Leather Trench Coats for Women: Cropped vs Long, and How to Choose

A leather trench coat is the classic trench, the belted coat with storm flaps and buttoned cuff tabs that comes from the military coats of the First World War, cut in leather instead of cotton gabardine. For women it now comes long and cropped, in soft lambskin and heavier cow leather. Coveti gathers them in its designer leather coats edit; the newest is the cropped Bennett on the Brandon Maxwell brand page, and our guide to Brandon Maxwell coats and jackets covers the house outerwear in full.

Key facts

• The trench coat comes from the military coats of the First World War, with a belt, storm flaps and buttoned cuff tabs.
• The Brandon Maxwell Bennett Cropped Trench Coat is black nappa lamb leather with a self tie belt and buttoned cuff tabs, made in the United States.
• Nappa is soft full grain lambskin, while cow leather is heavier and firmer.
• Brandon Maxwell recommends that its leather pieces go to a leather specialist for care.

This guide explains the details that make a coat a trench, how cropped and long versions differ, how to judge the leather, and how to look after it. The broader shape, in cotton and wool, lives in our trench coats edit.

Where does the trench coat come from?

The trench coat was built for soldiers in the trenches of the First World War. Every detail had a job. The belt pulled the coat in against wind and cold. Storm flaps across the shoulder and back let rain run off rather than soak through at the seams. Buttoned tabs at the cuffs closed the sleeve around the wrist. After the war, officers kept wearing the coat as civilians, and it moved into everyday dress.

A leather trench keeps those features while changing what they do. Leather already sheds wind and light rain, so the flaps and tabs become structure and decoration as much as weatherproofing. The belt still matters most: it is what turns a straight leather coat into a trench.

Cropped vs long: which leather trench coat should you buy?

A long leather trench, falling below the knee, is a full outer layer. It covers a dress completely and works as the single coat for a cold city winter. It is also heavy, and it dominates whatever is beneath it.

A cropped leather trench stops around the hip. It keeps the belt, the tabs and the collar but shows the clothes under it, so the hem of a midi dress, the line of a tailored trouser, the cut of a jean all stay part of the outfit. A cropped trench is easier to wear indoors, lighter to carry, and better proportioned on a shorter frame. The trade is warmth.

How to choose a leather trench coat

• Decide on the leather. Nappa is soft full grain lambskin: light, supple and close to the body. Cow leather is heavier and firmer, holding a sharper shape and taking wear more readily.
• Check the belt. A self tie belt in the same leather sits flatter than a buckle and can be knotted loosely; make sure it is long enough to tie over a knit.
• Look for the trench details: cuff tabs, a collar that turns up, and room through the back for layering.
• Pick the fit for what goes under it. A relaxed fit takes a cardigan and a jacket; a close fit is for a shirt and a slip.
• Choose black first. A black leather trench works with every colour in a wardrobe and reads as evening as easily as day.

How to wear a leather trench coat

Over a dress is the evening route. A cropped black nappa trench belted over a midi slip dress keeps the hem in view; our guide on how to wear a lace slip dress has the full look. By day, wear it open over a white tuxedo shirt and straight leg jeans, so the bib shows at the neck; see our guide to women’s tuxedo shirts.

Leather on leather works when the textures differ. A cropped lambskin trench over cropped lambskin trousers is a tonal black look; a smooth cow leather pencil skirt with a soft nappa trench gives two different hands in one outfit. Keep the knit underneath fine, so the trench belts cleanly.

The leather trench coat and leather pieces to buy

1. Bennett Cropped Trench Coat in Black

The Bennett Cropped Trench Coat in Black is black nappa lamb leather with a relaxed fit, a self tie belt that pulls it in at the waist, and buttoned tabs at the cuffs. It is made in the United States and comes in XS to XL. The house suggests it over a dress for evening and over denim at the weekend.

2. Ryder Leather Jacket in Black

The Ryder Leather Jacket in Black is a cropped, boxy jacket in smooth black cow leather, made in New York, with a crew neckline and engraved Brandon Maxwell buttons. It is the firmer, more structured alternative to the Bennett.

3. Mason Leather Jacket in Vintage Black

The Mason Leather Jacket in Vintage Black is an oversized jacket in rub off cow leather, with a high collar and rounded sleeves. Contrast edges show through the distressed black finish. Choose it if you want leather that already looks worn in.

