Joe's Picks

← Coats and Jackets Worth the Investment

Coats Worth Spending Properly On Worth the Closer Look

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Joe's Top Picks

Belted Trench Coats That Get It Right DOROTHY PERKINS UK Yumi Teal Belted Trench Coat With Check Lining Jump to section ↓

$63.75 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

Classic Trench Coats That Don't Try Too Hard DOROTHY PERKINS UK Barneys Originals Real Leather Burgundy Trench Coat Jump to section ↓

$150.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

Long Trench Coats That Quietly Get On With It LA REDOUTE UK Long Trench Coat with Belt and Button Fastening Jump to section ↓

$89.99 LA REDOUTE UK

Raincoats With a Zip Edge That Works BLUE VANILLA Reversible Raincoat - S NAVYSTONE Jump to section ↓

$60.00 BLUE VANILLA

Slim Fit Waistcoats Worth the Closer Cut DOBELL Cream Linen Slim Fit Waistcoat Jump to section ↓

$60.00 DOBELL

Suit Waistcoats We'd Happily Recommend PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Chocolate Brown Woven Belted Back Detail Suit Waistcoat Top Jump to section ↓

$10.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

Waterproof Raincoats for People Who Read the Spec SNEAKIN UK Baby raincoat set Zigzag Simba PU Jump to section ↓

$39.38 SNEAKIN UK

Belted Trench Coats That Get It Right

The trench coat is one of those rare garments that has earned its place in menswear over about a century of actual use, and yet most versions sold today manage to get something wrong. The belt is usually the problem. Too flimsy and it buckles awkwardly. Too stiff and it never sits right at the waist. When it works, though, a properly belted trench does something almost no other coat can do. It gives structure to whatever is underneath it, reads as considered without trying too hard, and looks equally at home over a suit or over a heavyweight knit and dark denim. We have been paying close attention to proportions, specifically the collar stance, the belt weight relative to the body of the coat, and where the hem falls. The ones we have picked here have all of those things sorted. A good trench is not a trend piece. It is a coat you are still reaching for in fifteen years.

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Yumi Teal Belted Trench Coat With Check Lining $63.75 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Yumi Navy Belted Long Trench Coat With Belt In Mid Navy $68.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

BLUE VANILLA Short Trench Coat - STONE $60.00 BLUE VANILLA

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Navy Double Collar Tie Waist Trench Coat $42.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

BLUE VANILLA Short Trench Coat - M STONE $60.00 BLUE VANILLA

LA REDOUTE UK Belted Cotton Trench Coat $21.59 LA REDOUTE UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Chocolate Cropped Belted Biker Trench Coat $13.50 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

BLUE VANILLA Short Trench Coat - S CHOCOLATE $60.00 BLUE VANILLA

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Petite Charcoal Tie Waist Trench Coat $27.50 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Charcoal Cropped Belted Trench Coat $35.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

LA REDOUTE UK Long Belted Trench Coat $101.99 LA REDOUTE UK

INSTOCK UK Button Detail Belted Trench Coat - black ML $15.94 INSTOCK UK

Classic Trench Coats That Don't Try Too Hard

The trench coat has been around long enough to have earned its reputation and then spent decades having it ruined by bad versions. Too stiff, too shiny, too many unnecessary buckles doing nothing structural, and suddenly a genuinely great piece of outerwear starts to look like fancy dress. What we've always loved about a well made trench is how little effort it asks of you. Throw it over a suit on a grey Tuesday morning or wear it over a heavy knit at the weekend and it reads correctly both times. The ones worth buying share certain qualities. A proper cotton gabardine that sheds rain without looking like a mac. A collar that sits right when turned up. A cut that's fitted without being aggressive about it. We've been deliberately avoiding anything with too much going on because the whole point of a trench is that it already knows what it is. These ones haven't forgotten that.

