I’m often suspicious when I read the words "core wardrobe" used in a fashion media context... As lip-smackingly fabulous as those neon Balenciaga knife boots are, am I really expected to believe that they’re the sartorial equivalent of bread and butter? Pull the other one.

All too regularly is the word "need" bandied around situations in which it has no place; and yet there are very definitely, without doubt or cynicism, certain key pieces in a wardrobe that everybody really should own. They’re the garments that make getting dressed in the morning a proverbial piece of cake; the seasonless spine in a body of style that fluctuates in mood and trend indefinitely. I’m not saying that you couldn’t live without them... Rather, that the art of dressing like someone who’s got a clue is made one heck-of-a-lot easier by dint of their very existence.


Abigail wears double-breasted trench coat by Mix/Rejina Pyo; slogan T-shirt by Maison Rabih Kayrouz; flared jeans by King & Tuckfield; white leather pumps by Stella Luna.

One such example (particularly if you’re party to the inclement British climes), is the trench coat. A true style classic – so much so that heavyweights Burberry and Aquascutum to this day contest the title of ‘inventor’ – the outerwear mainstay, traditionally cut in gabardine, was first masterminded as a lightweight alternative to regulation military uniform. With its origins entrenched (pun intended) in practicality, it’s little wonder that this layering essential has stood the test of time and trend.


Abigail wears double-breasted trench coat by Mix/Rejina Pyo; slogan T-shirt by Maison Rabih Kayrouz; flared jeans by King & Tuckfield; white leather pumps by Stella Luna.

I love what is coming out of Label/Mix at the moment; partnering with exciting design talents that include Isa Arfen and Kitri’s Haeni Kim, the collaborative brand is bringing dynamic and unique quality pieces to the Great British high street, and making them accessible to all. Unsurprisingly then, this Mix/Rejina Pyo number is my cream of the trench coat crop.

Double-breasted with sculptural, marbled buttons – a signature of Rejina’s, and one that she does oh-so-well – trimmed with a triple-take touch of plaid that demands a closer look, and fitted-and-flared to a flattering A-line with a belt to stylistically cinch the waist, it effortlessly epitomises the sophistication and evergreen elegance that befits a true core-wardrobe staple.

Click here to shop the Mix/Rejina Pyo double-breasted trench coat, £250. Shop the trench coat edit, here:




In case you missed it, discover the colour that Abigail finally changed her mind about wearing.