Now that the British summertime is officially over – thanks, it was a great couple of weeks – I’m getting all excited thinking about my autumn wardrobe. Mainly outerwear. Any fashion lover worth their salt knows the value of a great jacket or coat They can make or break an outfit – plus, they’re essential unless you want hypothermia. One style that never, ever goes out of fashion in the classic trench coat or mac.

The trench coat is as timeless as a pair of blue jeans, a denim jacket or an LBD. And it goes pretty well with all of those items! A great trench will see you through a chilly summer into autumn and winter as they’re especially good for layering.

The style was invented way back in the 1850s for army officers to wear and it’s a quintessentially British bit of garb. Of course, they still look amazing today with celebrities such as Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and Jessica Alba frequently being seen in theirs.

As for how to style a trench coat, that’s pretty simple. It is one of the most versatile and hardworking items you can have in your wardrobe. They instantly smarten up a pair of jeans and tee and look sophisticated when worn with a dress for work or a meeting. I love to wear mine layered with a hoodie or denim jacket and trainers – for that ‘model off duty’ look (minus the model figure).

Classically trenches are beige or stone in colour but I would encourage you to try one in a wear-with-anything black shade or to go wild and buy one in a bold and bright shade like orange or cobalt blue. You can find trench coats all over the high street at a variety of price-points – so what are you waiting for?

This post was written in collaboration with Jack Wills