How to Wear a Trench Coat in a Casual Way and an Alternative to Bright White Sneakers

 Happy Friday! 

Spring is right around the corner and today I'm sharing a neutral trench coat outfit that's perfect for this transitional season we're in right now! It's hard to believe it's already mid-March. We've had a  couple frigid weeks last month and some days it felt like the cold will stick around for a loooooong time! 

In my last outfit post about 4 weeks ago I talked about how I started the Project 333 wardrobe challenge and that at the end of March I was going to select a new set of 33 items for the next 3 months. Well, with the nice weather we've had since the beginning of March, I actually decided that the first week of March was the perfect week for selecting the next 33 items for the following 3 months.  

Let me tell you, this time around it was not as easy as when I did it in the middle of winter when no transitional clothes were needed!! And I have to say I did not manage to keep only 33 items in my closet. I'm still working on it though and with rain in this weekend's forecast I will pick out a few more items to pack away. I know it will get cold again at some point, but I'm sure I don't need 5 winter sweaters!! I'm confident this challenge will get easier as time goes on and it's definitely so rewarding to have fewer clothes to choose from in my closet. Makes getting dressed for the day so much easier!

If you have no idea what this "project 333 challenge" is I'm taking about, I mentioned it more detailed in this blog post from last month.

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How to Wear a Trench Coat in a Casual Way

I don't know about you, but in the past years whenever I've worn a trench coat I felt like I need to "dress up" the rest of the outfit. Well, I live a casual lifestyle and don't really have many reasons to dress up too much, so I haven't reached for my trench coat often, but I love the style and plan on wearing it more this spring!  But instead of dressing it up, I decided to dress it down and make it work to fit my casual lifestyle. I've already worn it a few times this March. It sort of became my "go-to" spring coat this year. 

 

This light tan colored trench coat was a hand-me-down from my dear sister from Germany and I have no link to it.  But trench coats are classic pieces and are always available at most major retailers.

There are a variety of trench coat styles available - short, long and knee lengths; double breasted or single breasted. Shorter and knee length are perfect for petite women (like me), while taller women might prefer a longer or a knee length trench coat. Double breasted styles can make your chest look bigger, so it might work for some, but personally I prefer the single breasted version, maybe because it's the only style I have, as I do like the double breasted one I linked below.

Here are some of my favorites:

Trench Coat in Khaki (Amazon)

Single Breasted Soft Shell (Amazon)

                                          

Double Breasted in Light Sand (Nordstrom)

Zip Front Trench Coat (Nordstrom Rack - limited sizes)

Find more trench coats here:

• Nordstrom Rack
• Amazon Fashion
• Macys
• Nordstrom
• Kohl's

I paired my trench coat with new cigarette jeans by AG which I found at a great discount at Nordstrom Rack about a month ago. These are the AG Prima crop in  mid rise - 9" rise (I've linked to them but only very limited sizes are available now, however a slightly different wash is available at  Nordstrom although at a higher price. These jeans do run small, and going up one size is recommended. I had ordered both for comparison and while I fit into both, the bigger size was definitely a better fit.

I love that these are a crop lengths (25" inseam) which makes them an ankle lengths on me. If you're short then you will know how hard it is to find ankle lengths jeans that actually fit!

As an alternative I also like this pair of slim straight jeans from of Levi's available at Target, as well as  the Joe's Jeans (below right) which is available at Nordstrom Rack. However those are a 28 inch inseam so will be longer than the other two pairs. I'm tempted by the Levi's but really don't need another pair of jeans!

Exact jeans (may be sold out) //Alternative Option from Target // Another Option - fully stocked as I type this

Find more Cigarette/Slim Straight Jeans here:

• Nordstrom Rack
• Nordstrom
• Target
• Old Navy

I came across this striped camel/white colored sweater at Marshall's when I was browsing their clearance rack a few weeks ago. Not really something I should be doing since I'm working to perfect the "project 333 challenge", but this sweater was marked waaaayy down ($12 maybe?) and I thought it would be so perfect for early spring days. It's a thin knit so it's perfect to be worn under a jacket. The brand is Premise. Unfortunately I can't find anything comparable. Maybe this one from Talbots, but it appears to be a thicker knit.

