Philip Trenchcoat

A classic trenchcoat in beige, cut with the belted waist, long shoulder line and clean lines that have barely changed since the 1920s. It is a polyester coat for men, made to sit over anything from a t-shirt to a suit without needing two different pieces of outerwear.

Most of us don't want a coat that only works over one kind of outfit. Beige earns its place here because it neither competes with the rest of what you're wearing nor blends into it. A black coat can look heavy over a light shirt; beige lays over almost anything without changing how the rest looks.

The polyester is a deliberate choice. It weighs less than a traditional wool or gabardine trench, dries faster after a rain shower and goes in the washing machine instead of the dry cleaner. The trade-off is honest: polyester doesn't breathe like wool, so on a hot summer day this isn't your first pick. It's a coat for spring, autumn and milder winter days.

How to wear it

• Casual: over a t-shirt and jeans
• For the office: over a shirt with the belt pulled tight
• In the evening: open and loose over a simple sweater

The belt does more than sit there. Cinch it and the coat sits closer and reads more formal; leave it loose and the whole look relaxes without changing anything else.