hit somewhere around the knee without swamping the frame. What we’ve been looking for are trench coats that understand their own history without leaning on it too hard. Cotton gabardine in tan or stone. Clean shoulder lines. Nothing that announces itself before you walk into the room. A great trench should look like something you’ve owned for years even on the first wear. These are the ones that manage it.