Trench coats have timeless style and have been known to add an air of mystery to the wearer. But don't let there be any mystery about how to deal with the belt on the coat. Belts hanging off of coats can get lost, caught in things and generally make you look sloppy. There are several things you can do to improve your style while wearing your trench.

One way to maintain a neat appearance in your trench coat is to tuck both ends of the belt into the pockets. This way, the ends aren't flapping around or dragging on the ground. They also won't get caught in a car door.

Instead of buckling the belt, you can fasten it in a knot. Either a half-hitch knot or square knot will do. Be careful not to knot it too tightly, because cinching in the waist of your coat can make you look heavier and wrinkle the coat excessively. Both are fashion no-no's.

If you have a buckle, it's there for a reason, isn't it? But even if you do buckle your belt, you still may have to do something with the end. On many coats the belt is very long so when you buckle it, you still have a long tail coming out of the buckle. Take the end and make a half hitch around the body of the belt. This is also helpful if your buckle is just a slider without the tongue and eyelets to keep it in place.

If you don't want to mess with the belt at all, but also don't want to lose it, you can buckle or tie it behind the back of the coat and leave it. Buckle it loosely so that it doesn't pull the coat when you button up.

Taking the belt off seems like an easy solution, but it makes the coat look sloppy and incomplete. If you want to look finished and pulled together, don't remove the belt. Work through the ideas above and pick one that works best for you. And then practice your best "Bogart."