I'm not sure a coat does depreciate less than electronics? Again, I think that's a false comparison - but that doesn't matter. **You don't need to justify this purchase to anyone.**

I do think people have brought up valid points about student status in regard to your topic, *when* does one splurge? And I think the consensus is that student time is probably not the right time, because you don't know what life is bringing you, and your tastes will likely change as you get older.

HOWEVER

If you feel good about this trench, can afford it, want to do the fewer-better-items route, and think this is one of "the" pieces, then go for it!

MInor side note:
My only quibble with your item, to be frank, is the color. I just think black is more versatile because then this trench could double for dressy. But this is YOUR purchase! Seek your joy, you know?

Sally at alreadypretty.com has said in one of her posts
"I tried on a brand new Burberry trench coat a couple of months back, just for kicks. And you know what? It should’ve just looked like every other affordable London Fog trench in the world, but it DIDN’T. It looked gorgeous and classy and expensive and amazing. Quality can be thrifted, of course, as a used garment made well will generally weather better than a new garment made shoddily. But it also stands to reason that a new garment made well will weather even better than a used one, especially if it is in the care of someone for whom “polished” is a priority. Some cheap stuff can look expensive, but nearly all expensive stuff looks expensive."

Only you know if this one is a wise splurge or not. If your style is set and this will be your evening topper basic and also a spring coat go. If you feel you're evolving style-wise, think again. Delicate evening or pretty wear ( as opposed to sturdy ) can be a staple . My mom had some nice gray d'orsay heels in leather and suede, extremely expensive ( her monthly income) she bought when she was young ( and single) and she wore them to death to parties, weddings, dates, etc. Just make sure A. it is impeccably made and B. It's something you adore and C. you are not afraid to wear it ( my mom - to keep with her example - was a dressy person and wore heels daily)
If you take the splurge, now or sometimes else, remember to wear it. It's cpw is lower if you wore it to every play and date and occasion you could and after 50 wears gets snagged, than if you keep it 5 years but wear it 10 times.
About the color, I have a nice gabardine jacket in the same color I use all the time, and I commute in crowded buses. One dry-clean per season it's enough. I don't know about that specific silk though.

Would either of the other two coats that I posted above be a better option in terms of versatility for day-to-day wear (ie is the coat that I am eyeing too dressing for jeans and flat shoes)?

I'm also a grad student who's unencumbered by anything/anyone, so I can understand how a student can actually have $1700 available to spend on a single item. However, I'm with MaryK et al. You're looking at this purchase as an investment of sorts, but even forgetting the fact that it's NOT an investment in the financial sense, I'm afraid that you won't even like it that much in a few years! Tastes and styles change a LOT. You could tire of the beige, find the coat too silky for everyday wear, move to a place with a hot/dry climate where the trench isn't useful, etc. etc. etc.

I saw that you said this earlier: "My fashion aims are to streamline my wardrobe into something versatile with good quality basics. My experience living abroad taught me that I had way too much clothing at home, but was lacking in some simple, versatile pieces that ultimately change an outfit for the better. I see this coat, among other things, as belonging in this category. "

For that same $1700, you could buy 5-6 (or even more) high quality items that would streamline your wardrobe in this way more than one single big ticket item: a few pairs of premium denim, a great handbag, comfortable shoes from a nice brand, a nice trench coat for daywear. I feel that would get you a lot closer to your overall goal!

And speaking for myself, in terms of splurges, I think of this as a perfect time to splurge on travel--I'm young and full of energy, I don't have children that I can't take time away from (nor do I have the hassle and expense of trying to take them along). Whereas I can more easily imagine having an income later in life which would make clothing splurges (though not necessarily $1700 coats, in my case) more feasible, since that only depends on money, not money and time and feasibility with regards to other people.

While I definitely know guys who spend a lot on electronics, I don't think the analogy is apt here. If I were to buy a $1700 Macbook Air, say, I'd probably be using it every single day, for a couple of hours at least.

I have difficulty justifying that amount of money on a piece of clothing. Yes I want to look nice but am not willing to make one purchase that much of a priority in my life. I guess I don't need to own the very best. I can "admire" it and go with a nice MUCH less expensive item.

I haven't finished reading the newest replies yet, but honestly I like your "runners up" better than your first choice. The blue coat is beautiful! I really like the one with the piping as well. That being said, I would STILL never pay that much for a coat! Do coats like this ever go on sale?

Just out of curiosity, what are you studying in school? If you said so already, I missed it. Are you going to have a need for very luxurious pieces once you are working?

From what I've seen sale-wise at the Burberry store, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, etc., the coats that go on sale are the really trendy ones of very wintery ones (think Prosum with huge puffed sleeves in bright red, or puffer coats). I haven't yet seen a trench that I would remotely consider buying go on sale. I've also been stalking FarFetch, Ssense, and other online retail conglomerates, but nothing!