4. Perry Cropped Leather Pant in Black

The Perry Cropped Leather Pant in Black is a cropped straight leg pant in black nappa lamb leather, with horizontal seams panelling the legs below a gathered waistband. It is the same leather as the Bennett, for a tonal look.

5. Lex Leather Pencil Skirt in Black

The Lex Leather Pencil Skirt in Black is a knee length pencil skirt in smooth black cow leather, made in Italy, with a front slit, belt loops and a zip fly. It sits just below the natural waist, so size down for a higher waist.

6. Trinity Coat in Light Brown

Already at Coveti from the Fall Winter 2026 delivery, the Trinity Coat in Light Brown sits in our leather coats edit. It is the lighter colour option if black is not your first choice.

7. Remi Jacket in Black Leather

The Remi Jacket in Black Leather, also from Fall Winter 2026, sits in our leather jackets edit and works as a second leather layer for the colder months.

8. Renn Belt in Black

The Renn Belt in Black is a slim nappa lamb leather belt with a polished silver tone single prong buckle. Under an open trench, it gives the outfit a second waistline.

For a full coat in cloth, the Sabrina Coat in Black sits in our coats edit, and the Dean Pant in Black Leather is a second leather trouser from Fall Winter 2026.

Brandon Maxwell leather pieces compared

Source: the Brandon Maxwell product pages, care labels and fit notes, read by Coveti Editorial on 8 November 2026.

How do you care for a leather trench coat?

Brandon Maxwell sends its leather to a leather specialist, and that is the right rule for any leather trench. Do not put it in a washing machine, and do not let a general dry cleaner treat it as cloth. At home, hang it on a broad, shaped hanger that supports the shoulders, keep it out of direct sun and away from radiators, and let it dry naturally at room temperature if it gets wet. Store it in a breathable cotton cover, never plastic, since leather needs air. Lambskin marks more easily than cow leather, so treat a nappa trench more gently in a crowd and in a bag strap’s path.

Wearing a leather trench coat around the world

In the United States, a leather trench covers autumn and spring in New York and Chicago, and works as the main coat for California and Texas winters. In the UK, a cropped leather trench is a dry-day coat: it handles a shower but a long, wet walk calls for a full length coat in cloth over it. Across northern Europe, it is a transitional layer for the months either side of winter.

In the Gulf, a leather trench belongs to the cooler evenings from December to February and to air conditioned interiors year round, where a cropped coat is easier to carry than a long one. Pair it with the Perry and a long sleeve shirt for a covered evening look.

Leather trench coat sizing

Brandon Maxwell cuts its dresses and tailoring in US sizes 0 to 16, which is UK 4 to 20, and its knits, shirts and leather in XS to XL. The house says its pieces run true to size, so take your normal size; the models on the product pages are 178 cm tall and wear a US 2 in dresses and a small in knits. The full conversion is in our Brandon Maxwell size guide. The Bennett comes in XS to XL. Try a leather trench with the thickest knit you plan to wear under it: leather does not stretch across the back, so the fit you buy is the fit you keep.

For more leather outerwear, browse Khaite, Toteme and Gabriela Hearst, and see our designer leather jackets and leather skirts edits.

Frequently asked questions

Are leather trench coats in style?

Yes. The cropped leather trench in particular has become a modern alternative to the long cotton trench, worn over dresses and jeans.

What is the difference between nappa and cow leather?

Nappa is soft full grain lambskin, light and supple. Cow leather is heavier and firmer, holding a sharper shape and taking wear more readily.

Is a cropped leather trench coat warm enough for winter?

A cropped trench is a transitional coat. In a cold winter, layer a cashmere knit under it, and keep a long wool coat for the coldest days.

How do you clean a leather trench coat?

Take it to a leather specialist. Brandon Maxwell recommends this for all its leather, and a general dry cleaner can damage the finish.

What do you wear with a leather trench coat?

A slip dress, a white shirt with straight leg jeans, and tonal leather trousers all work. Belt the coat over a dress and leave it open over trousers.

Where does the trench coat come from?

The trench coat comes from the military coats of the First World War, which gave it the belt, storm flaps and buttoned cuff tabs.

Read next: Brandon Maxwell coats and jackets, Women’s tuxedo shirts, Brandon Maxwell Fall Winter 2026.

By Coveti Editorial. Updated 8 November 2026.