Our bellies full of cheese, wine and so much bread you would think we lived inside a bakery, Stag and I returned to London following a 4 day trip to the Brittany region in France earlier this month.

We had such a fabulous time, enough that I am determined to either A. Visit again B. Retire there in a medieval chateau or C. Spend the rest of my years dressed up as Merlin selling Arthurian souvenirs at the Forest of Broceliande (the famed site of King Arthur, Merlin and Morgana le Fay).

However, because Brits (and honorary Brits) will be Brits, we brought the fabulous British summer weather with us to France: overcast, off-and-on-rain for days, cold but also warm when the sun decided to peak its head out a few times a day.

I had spent weeks before this trip imagining myself in a glorious white sundress (which I don’t even own), sandals and hat on, breezing around the French coast. In fact, I ended spending most of the trip in my raincoat and boots, trekking through the ancient Breton forests. Regardless, it was still a life-changing, amazing trip, and it’s given me the chance to post a fashion shoot about what I wear all too often: rain gear.

What I’m Wearing:

Coat: Banana Republic (sold out in camel, but find similar here, here, here and here) | Jeans: Calvin Klein (old, similar here) | Top: Banana Republic | Boots: M&S | Bag: Lauren by Ralph Lauren (bought at TK Maxx ages ago).

I am in love with this Banana Republic trench coat. I had a Primark one for ages (shame), but I had been lusting over this beauty here at J Crew – and, of course, the iconic Burberry one in every fashion blogger’s closet (or dream closet). Having recently quit being a full-time employee, these are just too expensive for my budget. But when I saw this BR beauty at 70% off, then at 30% off of that, and I had a $15 gift card to use up, it was like fashion serendipity. Plus, it’s actually water resistant, which is incredibly handy in, well, British weather year round. Surprisingly enough, this is actually my first weatherproof item of clothing.

When travelling in France, the trench coat is your saviour, adding a touch of French chic to your casual clothes while still being smart enough to wear to a special occasion.

The other pain of packing for this trip: Stag and I were in Brittany primarily for a wedding, which meant whatever jacket I explored Brittany in, I had to also wear with my nice dress to the wedding. Mixing dressy attire in with a trip of city exploring, forest trekking and coastal walking was a bit of a nightmare. In this situation, the trench coat is your saviour, adding a touch of French chic to your casual clothes while still being smart enough to wear to a special occasion. I actually got a few compliments on it at the wedding, so that’s also saying something.