Talk to me about white/cream/light trench coats.

Ariadne

In the process of taclking my Tier 1 shopping for spring/summer, I ordered a bunch of trench coats to try. Surprise, surprise (not), my favourite was the cream-colored Classic Trench from Banana Republic - the one Angie tried. It fits me beautifully and I can tell it's high quality. It also comes in a light khaki colour that I'm pretty sure is not the dreaded Soul-Sucking Beige, which would undoubtedly be more practical, but my heart belongs to the bright crisp creamy white one.

So, white trench owners, talk to me. How dirty to do your coats get? How do you keep them looking great? Do you Scotchguard them? Spot clean them daily? Do they just not actually get that dirty?

I'd be wearing mine mostly for work, church, and other such occasions, not for running around with the kids at the playground (I have a field jacket for that). I do commute via public transit on the days I work and I live in a city, so I'm not exactly in a pristine environment.

12 years ago

General

13 replies

Latest reply was from Ariadne

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I don't have a white one, only the khaki version. It is quite light, though. I find that if I impregnate/waterproof it with a spray, it becomes more dirt repellent.

12 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I have one in tight tan, or soul sucking beige. I love it, it is from London Fog and completely washable. Being that it is so light, I wash it frequently. So that would be my advice, to look for one that's washable. (Mine is fully lined as well.)

12 years ago

Anonymous

I have a cream Hilary Radley trench -- I have had it a year now and I haven't noticed it to be too dirty. I take public transit to work too. Get what ou love!

12 years ago

Ariadne

Veteran

Ingunn, what spray do you use?

Thanks for chiming in, Ceit & CocoLion - I know you're no-nonsense women too, so your votes of support are convincing!

12 years ago

merwoman

Veteran

I have the BR trench in creamy white and i LOVE it. I have had no dirt issues and have pretty well been wearing it non-stop for the last three weeks. Did I mention how much I love this coat? I wear it mostly for work, altho I love how it looks with black yoga pants - so I've been wearing it to Pilates as well - and then it looks great with BF jeans - so I guess I've been wearing it with them as well
Caveat - I don't have pets - nor small children.
Go for it Ariadne!

12 years ago

Anonymous

Mine is cream, and it does get a bit grimy around the cuffs. The drycleaner does a great job of getting it clean, and I recently thought about Scotchguarding it, but I'm worried about yellowing since the color is so light.

12 years ago

Jamie

Veteran

I have that very BR trench coat in the white, and in fact, I'm wearing it today. I LOVE it! I've come to the recent realization that I feel my most confident and happiest when I have on shades of white, and the more the better. So, because it has such a high happiness factor for me, I didn't hesitate on the trench coat. I just try to be careful with it, do my best to keep it as clean as possible, and if I get a few minor smudges on it - I'm not going to fret over it. When the season to wear it has come to an end, I will have it cleaned and be ready to enjoy it again in the fall.
Caveat (like merwoman) - I don't have a pet right now, and I don't have small children. However, I do live in a gritty, dirty, and often rainy uban setting. I don't let that hold me back!
If you love it, go for it!!!!

12 years ago

missvee

Veteran

I have a light creamy coloured trench that's washable. I don't really baby it, but I do try to wear as scarf just so the oils from my skin don't soil the neckline. I also hand wash the cuff area if it looks a bit grimy. If you love the colour I'd say go for it!

12 years ago

Ariadne

Veteran

Yay! I was hoping you'd all talk me into it

12 years ago

K. Period.

Veteran

I love white trenches. They do show wear and grime, though, no mater how careful you are. Claire is right--the grime shows up worst around the cuffs. I just reconcile myself to the fact that they have a 2 year max lifetime and enjoy!

12 years ago

Glory

Veteran

I also say go for it. It can be sent to the drycleaners as needed. There is no doubt that white is higher maintenance but as you said it is for work and not running with the kiddies. I think the idea of a scarf around the neck is brilliant.

12 years ago

T-Rex

Veteran

If the lighter color calls to you, go for that one. Don't settle for something you love less just because it seems more practical.

I used to work for London Fog, so I'm speaking only from my experience with trench coats. Everything that we sold was treated to be water resistant. And that water resistance, logically, would reduce the chance of staining. Get something washable, so you don't have to spend so much $ (or harm the enviroment) with dry cleaning. After washing it, test the water resistance by dropping a few drops of water on the coat. If it beads up and rolls off, the water resistance is still in place. After a few washings, you may need to retreat it. But hopefully, that won't happen for quite a while.

It's possible that this trench is water resistant because of the weave of the fabric, or the fabric content itself. I'm sure there are plenty more high tech fabrics out there now than when I sold coats a couple of decades(?) ago. In that case, you wouldn't need to ever retreat it.

12 years ago

Ariadne

Veteran

I wear scarves all year round anyway, so that shouldn't be a problem

12 years ago

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