I'm glad you like the runners up! I think they're pretty in a casual way, although I'm not sure which would be more appropriate--neutral with unique piping to match everything or a very flattering blue?

I study theory/philosophy, but wouldn't mind working for NGOs/think tanks down the road (possible get an MBA, though not for a good many years). Academia clothing standards vary across the spectrum. The female profs in my dept dress impeccably, while profs in other departments (sciences) won't wear anything dressier than t-shirt.

Interesting subject to study! My brother got a BA in philosophy, but he works at a bakery, lol! A masters will open up much more for you. When I was in college, most of the profs were super casual (I went to Chico State).

My favorite of the bunch is the blue trench. I am partial to short trenches (they make a person look taller). I think the blue would "go" with lots of items. If you tend to wear a lot of neutrals, it would really kick up your style quotient. Judging from the color on the website, it could be worn in fall or in spring (the color isn't really "season specific" in my opinion). Practicality wise, though, wouldn't a warmer coat be better for your climate? That blue trench would be perfect for California, where I live. I still wouldn't pay that much, but it is a beautiful coat.

Ok, last runner-up (honest!): I first saw this on the Burberry website, really liked it, but they had run out of my size. Neiman Marcus carries it.

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/pr.....at41160760

It's a similar shade of nude, still has the sheen. Cotton, not silk, but a few hundred dollars cheaper.

If your heart is set on Burberry, and you really, really think you should buy one, I'd definitely go with the blue one or the last one you just posted. It all depends on your coloring. Personally, I look horrid in all beiges (and so do a lot of people), so blue would be the one for me. If you're looking for something that will go with everything (and you are one of the lucky people that do not look horrid in beige), go for door #2. I still wouldn't pay that much for a coat!! But $1200 is $500 less than $1700, so you're getting warmer.

I think the advice from your fellow grad student is wise - if you want to streamline and start over from a wardrobe perspective, take that budget (or $1000 of it) and figure out your 10 essentials and do it now. That way you start fresh and can build.

But if you still want to go Burberry - read the cleaning instructions (that blue silk gorgeous version says Dry Clean Only - so can it get wet??) and go online and do more research on fabric/potential damage/ etc. before you pull the trigger.

Whatever you decide - you are the one who should be happy with it

Christianne has good advice. Although I'm pretty sure almost all coats are dry clean only, whether they can get wet or not (my BR wool trench has been rained on a lot, but it's still dry clean only).

Honestly, unless you're graduating within the next couple of years, I doubt you'll be wearing much then that you buy now, and it's possible that the purchases you do end up keeping might surprise you. I think it's wiser to buy for the life you lead NOW (just like you should shop for the body you have NOW, etc). You never know what the future will hold.

The one you posted is lovely. Did you read that it is a lightweight version of the outer one ? This one is probably more of a topper than an outerwear piece. How soon will you be done with grad school ? Could you save the money away somewhere until you make your move and buy your coat at that time ? Maybe you will have saved a little more by then and could get a basic, core wardrobe as someone suggested above in addition to the trench. Just some ideas.

It is a big decision, just be sure that whatever you get is really what you will use and love - do you need something heavier than this latest shorter version ? If you have your heart set and you are going to do it, do it right. Don't go for a lightweight coat which won't be as protective or warm if that's what you need. Utility will be key.

I'd vote for delaying this purchase. Unless you have a solid job lined up I'd be banking every dime you can. There are no guarantees and unfortunately I know people with law degrees who are currently unemployed.

The benefit of being single is that you have no one depending on you, but have no one to depend on either. So unless you have a huge savings account or a trust fund, I'd keep the money in the bank for a rainy day. It's a beautiful coat but you don't want to be struggling to pay rent while wearing a $1700 coat. How about buying it, or one like it, to celebrate your first professional position?

The silk trench strikes me as dressy, so not terribly versatile in that sense. With the way I move around in the world, light colors like that become very grubby looking near the cuffs, so would always be at the dry cleaners. Maybe it is because I live in a city, but if I had a $pendy coat/bag/whatever, I would be so paranoid about it getting stolen. I could never leave it on a coat rack anywhere or in coat check unless I knew it were sharing company with spendier wraps.

For the versatility/quality combo you seek, I don't think this silk one is THE trench.

One thing that may put this in perspective: This coat is more expensive than our monthly mortgage payment. That is money you could be spending on several good wardrobe pieces, something to consider when you're entering the job market and navigating academia...and finally, what might work best is socking that cash away. Times are still uncertain an you never know what can happen.