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Barneys Originals Real Leather Burgundy Trench Coat $150.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Black Tailoring Trim Trench Coat $19.75 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

DAMART Damart First Avenue Trench Coat $37.50 DAMART

MONSOON Tia Funnel Trench Coat Brown $60.00 MONSOON

INSTOCK UK Luxe Faux Leather Lapel Trench Coat Jacket - S Grey $63.94 INSTOCK UK

INSTOCK UK Meredith Longline Belted Trench Coat - SM Beige $32.94 INSTOCK UK

INSTOCK UK Giana Oversized Belted Trench Coat - Effortless Elegance, All-Weather Versatility! - SM Khaki $27.85 INSTOCK UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Taupe Tailoring Trim Trench Coat $19.75 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Dark Khaki Funnel Neck Trench Coat $42.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Plus Charcoal Cropped Belted Trench Coat $17.75 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

INSTOCK UK Button Detail Belted Trench Coat - BEIGE S $25.94 INSTOCK UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Yumi Brown Faux Suede Trench Coat $76.50 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

Long Trench Coats That Quietly Get On With It

There is a particular kind of coat that does not ask for your attention and gets it anyway. The long trench is that coat. Worn properly, belted or left to hang open, it adds a kind of quiet authority to whatever is underneath that shorter outerwear simply cannot replicate. We have been looking specifically at options that fall below the knee, because that length is doing real work. It changes your silhouette. It makes a simple outfit look considered without making it look try-hard. The ones we have picked here are not fashion pieces in the disposable sense. They are built to last a decade and look better for it. We paid attention to collar construction, how the belt sits, and whether the cotton gabardine holds its structure in the rain rather than collapsing into something shapeless. A trench that loses its shape the moment it gets wet is not a trench worth buying. These ones hold the line.

LA REDOUTE UK Long Trench Coat with Belt and Button Fastening $89.99 LA REDOUTE UK

THE_DOUBLE_F Eggplant colour single-breasted trench coat $490.00 THE_DOUBLE_F

TOKYO LAUNDRY Coats Jackets Shelton Mock Layer Insert Trench Coat in Navy - Le Shark $29.99 TOKYO LAUNDRY

STUARTS LONDON Aquascutum Packable Trench Coat - Brown $64.50 STUARTS LONDON

LA REDOUTE UK Long Mid-Season Trench Coat $71.99 LA REDOUTE UK

STUARTS LONDON Aquascutum Shell Active Mid Trench Coat $375.00 STUARTS LONDON

LA REDOUTE UK Signatures Mathias Straight Trench Coat with Button Fastening $74.99 LA REDOUTE UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Klass. Cropped Trench Coat In Navy $25.50 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Long Tall Sally Tall Trench Coat In Stone $62.90 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

Raincoats With a Zip Edge That Works

Most raincoats solve one problem and create another. They keep you dry and make you look like you have no interest in how you dress. The ones with a zip as a design feature rather than an afterthought are worth paying attention to, because a well placed zip changes the whole proposition. It adds structure. It gives a coat a point of view without resorting to branding or unnecessary hardware. We've been specifically looking at options where the zip line is clean, the pull is considered, and the overall silhouette works with the kind of clothes men actually wear in bad weather. Tailored trousers, dark denim, a good boot. These are not technical jackets dressed up in fashion language. They are proper raincoats that happen to look sharp. Water resistance matters here as much as proportion. We've insisted on both. If you're going to get caught in the rain, you may as well look like you planned it.

BLUE VANILLA Reversible Raincoat - S NAVYSTONE $60.00 BLUE VANILLA

BLUE VANILLA Reversible Raincoat - L NAVYSTONE $60.00 BLUE VANILLA

BLUE VANILLA Reversible Raincoat - M NAVYSTONE $60.00 BLUE VANILLA

MONSOON Frugi Rambler -in- Raincoat Green $39.00 MONSOON

STUARTS LONDON Universal Works Raincoat II $90.00 STUARTS LONDON

STUARTS LONDON Armor Lux Original Breton Raincoat Penmarch - Yellow $55.25 STUARTS LONDON

BLUE VANILLA Reversible Raincoat - NAVYSTONE $60.00 BLUE VANILLA

STUARTS LONDON Armor Lux Original Breton Raincoat Penmarch $55.25 STUARTS LONDON

DAMART Damart First Avenue Raincoat $37.50 DAMART

HOLLY AND BEAU LTD Bugs Colour Changing Raincoat $42.00 HOLLY AND BEAU LTD

STUARTS LONDON Universal Works Raincoat II - Sand $90.00 STUARTS LONDON

HOLLY AND BEAU LTD Tiger Colour Changing Raincoat $35.00 HOLLY AND BEAU LTD

Slim Fit Waistcoats Worth the Closer Cut

The waistcoat is one of those pieces that rewards precision more than almost anything else in a man's wardrobe. Wear it too loose and it looks like you borrowed it. Get the fit right and it does something a jacket alone cannot, pulling the torso together and giving the whole outfit a considered quality that reads as genuinely dressed rather than just wearing clothes. Slim fit matters here because the waistcoat works by following the body, not hanging off it. We have been particularly focused on options that sit well with both a full suit and odd trousers, because the best waistcoats earn their place outside of three piece territory too. Back adjustment, welt pockets, and a clean lapel line are the details separating the ones worth wearing from the ones that photograph well and feel wrong in person. These are the waistcoats where the closer cut is the whole point.