My alternative to white canvas sneakers

Taos "Star" Sneakers in Beige

One item I wanted to add to my closet was a pair of light colored sneakers, preferably white canvas sneakers. At the same time when I found the jeans I also found the Superga Cotu sneakers in white at Nordstrom Rack as well as the Taos Star sneakers in beige. I ordered both to see which ones I'd like better. 

I decided to return the Superga Cotu sneakers (they just weren't as comfortable for me) and stick with my favorite sneaker brand, the Taos because I just love the comfort they offer with the removable foot bed with arch support, and they are said to be one of the most comfortable travel sneakers. I may not travel that much, but I still want my sneakers to be comfortable even if just walking around a botanical garden, zoo or shopping. This is actually my 3rd pair of Taos sneakers, but the others are in darker colors and I wanted something a little bit lighter. 

By the way, these exact sneakers are still available at Nordstrom Rack  and still are marked down to just under $40 (around $80 directly at Taos or Zappos, and they don't usually go on sale). If you decide to order, please note - this design runs small, and I suggest to go up half a size. I usually wear a size 8 but got these (as well as my older "retro star" sneakers) in a 8.5 wide. (I have wide feet.) 

If you prefer bright white, Nordstrom Rack still has the Superga Cotu sneakers as well. Those do run about a half a size big so you will want to size down.

Exact Shoes // Superga Cotu // Superga Cotu White Label

A camera style crossbody bag was another item that's been on my wishlist - for quite some time actually. When another blogger featured this camera bag on her blog, I decided place an order. The bag comes in several colors, including many neutrals, but I decided to go with the light blush which is a great neutral for spring and summer. The only thing I'm not a huge fan of is the gold chain accents, but it might work in my favor and add some interest to my otherwise "plain jane" outfits :-)

Exact bag

Since my outfit features two different tones of metals (gold chain on the bag and darker metal hardware on the trench coat) I decided to wear a two tone layered necklace I had picked up from Target a few years ago. This exact one is long gone, but I just had a look at Targets multi strand necklaces and they have many pretty styles to choose from! I really like this particular one, although it's not a two tone necklace. You can take a peek at the necklace in the photo above as well as a better look at the golden chain on the bag.

Thanks so much for visiting!!

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Friday: Fancy Friday hosted by Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style // Lizzie in Lace //  Friday Favorites at Penny's Passion // A Little Bit of Everything // Friday Favorites // A Fireman’s Wife // Shelbee on the Edge //  Fabulous Friday Link Up with Lucy  // A Morning Cup of Joe

Saturday: Dare to Share

Sunday: Style Splash linkup // Sunday Showcase (first Sunday) //  You're the Star Blog Hop Link Up @ Stonecottage Adventures

Monday: Away From Blue // Glass of Glam // Inspire Me Monday // Hello Monday // Random-osity Good, Random, Fun // You're The Star Blog Hop Link Party @Stonecottage Adventures // Anything Goes with Your Hosts @ My Random Musings // Beauty by Miss L 

Tuesday: The Fashion Canvas // Shelbee On the Edge Spread the Kindness // I Do deClaire // Elegantly Dressed and Stylish // Myriad Musings // Jenerally Informed Happy Now Blog Link // Style Splash linkup // Tuesday with a Twist @Stonecottage Adventures // I Will Wear What I Like Linkup  // Randomosity - Good Random - Fun // Tuesday Turn About 

Wednesday: The Card Concept // What's Up Wednesday? (last wed. of month) // The Queen in Between Style Six // Straight A Style // Jersey Girl, Texan Heart // Fashion Frenzy at Seeking Sunshine and Rosy Outlook // Is This Mutton? Wow on Wednesday // Effortlessly Sophisticated // Wonderful Wednesday //  Welcome Wednesdays //  Classy Flamingos 

Thursday: Fashion Files at Doused in Pink and Curly Crafty Mom // Elegance and Mommyhood // High Latitude Style // A Labour of Life // Mummabstylish // Thirty Minus One // Mutton Style // Thursday Favorite Things //  Little Things Thursday // Traffic Jam Weekend @Being a Wordsmith // Encouraging Hearts and Home // Little Things Thursday // Thursday Favorite Things // Traffic Jam Weekend //@Being a Wordsmith // Slices of Life (Encouraging Hearts and Home)