Quick thoughts:

- Although you know what your specialty is in grad school, this still does NOT guarantee you a job in your field of choice - so many of my friends have broken hearts over this and cannot believe where they have ended up. Your job may deem a trench completely obsolete by then. Hey, maybe not, too, but I think it's better to invest after you have settled a bit.

- Lifestyle changes so oh so much after school no. matter. what. My outfits are so crazy different than those of my friends in grad school. Hard to predict what you will like/want/need by then.

- I didn't read everything, but how's the student loan/debt situation? I know you said that the coat wouldn't put you in debt, but I know school is expensive. Of course you don't need to answer that question, I just put it out there to consider. After graduation and between jobs, in this economy, you do start to feel the student loans and rent and such much more!

Here are my simple thoughts:

I believe you have gotten excellent advice. I agree in that you should review your financial situation to make sure that you don't need the money for a more immediate use.
However, I think that very few people can actually earmark such large amount as disposable income these days. I think you will always find better use for that money. On that basis, this trench might never happen.That is the responsible thing to do, I guess.

Buy hey, I believe in rewarding yourself, once in a while, why not? For instance, after having the worst year of my life, I decided that I deserved to treat myself to my *dream bag* a Marc Jacobs Quilted Stam and I did buy it, in cash. I see that bag as a symbol of something I overcame. To me, it was money well spent. Could I have use the money for something else? You bet! I have a daughter going off to college in 1.5 years!!!

But I have my bag....

Well, I have a Gucci purse that cost half that. I will say that it is the only one of those I have ever needed and it was money that has never gone to waste.

On the other hand, it cost half and in the years since I've gotten that purse, luxury died. Frankly, the industry of luxury was jumping the shark when I got the purse.

I'm kinda afraid you wouldn't be getting value for money with the trench at this time in history.

I wouldn't be looking to resell it, at least I don't think I would be.

All the questions prompted this huge revelation in me about why I want this coat. It's not just that it's gorgeous, or a wardrobe staple a la Ines de la Fressange.

It's certainly NOT because of the price!

It's because I see it as the most versatile piece I would own. Given that I'm a grad student living in the Midwest, that probably doesn't make sense.

At the risk of getting personal, my parents come from two very different cultural backgrounds that, um, kind of hate each other at the moment. I frequent these communities when I travel in the Middle East. This coat allows me to pass between the cultures--it is modern and 'Western,' so goes unnoticed here in the US. But I can also wear it in the respective religious communities of both backgrounds, too, enter the religious institutions without problems, etc. I think that this coat harmonizes not only my personal fashion tastes within this society, but it also reconciles my need to go 'unrecognized' (ie not be considered a foreigner) in the societies of each of my parents. I go back and forth and be who I am without conforming, while nevertheless adhering to the particular norms within each community. By the way, clothing in these contexts signals a lot--your religion, religiosity, nationality, politics, etc....it means much, much more than fashion and socioeconomic status.

Without all these questions/comments, I would never have realized this, so thank you all!

Thankyou Dissertante, your explanation of your cultural context clarifies why this coat is significant to you.

Sounds like it the coat really means a lot to you, thanks for your explanation. If you feel it would be that versatile and important and you have the money, by all means get it. If you are going to use it to go to religious events I would probably favor your original one or the plain neutral sateen one over the bright blue one or contrast trim one though--attracts less attention. Just make sure you try it on to see if it goes with your complexion. Beige can be tricky.

In addition to Goldenpig's advice to try it on:

This might be difficult to do, but please if possible try it on at the store and get someone to take pictures of you in it (from 3 angles).

I'm discovering when I want something, these pictures end up being really important. My usual process is a misty picturing of the garment in my head (if I end up getting it it can be a bit of a shock how different it is on me to how I remembered; if I don't get it I can be haunted with what-ifs about how good it could have been on me - I need the hard evidence, either way!).

Looking at pictures of yourself in a clearheaded setting will either put you off lusting for the item because it's not as perfect for you as you thought, or it will confirm that it's exactly what you want and you can set about getting it with confidence.

ETA; oh yeah, these photos quite often satisfy my need to own a lot of things (not saying it applies to your trench, but all the many desirable items), because like someone said about Pinterest, the visual evidence of me in the item gives me a weird sense of ownership.

Dissertante, I know that now there are millions of reasons you can find to justify this coat, but please, please cool your head.

I am saying this in all sincerity and candour.

Here is something you could do, though: take this exact sum (1700) and invest it in a stock. Now THAT is something few grads are able to do, but unlike a bag or a trench, no one needs to know upon meeting you.

When it will have made more money, then you will all spend it on clothes only. Imagine how you will feel in a couple of years, being able to get a whole new, more current wardrobe? Now THAT is an investment.

