The trench coat is a style that I've always admired, but could never really pull off. They always tend to look boxy, stiff, overwhelming, and like I'm trying too hard. I do feel that trench coats are much easier for taller girls to pull off than petite ones. In London, I went into the Burberry flagship store on Regent Street and tried on multiple styles. I liked the Buckingham and Queenshouse, but wasn't completely set on either one. It was hard drowning out the SA's endless compliments, but at the end of the day you do not want to invest in an item that you don't love.
The 'Buckingham' from the London line is the classic trench most people think of when they think of the Burberry trench. It's constructed from 100% cotton gabardine and rainproof. This style hit me at a perfect length. However, the buttons were set too wide and even when I tied the belt, it made me look shapeless. Gabardine is an amazing material, but it tends to make clothes stiff and too structured for my body. The material folded in around the arms and didn't give me the streamlined look I wanted.
The 'Queenshouse' is also from the London line and it's set at the same price point as the 'Buckingham'. Made from the same material, the key difference between the two coats is that the Queenshouse is a much more slimmer fit and 1 1/2 inches longer than the Buckingham. I had to size up (size 4) in this coat whereas I took my normal size (size 2) in the Buckingham. The slim fit was fantastic, but the length and stiffness of the material made me unsure.
The coats in Burberry's Prorsum line don't have names, just product numbers. Apart from being way out of my price range, this coat was the stiffest of them all. It's constructed from heavy-duty double bonded gabardine. The SA owned this style and even took hers out to show me how well it fit. It looked great on her, but when I tried it on it was a completely different story. You can tell the coat is very high quality and well constructed, but it just didn't fall in the right places on me. In short, it made me look like a broad shouldered box.
Fast forward a couple weeks to when I was browsing through Nordstrom. I had already given up on trench coats, as I concluded the style was just not for me. However, the 'Marystow' coat caught my eye. It wasn't so unstructured to the point where it was wrinkly, but it was certainly not as stiff as the coats above. I tried it on and it fit in all the right places. The fit is not as slim as the Queenshouse, but not as boxy as the Buckingham. Also the buttons are set much closer together than the Buckingham which I think is more flattering. The length is 1/2 inch longer than the Buckingham, and I felt that this was the perfect length for me. The material is a mix of polyester and cotton gabardine. It's not as high quality as a coat made from 100% cotton gabardine, but it does the job. The best part was that the price was significantly lower than the Buckingham and Queenshouse, and it actually fit me much better! After trying it on and contemplating for more than an hour, I decided to take it.
Ah, the perils of living in a college dorm and not having access to an appropriate backdrop or full length mirror. Please excuse the shared bathroom setting.
Had button sewn in, but back flap still protruding
So what don't I particularly like about the Marystow style trench coat?
1. Unlike most other trench coat styles, there is no button to secure the back flap to the back. This causes a very odd hunchback look. I had the tailor at Nordstrom sew in a button to eliminate the flappiness, but it still sticks out a little.
Buttonless 'Marystow'
Buttoned 'Queenshouse'
2. The buckles are very loud. They look and feel rather cheap and plastic-y. If I could, I would opt for buckles that are more subtle and not as large.
3. The belt is slightly above my natural waist. This results in a small bump on my back below the belt. I think the coat would be more flattering if the belt was situated right at my natural waist, but it doesn't bug me enough to the point where I would go get it altered.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the Marystow trench coat. It's a great style for petite ladies--I'm 5'3 and found this coat to be TTS (size 2). As much as I have a hate love relationship with trench coats, this is definitely a style that I will take care of and wear for the next 10 years. I'm proud to say I am no longer in the market for a trench coat!
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