An interesting find, AG. I like the concept of this type of garment - a structured style executed in a non-structured (stretchy) fabric. I bought a boyfriend blazer, when they first came out some years back, in a similar material – (a T-shirt fabric, backed and lined in woven cotton) - and I still love the quirky and unexpected opposition of design vs fabric. The appeal of seeing these contrasting elements married is the same I feel when looking at a button down shirt (archetypally crisp, structured, sharp, solid) executed in chiffon ( limp, drapey, floaty, seethrough). With this trench, I love its “school uniform in disarray “ vibe, particular how well the sleeves push up. I expect that it can produce some interesting draped effects, and that the rumpling can be taken further to nice effect. For example, with my blazer, I like to drag the overlap of the button hole side further across my body, such that it “pulls” into a few wrinkles, and pin it with a kilt pin; i.e. emphasizing the wrappy quality of the fabric. My blazer has a lovely comfy feel when worn; it is not as restrictive on the body as a normal blazer, due to the stretch, and feels more like wearing a thick cardigan.
I do think this trench coat should not be worn in the conventional trench coat manner, otherwise it will always look like a flabby substitute for a “proper” trench coat (or the dreaded bathrobe). The way the model is wearing it in the pic is not really doing it justice. The standard trench coat is a statement piece, but this little number is a very low key layering piece, more of a basic (the cardigan analogy again). In fact I would describe it as a hybrid cardigan. I’m a devotee of knee length cardigans, so I would style this coat the same way I would style knitwear. My main concern would be the fabric –the ponte would need to be good quality, not the sort that feels harsh, that would pill or shine or stretch permanently out of shape.( I have never owned ponte, so I am ready to be corrected on these points). However Zapotee has already said “not nice IRL”, so there’s my answer!
