I spend a lot of my time wearing pretty dresses, which means that for the past year or two, I’ve been looking for a good vintage-inspired coat to cover up with through autumn and winter. Most of my dresses are knee length and full-skirted, so I really need something with plenty of bust room, as well as being long enough to cover my dresses without crushing my petticoats. Last year, I bought a Trashy Diva Courtney Coat Dress (worn here), which, despite fitting well and being stunningly beautiful, was just a bit too formal for everyday wear.

This autumn, I was very happy to see that vintage-inspired brand Collectif Clothing had introduced a new style: the ‘Dietrich Swing Trench’, initially available in blue, beige and black. I wear a lot of black, red and blue, so I thought the blue colourway would be an interesting neutral colour for my wardrobe and a great way to wrap up, but it was out of stock whenever I looked. Not to be defeated, I bought a gift voucher during one of their sales…and waited. After months of checking, some sizes reappeared, and I just managed to order one in a size 14…only to get an email saying that they had sold out, and the blue colourway wasn’t going to be restocked again. I was gutted. However, upon hearing how much I wanted the coat, the wonderful Siobhan phoned around and managed to track one down for me! Here’s how it looked on me… Continue reading →