Not buying the coat now, no matter how justifiable it sounds.

My truly heartfelt advice.

Hi Krishnidoux, I'm not sure quite what you mean and I'm trying not to take offense to your post. There is an implication here that somehow aesthetic appreciation and personal meaning are irrational. My head is quite cool, thanks. In fact, I had considered your very option about a month ago, but as a non-citizen/permanet resident living in the US, buying stocks are complicated and any gains are subject to a high foreign tax. I'm also not convinced in the inherent good in investing in stocks. The growth rate, people claim, has increased for decades, when in fact the growth increased exponentially only in the 1970s, I think. It's inflated and many people lost substantial savings in the recent economic crisis , so much do that hey would have been better off investing in savings accounts with meager interest rates. It's a form of gambling that I'd rather not participate in. If youre wondering, I'd been considering SP indexes (100 and 500), has looked into emerging markets (Brazil) and have been following RIM's plunge for the past year.

(mind the sp/gr perils of the mobile device)

Dissertante, far from me to want to offend you. I am sorry if it's how it came across. I certainly didn't mean to imply irrationality on your part. And I am well aware of the present sorry stock market condition compared to our parents' days. However, I think any financial adviser will tell you it is still better to invest than not if you want to make a little dough out of your money. You don't have to put all your eggs into risky investments; you can buy 1/3-1/3-1/3 risky/middle of the road/very safe actions and get good returns.

As for emerging markets in most cases you have to look at it in the long term. They are "emerging", and climbing, but not in a steady way. Rather, in an up and down fashion. For a lot of actions, if you only look at 2011, the trajectory seems to plunge, but if you look at 2010-2011-2012 you see a trend where in fact the plunge is part of an up and down pattern, generally going up.

Now take a piece of clothing as an investment, I am not sure you could say with certainty that it will work for you for the next decades. Nowadays things are not made to last, even expensive pieces from previously trusted companies. It is a gamble.

My mother "invested" in lots of "timeless" pieces only to change body shape, hair colour, and move away in a different climate. Now these pieces are worth almost nothing, including a $10,000 mink coat she presented herself with after a big promotion, complete with power shoulder pads and bat wing sleeves. That was in below-freezing Quebec, at the height of the Dallas show era. Now she lives on the West Coast where people physically attack you if you wear anything resembling real fur, and where it never gets cold enough to justify it anyway. Her body changed shape so she doesn't fit it any more. I ended up inheriting it like a continued curse as it doesn't fit me at all and has an outdated cut. I'm trying to sell it, that's why I know how devoid of any value it is now.

But you don't have to take my advice and it's certainly not irrational *not* to invest! I was just sharing the idea, trying to look at other ways to make a fashion "investment", as an alternative.

I took some time to think about this from different angles... This is a really enlightening and very worthwhile discussion - thanks for being brave enough to post it! Since everything has pretty much been addressed, I'm just going to attempt a breakdown of the ways I saw to consider this issue...

First angle: Is this particular Burberry coat worth it? I'd say no. I covet a Burberry coat myself, and I'm happy to admit I've fallen wholesale for their marketing and new edgy yet timeless image. Everyone else has already pointed out some of the issues with this one - beige, silk, etc.

Second angle: Should you spend this much on any item of clothing? That is a hugely personal decision, based on many factors, again already listed by quicker members than me! "Is it worth it?" and "Can I afford it?" are two totally different questions. And of course, "Do I need it?"

Third angle: Will any item stand the test of decades? Here you'd have to consider not only fashion changing, but your own tastes and size and needs possibly changing as well.

Fourth angle: This is an unspoken values-laden issue. To some people it will be abhorrent to spend X amount of money on clothes. Lots of reasons play in - upbringing, personality, beliefs about materialism, religion, etc. Everyone has that X factor - for some it's $5, others $50, others $500. I've become a bit spendy recently, but 5 years ago you wouldn't have caught me outside a thrift store, unless it was e-bay or consignment.

When I first came here, I was stunned at how much some members were willing or able to spend on a single item. Now I'm probably closer to being one of that group. I've had to learn to step away from the whole "Could *I* afford that?" or "How is she able to buy so much?" and consider only the question being asked. It's kind of freeing, actually.

Anyway, I appreciate this discussion tremendously and if you do end up with a Burberry, I hope you don't mind if I live vicariously through you.

P.S. The nice thing about Burberry is that because they are so timeless, some version of this coat will always be around, so you don't have to bite the bullet right this minute if you can stand to wait...

Just wanted to say that I have loved and been fascinated by this thread and everyone's thoughts. The philosophical internal musings that it created along with the personal landmines it has triggered in me has been interesting to think about. It has even provoked a great conversation yesterday between me and my dog walking buddy.