A Perfect Spring Coat from Great Plains

It's been ages since I've done proper bloggy photos on here - winter is always really difficult for this, especially if you rely in husbands or kids. Mostly they're not there during the day when there's good light for the photos. I do admire bloggers who keep up the outdoor photos year round...unless they are married to a photographer, in which case I'm just jealous!

Anyway, this post features one of my favourite brands - Great Plains, the sister brand of French Connection. I always get their seasonal catalogue in the post and it's beautifully styled and before the brand actually approached me to pick a piece from the collection, I'd already earmarked the Claudie Suiting Trench Coat for a few reasons.

First up, it's grey - major tick in the box. Secondly, it's got a mac vibe going on but without the office-like look of a traditional mac so it's much more wearable in a casual way - although equally, it would be perfect for work wear. Thirdly, it's got a kind of gaberdine weight to it - warm enough for cooler spring days but light enough for when things eventually start to warm up. It's got enough room to add a layer or two underneath and also a lovely weight to it, ensuring it hangs well with just a light layer under.

I decided to copy the styling in the catalogue for my photos, pairing the coat with black skinny jeans (co-incidentally also Great Plains but bought from a local boutique), trainers and a black top....but added a denim shirt for an extra layer - it was lovely and sunny today but still chilly.

I especially love the belt - less fussy looking than a regular tench and actually, the material weight/feel means that it's not prone to slipping out of the loops. 

My only disappointment overall with the coat is that it's not lined - it does look quite edgy for this as the material is a darker colour on the other side and I know what the designers wanted to achieve by not doing it but I think for the price, it should have been. 

You can see the rest of what's new at Great Plains for SS16 on this link and sign up to their newsletter here. They don't torment you with daily emails like some companies and you'll be the first to hear about offers and (most importantly for me) when the sale starts.

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Disclaimer - I was gifted this coat from the team at Great Plains but the words are all my own. Thanks for supporting the brands who support this blog