Style Debate: Trench coat vs Biker jacket

The transformative power of a classic trench coat makes it the ultimate weapon in one’s sartorial arsenal. Team it with sneakers or a pair of heels or a baseball cap — there are a zillion ways to style it depending on one’s mood and occasion. It’s hard to erase the classic trench seen on Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany’s rain-drenched finale or on Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby, who shows up in it after getting a pixie hair-cut from Vidal Sassoon. A biker jacket, on the other hand, spells bravado, rock and roll with a hint of badass. Designers like Hedi Slimane, Anthony Vaccarello and Barbara Bui continue to reinvent it season after season. One could never go wrong with the classic leather biker accented with statement zippers and studs — just check the street style images of Kristen Stewart and Gigi Hadid. 

‘Trench is the father of all jackets’ 
Isha Bhansali, stylist  

The very mention of a trench coat springs to mind different cinematic visions of a hero and a villain playing their life out against a stormy thundering night. Without doubt, the trench is the father of all jackets. While a biker jacket is obviously a hot pick, but it just conveys grunge. On the other hand, a trench could morph into anything you want it to be — powerful or dressy, chic or utilitarian. Nothing comes close to the classic Burberry trench with epaulets, hood and an enlarged collar. Also, it’s the way you wear it — whether you want to turn the collars up or leave them down. While I am never against a biker jacket, I’d choose a trench because it even works for a short and lean body type. A biker may not suit everyone. Priyanka Chopra’s  Ralph Lauren trench at the Met last year was super sexy. While a biker can only look great in cold weather and it has limited styling options, the trench is perfect for our weather. The trench is unisex and comes in an array of fabrics. I’m all for the now-trending PVC trench. It makes the shoulders look great as it’s lightweight and ticks all the boxes on my sartorial check list. Girls can cinch it at the waist to add the curve. Designer Christopher Bailey totally owned it and in India, Sahil Aneja and Dhruv Vaish have done a great job of reinventing the trench in their handwriting. I also like the idea of layering a trench on a suit. The trench has no past or future — it’s timeless and will never go out of style. It’s season-less and you’ll never feel out of place in it. 

‘Biker jacket is fearless’ 
Divyak D’Souza, stylist

When I lost weight, I realised athleisure is my jam and that’s when my hunt for the perfect utilitarian leather jacket started. An heirloom piece which lasts forever. My first memory of a leather jacket was of Sridevi rocking a biker jacket in a song from Chaalbaaz. And that’s how I wanted to be when I grew up — sassy and sexy. The exuberant ’80s retro with a touch of badass. The biker jacket is a fearless piece of clothing which exemplifies strength and oozes personality and strength. Pair it with a fluid dress or a tattered logo tee — it offers versatility and an ease to mix and match. It’s not cumbersome and of late, so many brands have experimented with it in a panoply of fabric variations. Urvashi Kaur toyed with it in jersey making it conducive to our weather. Recently I had sourced an organza bomber which was perfect for our summer.  

The European designers do a great job of reinventing this classic as they have access to some of the best leather. In Eastern European countries there are some local brands which use high quality leather and their workmanship and designs are noteworthy — deconstructed but not too avant-garde. I am hoping that in the Indian context, designers figure out a way to reinvent the biker which makes it weather-friendly. Rahul Mishra’s embroidered bombers teamed with saris are amazing. Suket Dhir’s tussar silk numbers too are weather appropriate. Nothing beats a classic white shirt layered with a one-of-a-kind embroidered jacket!