Holiday Hero: The Trench Coat (And The Micro Style Everyone's Talking About)

I am not one of those people who runs at autumn with open arms.

The golden colours are pleasing, but the cooler weather and shorter nights less so. I cling to the last vestiges of summer, always booking my warm-weather holiday at the start of October to prolong the sunshine. I don’t enjoy wearing knitwear again (although there really are so many brands offering beautiful options this season), and I certainly don’t rush to incarcerate my toes in shoes and boots. What I do always look forward to wearing is my trench coat, a style that is truly deserving of its iconic status.

PIN IT

Croco-embossed leather trench, £1,390, Róhe

My trench is nearly five years old, and of all the items in my wardrobe, it is the piece I am complimented on the most. From Kitri’s 2021 collaboration with Jessie Bush, it is slightly oversized without losing its sharpness, lined in a yellow check and made in a classic camel colour. I rarely belt it, preferring to leave it undone or when it does get cold, knotting the belt. I keep the sleeves rolled up just behind my wrists to show off the plaid lining. It smartens up outfits with very little effort, and goes with pretty much anything.

There is probably something in the fleeting period in which we can feasibly wear the trench that adds to its desirability, a scarcity model logic – we’re more likely to want something if it feels unavailable to us. It’s not quite warm enough for winter, and not light enough for cooler summer evenings but what it lacks in time frame wearability, it makes up for in versatility. I wear my trench with jeans, and cable knits at the weekend, but also with wide-leg trousers and shirts to the office, and layered over LBDs for the evening. There are very few occasions a trench doesn’t work, and very few people who they don’t suit.

PIN IT

Clyde coat, £370, Sezane

The trench has been worn by a far-reaching and eclectic crowd. From the 19th-century military officers who invented it, to Hollywood stars, city workers and royalty – this is a coat with a very broad appeal. Over the years, it’s been reimagined countless times, and Burberry, of course, have made it their signature. Audrey Hepburn is perhaps the trench coat’s most famous patron; in 1961, she cemented it as a design classic in Breakfast At Tiffany’s, after her on-screen alter ego Holly Golightly wrapped herself in an ivory version when she reunites with her love interest Fred. Although the designer behind this specific style remains unknown, the trench itself went stratospheric. It does what all style classics should – it is recognisable, useful and timeless. There’s a reason Parisian women count them as a wardrobe hallmark; they offer elegance and nonchalance combined.

My trench has travelled around the world with me over the past few years. Deciding which coat to wear for autumn/winter trips away requires careful consideration; few of us have space in our luggage to bring more than one due to their bulkiness. It tends to be the coat we fly in, so it needs to be comfortable but also work hard when we arrive at our destination. The trench is not only one of the more streamlined, compact and lightweight of outerwear options, but it works with most looks, accompanying me to Amsterdam, Paris, New York and even to Sicily at Christmas. They upgrade airport outfits, and can be worn draped over the shoulders if the weather feels too balmy for full coat coverage. A trench is the perfect accompaniment for city breaks in that they bring instant polish in a very relaxed, effortless way, and can truly be worn day to night. 

PIN IT

Navy gingham trim trench, £159, Nobody’s Child

PIN IT

The Row autumn/winter 2025

For 2025, the trench has been reimagined again. This season sees the arrival of the cropped trench influenced by The Row, Burberry and Phoebe Philo’s shrunken versions. Katie Holmes wore a butter yellow Zimmermann style with wide-leg trousers for the brand’s show back in March, and Gwyneth Paltrow was seen in an olive green version with navy satin trousers and trainers last autumn out and about in New York. Other brands are experimenting with glossy leathers and suede iterations, a gloriously impractical, but luxe look. Outside of the luxury space, Sezane’s Clyde style has reached cult status after being worn by Sienna Miller last spring, while a check trimmed style by Nobody’s Child was coat du jour at Copenhagen Fashion Week last month. Arket’s 2-in-1 style will also prove a staple as the temperature drops; it features removable layers to experiment with during non-committal weather.

Whether reinvented or classic, the trench coat is a fashion lifer, with the power to make the autumn segue that bit easier.