Not many pieces of clothing continue to feel relevant after decades in the fashion cycle—let alone a century. Trench coats are a notable exception: They’ve been around, in one form or another, since the mid-19th century. They’ve evolved from utilitarian wear to military uniform to designer mainstay, constantly reimagined by brands both in the U.K. (where they originate) and across the globe.
Even today, people are finding new ways to wear their best trench coats. The fashion crowd descends upon Fashion Week in trenches of all different colors, prints, and fabrics. Meghan Markle has reimagined the look as a dress on occasion. Priyanka Chopra even wore a trench gown to the Met Gala.
Though the silhouette is so familiar, trench coats are easy to play around with. You can tweak the length to your liking. You can add a contrasting trim or lining. You can play with the shape of the sleeve. You can think beyond khaki, and go for bold, colorful shells.
That’s the beauty of a solid trench: There’s no wrong way to wear it.
As we enter peak layering season, we found the best trench coats you can shop right now.
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