Spring in New York is a glorious, unpredictable beast, and, like everything else in NYC, there’s an art to dressing for it. The answer is with a classic trench coat. Locals embrace when we only need a light layer, and it might get super windy, and it might shower out of the blue, but it also might be warm enough that we want to push up our sleeves. (Perhaps simultaneously.)

Given how New Yorkers gravitate toward chic-yet-practical dressing, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that trench coats and sneakers are the foundation of so many perfect spring looks spotted in the city. It’s the classic high-low mix—an effortless pairing of polished tailoring and highly practical subway- and cobblestone-friendly flat footwear that New Yorkers do so well.