Do you want to know what really makes a girl feel like an adult (besides standing over the counter eating dinner with one hand and holding a baby in the other)? A grown up coat. I recently replaced my old North Face jacket with a more sophisticated style: the classic, timeless trench coat. I’ve made it a goal for myself, now that I’m done having babies, to streamline my wardrobe – a few everyday tops, a few fancy tops, a few (ok a LOT) of jeans because #babysteps, a few pairs of shoes (in several categories), and a few really nice jackets. Jackets are a great investment because they get a lot of wear AND typically more show than what lies beneath. I’m one of those incessantly cold people who rarely takes my jacket off, so you can bet it better be cute. And while ‘cute’ isn’t the right word for a trench coat, you catch my drift. The trench looks equally as chic over a pair of work pants as it does over a pair of yoga pants. I was drawn to this one in particular for three reasons: 1) it was (is) on sale, 2) the body of the jacket is lightly lined, and 3) oh yeah, it’s waterproof, and 4) it has a hood. I know I said 3, but you’d be surprised at how many trenches don’t have a hood! I took my new grown-up jacket on a spin around the city. The result? It literally stopped taxi cabs in their tracks.

Ok not really. We almost got hit trying to get this shot (Alison, the things you do for your clients!), but in my opinion, this trench is worth a pause. At least a slight one, sheesh, Philly cab drivers. What’s the big rush?

I was debating between a XS and small, and went with the small. I figured I’d be wearing this in cold temps and wanted sweater room underneath. And worth mentioning is this plaid top underneath. Madewell is quickly becoming one of my favorite brands, but eh, the prices aren’t always so budget friendly. I fell in love with this seasonal/festive plaid number and luckily it was on sale. There are only a few sizes left (I’m wearing an XS for reference).

Top | Trench | Jeans (mine are old, which is why they look lighter) | Booties

The day we photographed this outfit I was in the city for an event with other bloggers at the studio of Lauren Priori of L.Priori Jewelry. Lauren is a private jeweler in center city and creates beautiful, custom engagement rings for all of her clients. She also has an amazing collection of estate jewelry, hence the gorgeous timepiece around my neck.

So what do you guys think about grown up jackets? Or perhaps, more importantly, jaywalking?

Here are a few other timeless trench coats that caught my eye:

Photography by Alison Cornell of The Photography Co-op