DOBELL Cream Linen Slim Fit Waistcoat $60.00 DOBELL

DOBELL Sand Linen Slim Fit Waistcoat $60.00 DOBELL

SANTORO MILAN Kelvin - Black Single Breasted Waistcoat $58.99 SANTORO MILAN

MILANOO_UK Men's Single Breasted Vest Slim Fit Waistcoat Vest $8.56 MILANOO_UK

DOBELL Blue Slim Fit Waistcoat $50.00 DOBELL

SANTORO MILAN Kelvin - Navy Single Breasted Waistcoat $58.99 SANTORO MILAN

SANTORO MILAN Marc Darcy Max Navy Waistcoat $72.50 SANTORO MILAN

SANTORO MILAN HM Stone Tailored Waistcoat $72.50 SANTORO MILAN

DOBELL Ivory Linen Slim Fit Waistcoat $50.00 DOBELL

DOBELL Grey Slim Fit Waistcoat $50.00 DOBELL

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Izabel London Sleeveless Buttoned Waistcoat Top In Black $35.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

MASDINGS HM Waistcoat $72.50 MASDINGS

Suit Waistcoats We'd Happily Recommend

The waistcoat is probably the most misunderstood piece in a man's formal wardrobe. Worn badly it looks costumey, like something borrowed from a period drama. Worn well it adds a layer of considered formality that a two piece suit simply cannot match. The key is fit across the chest and length at the hem, both of which vary more than they should across brands, which is why we've done the legwork rather than leaving you to figure it out from a product page. We've been looking at options that work for weddings, serious professional settings, and the kind of occasion where a suit alone feels slightly underdressed. Single breasted, double breasted, wool, tweed. The ones in here have been chosen because they do what a waistcoat should do, which is make the whole outfit look more organised and more intentional without drawing attention to itself. A good waistcoat earns its place quietly.

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Chocolate Brown Woven Belted Back Detail Suit Waistcoat Top $10.00 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK House Of Holland Charcoal Grey Tailored Waistcoat $38.41 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

MILANOO_UK Gothic Lolita Outfits Stripes Ruffles Blouse and Waistcoat and black Skirt three piece suit $67.77 MILANOO_UK

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Hampton Waistcoat $299.00 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

LA REDOUTE UK Fitted Buttoned Waistcoat $23.19 LA REDOUTE UK

PRETTYLITTLETHING UK Taupe Textured Gold Button Trim Waistcoat $7.50 PRETTYLITTLETHING UK

LA REDOUTE UK Linen Short Fitted Waistcoat $49.29 LA REDOUTE UK

SANTORO MILAN Kelvin - Tan Single Breasted Waistcoat $58.99 SANTORO MILAN

SANTORO MILAN Bromley Stone Waistcoat $73.00 SANTORO MILAN

SANTORO MILAN Kelvin - Oak Single Breasted Waistcoat $58.99 SANTORO MILAN

SANTORO MILAN Max Black Waistcoat $299.99 SANTORO MILAN

SANTORO MILAN Bromley Sky Waistcoat $73.00 SANTORO MILAN

Waterproof Raincoats for People Who Read the Spec

Most waterproof jackets fail in one of two ways. They look technical enough to summit a mountain but handle a Tuesday commute in the rain like a bin bag, or they look polished enough for the city but let water through at the seams after twenty minutes. We are not interested in either. The coats in here have been checked against actual waterproof ratings, taped seams, and breathability scores, because a jacket that keeps rain out but soaks you from the inside with trapped heat is not solving the problem. We have also been strict about cut. There is no reason a properly waterproofed coat cannot look sharp. Collar construction matters. The way it falls over a jacket matters. Whether it packs down without looking destroyed matters. These are coats built for people who want to know exactly what they are buying before they buy it, and who also want to look good wearing it. Both things are possible.

SNEAKIN UK Baby raincoat set Zigzag Simba PU $39.38 SNEAKIN UK