Gap: Belted Trench Review

Gap's Belted Trench (item #498619) was one of Gap's first spring new arrivals. It is a classic, short trench coat, and comes in a variety of colors. It originally retailed for $78, but is marked down right now, with select colors at $59.99, and others at $49.99. It comes in regular, tall, and petite (tall and petite come in limited colors).

Gap describes the coat as such:

An iconic staple offers chic versatility to any outfit in an array of fresh shades. All the essentials of a classic trench, plus you can customize your own look, cinched with either a feminine grosgrain ribbon or a traditional belt.

This coat is a wonderful spring and summer coat. It is a cotton/nylon blend, and is unlined, with faux-shell buttons. The coat is nice and light, and is a nice cover up on days that are just cool enough for a coat, and just warm enough not to need a sweater or sweatshirt.

The coat comes in some nice, muted spring colors; I picked it up in yellow. As you can see below, the coat is rather shapeless and somewhat boxy without the belt tied. It is a nice, medium-length coat. It is supposed to hit at mid-thigh, but it is a little longer than that on me. I think the sleeves are supposed to be 3/4 length, but they are the perfect length on me.

The coat fits very true to size. It fits well - not too tight on the shoulders, and moves well. I would imagine that after a few washings, the fabric would soften, and become even more pliable.

There is some nice detailing on the coat - shoulder epaulettes, and square shoulder flaps on the front. The coat buttons up the front, and also has a tab button at the top color.

The coat looks much better (in my opinion) when it is tied around the waist. Here is a picture of the coat belted from Gap's website.

Below are some IRL pictures. I think it gives the coat a much more tailored and classic look. Tying the belt erases that shapeless, boxy look that you get when it's not tied, and I definitely prefer it this way. The on-seam pockets are nice and roomy, but I'm not sure how much I would keep in there because they're not lined.

This coat actually comes with two belts - a heavier, fabric belt with the same topstitching as the coat, and a thinner, more feminine grosgrain ribbon belt.

I think this coat is a great lightweight coat. It's a nice alternative to lined trench coats when it's a lot warmer out, but you still want to wear a coat. I think it comes in some nice, fairly neutral colors for spring and summer.

What do you think? Do you like this coat? Do you have it? Do you have any other trench coats that you love? (I do - keep an eye out for upcoming reviews.)

Product details and color palette are below.