Steal Kate Middleton's style with a trench coat - the timeless classic for all seasons.

Kate Middleton chose a British luxury brand coat for her Belfast engagements on Tuesday.

The classic Burberry trench coat had the standard double row of buttons and buckled belt, but featured a flared hemline.A spokeswoman for Burberry said the brand was "very pleased" Miss Middleton had chosen it, but gave no further details about the style.Kate's choice of atire was, of course , spot on.Not only is Burberry a stylish choice for Kate -  but the trusty trench is also the perfect cover up this time of the year, when we are caught up in seasonal changes and on the verge (almost) of summer. 

Her designer version cost a wallet numbing €1,250  but I found an almsot identical version at Littlewoods for only a fraction of the cost at €119.00 (see bottom of page) And, as the evenings start to shave off some of their dark hours so our wardrobes start to discard a few of their layers. But it's all too simple to think of spring and summer dressing as nothing more than crisp white cottons, for our minds to focus on sunny holiday clothes rather than the practicalities of modern city life.

 But let's be realistic. As liberating as it is to toss off our winter coats the truth is we can't be without a coat altogether. That’s why every woman needs a good trench. They are smart, slightly mysterious and, above all, highly practical. They look just as good worn loose with jeans and trainers at the weekend as they do over your suit on office days.Say goodbye to soggy woollen coats and dark denim jackets that bleed into your new white shirt when it pours with rain - the trench coat has come into its own. Open the fashion pages of any glossy magazine and you will be confronted by every permutation of mac imaginable.

 

 

These coats fall into my favourite category of garments, being both practical and also deliciously glamorous.The lookhas drawn inspiration from a multitude of film stars down the years. Such resonating images as Marlene Dietrich dressedin a tightly belted black trench and matching beret - the epitome of androgynous glamour - in Manpower, and Lauren Bacall simmering in a beige version in Key Largo are frequently imitated.

Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn and Catherine Deneuve are among the many other actresses who have appeared on screen in sleek beige coats, tightly belted to accentuate their minuscule waists. The classic trench is, of course, beige - think Kate Moss in those Burberry ads - but this spring there are plenty of colourful options to choose from, too.



Red Trench Coat w/Tie Waist £32.99/€44.99 at New Look

The catwalks are filled with the usual eye popping versions but -for ladies who may shy away from making such a bold style statement a black trench is an altogether sexier proposition. Men will wonder whether you are wearing anything underneath it, especially when you team it with high heels and a pencil skirt whose hem falls just above the coats.

Black And White Pipe Detail Mac, €38

But the simplest trenches, which are beige and belted, are, arguably, the most chic. The perfectblend of masculine and feminine, they provide an aura of mystery - as though you might be wired up for a meeting witha mobster. How you wear a trench is crucial. Although they look better on the long and the lean, when they are neatly belted, well-cut trenches can hide a multitude of sins.

J by jasper Conran stripe mac,Debenhams, £80 €120

 As to what to team them with, well, if the naked option seems
a little too chilly, you could always follow the example of Sarah Jessica Parker (trench coat plus jeans and heels). Or you could put them to their original use: protecting you from the rain and the wind, with a sturdy pair of leather boots - and a confident disregard for mud.



Belted Trenchcoat - €119.00 at Littlewoods (Handsome Prince Sold Separately)



 Pick the right style and you will not regret it. Trench coats are a wardrobe classic and get top billing as spring's must-have purchase.  Even if you are just wearing it to work in the morning to ward off the rain, it is nice to strut down the street feeling like a princess.Well, a girl can dream.

 



        "Fashion can be bought.  Style one must possess."  ~Edna Woolman Chase

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