Let It Rain
Ryan Malkin

This weather forecast just in: That trench coat in your closet may be severely outdated.

After decades of churning out minor variations of the same old raincoat, makers of this men's wardrobe staple are getting a little more creative. To be sure, it might take a keen eye to notice some of the moves, but makers from Burberry to Brooks Brothers are doing things like shortening coat lengths and trying out uberhip fabrics like microfiber (think Keanu Reeves in The Matrix). And then there are the changes that would make Humphrey Bogart cringe - especially the new palate of colors that Mr. Stodgy, London Fog, is coming out with, like cobalt blue and stark white . . . but more on that later.

The argument for these moves is pretty simple: Even the most ordinary clothing items have been turned into fashion statements. "This is the first year we've seen the trench in a more fashionable way," says Kevin Harter, vice president for men's fashion at Bloomingdale's. But while trench coats in the past have sold for as little as $100, the newer models typically start around $800 and can go for upwards of $2,000. Makers say that reflects the new designer focus and point out that the price isn't so bad when you factor in that most raincoats are bought only every few years. So far consumers seem to welcome the shift. Last fall Brooks Brothers tested a new slim-fitting, car-coat-length model; it sold 80 percent of its stock in 10 weeks, a near record for the category, says men's merchandising manager Guy Voglino.

But now that you're no longer just pulling the same old style off the rack, it's a lot harder to find the right trench coat (typically distinguishable from a plain old raincoat by having a belt and epaulets, though these days almost anything can bear the name). In addition to the old issues that persist - single or double breasted, and finding a length that will give enough coverage without getting caught in the car door during your morning commute - there are new factors to consider, like whether primary colors are acceptable and how well microfiber repels water. And, of course, finding a coat you'll still want to wear in five years is all the more difficult when the whims of runway fashion are thrown into the mix.

So to help us dig through the trenches, so to speak, of this suddenly very confusing purchase, we've enlisted Elena Castaneda, a New York style and image consultant. Though her firm counts celebrities like Chris Rock and Gwyneth Paltrow as clients, much of Castaneda's time is spent helping high powered executives dress the part - at a hefty rate of $250 per hour.

Meeting us for a tour of Barney's and a few other fashion meccas on New York's Madison Avenue, Castaneda first checks out something that doesn't look like a trench coat at all: the white, shiny Trench from London Fog ($1,250). Under new management, the fabled American label is reinventing itself as a luxury brand, with designers poached from Calvin Klein and styles and prices to match. But Castaneda isn't sold on the mod look. White is not only feminine, she says, but impractical and likely to need dry cleaning after every wear. "Unless you have a million and one raincoats and money is no object, I wouldn't want a white raincoat," she says. The coat comes in black and khaki - and a bright green called "apple" - but Castaneda is turned off by other features as well. The fabric is too stiff, which adds bulk. Combine that with the color and the jacket's slender line, and it looks "like a woman's coat," she says, trying its removable belt and pointing out how the bottom flares out like a skirt.

We never thought we would be so happy to see a plain old trench, but we breathe a sigh of relief when we move to the Jeffrey coat from Burberry ($695). If any label stuck to tradition, it would be this one; founder Thomas Burberry designed the first trench in 1895, though British soldiers were serving in the actual trenches of World War I gave the coat its name. Cantaneda says this is a well-made coat, if on the short side, featuring details like satin-line sleeves and high-quality fabric. (A quick lesson on trench coat construction: To be truly waterproof, the fabric has to be impermeable and seams have to be taped, expenses most makers don't bother with. Most coats are just water resistant, which is usually sufficient.) But there's one big problem with this coat - it's cut very full and wide in the body. "on a smaller of even average guy, all you'll see is the coat," Castaneda says. It will work only for a Tony Soprano-size guy, and even then, she says, only over a suit. her verdict? Too big and too boring.

We come a little closer at Paul Stuart, the upscale clothier a few blocks down Madison Avenue. Castaneda is drawn to the Cavalry ($1,250), an update on the traditional trench with a leaner cut and iridescent khaki color. Since the trench reflects light, it doesn't look as flat as the others, she says, adding that unlike the London Fog, the weather-treated cotton has a pleasing "hand," or feel, to it. There's nice detail here, too, like hand stitching on the buckles and seams. But this coat is cut a little too big in the arms, and while Castaneda says it's one of the best classically styled trenches she's seen, she's hoping for something with a little more edge. Since it's best known for its practical and preppy menswear, Brooks Brothers was the last place we expected to find edge. But Castaneda soon found herself standing in front of the very appealing Car Trench Coat ($300), a single-breasted style with a trimmer silhouette than the Burberry and a shorter cut than a traditional trench. It's an effort by the company to draw a younger and more price-conscious customer; even the fabric, a slick polyester blend, is a departure from the label's traditional treated cotton. Castaneda loves this coat. True to the name, she nots, it's ideal for getting in and out of a car. And while there's nothing supermodern about it, she says it's a good alternative - a "baby step" - for men trying to veer from the classic. And, she adds, "the price is right."

The Brooks Brothers coat might have won, in fact, were it not for the Armani Single-Breasted Modern Trench, ($895). Immediately, Castaneda notices how well it's constructed, pointing to double seaming on the sleeves and shoulders. and while its three-quarter-length single-breasted design is slimmer than the others, that's deliberate, so the coat fits over some of the newer sleeker suits that have become fashionable. And Castaneda loves its gray color, which she says is dressier than khaki, but still works well with business casual. given all this, we're not surprised to learn that this versatile number is one of the company's top-selling coats; Armani offers a new version with minor style alterations every year. At long last, it seemed we'd found just what we'd been looking for: a high quality coat that's both modern and classy - and worthy of its price tag. "This is my favorite coat," she says. Bogart might even agree.