Trench Coats for Women: How to Choose and 8 to Buy

A trench coat for women is a belted, knee-length coat built on a military design, traditionally double-breasted with epaulettes and a storm flap, and it goes over almost everything from jeans to evening silk. Coveti’s designer trench coats edit covers the classic and the modern versions, this guide leads with the new wool and cashmere Solane on the Ulla Johnson brand page, and our separate guide to how to style a trench coat has outfit ideas.

Key facts

• The trench coat was first made for officers in the First World War, and its name comes from the trenches.
• A classic trench is double-breasted with a storm flap, epaulettes and a belt.
• The Ulla Johnson Solane Belted Trench Coat is cut from double-faced wool and cashmere, 95% wool and 5% cashmere.
• The Solane comes in juniper, a soft sea green, and sandstone, a warm camel.

Below: what makes a trench a trench, which fabric suits your climate, how to choose length and colour, and eight coats and jackets worth buying.

What makes a coat a trench coat?

The trench was first made for officers in the First World War, and the name comes from the trenches. Every detail had a job. The double-breasted front could be buttoned to either side against the wind. The storm flap across one shoulder kept rain from running inside the coat. Epaulettes held straps and gloves, the belt pulled the coat close, and straps at the cuffs closed the sleeves against weather.

Today a coat counts as a trench when it keeps most of that vocabulary: a belt, a collar with lapels, epaulettes and a length that reaches the knee. Many modern versions drop the storm flap and go single-breasted, and that is fine. The belt is the one detail almost every trench keeps.

Which trench coat fabric should you choose?

The classic fabric is cotton gabardine, a tightly woven twill that sheds light rain. It suits spring and autumn and wet cities.

A wool trench is a winter coat. It will not shed rain like gabardine, but it is far warmer, and a double-faced wool, woven so both sides are finished, needs no lining and drapes softly. The Ulla Johnson Solane is cut from a double-faced wool and cashmere coating with a subtle lustre, which puts it firmly in the cold-weather camp.

How to choose length and colour

• Knee length is the classic and the most versatile. It covers a blazer and clears a midi skirt.
• Midi length, ending mid calf, looks more dramatic and keeps you warmer, but needs a boot underneath.
• If you are petite, try a knee-length trench and keep the belt tied, which marks the waist and stops the coat swamping you.
• Camel and sand are the traditional colours and go with everything. Our camel coats edit has more.
• Navy and black are smarter and hide city grime. See black coats for black options.
• A colour such as green is the choice for a second trench, once you already own a neutral one.

Eight trench coats and jackets worth buying

1. Solane Belted Trench Coat in Sandstone

The Solane Belted Trench Coat in sandstone, a warm camel. Cut from double-faced wool and cashmere, it pays homage to the classic trench with structured notch lapels, sleeve epaulettes, a self-tie belt and tortoiseshell buttons.

2. Solane Belted Trench Coat in Juniper

The same Solane in juniper, a soft sea green. A green trench over cream knits and denim gives a plain outfit a point of colour.

3. Marcelle Trench Coat in Midnight

The Marcelle Trench Coat in midnight, a deep blue. Navy looks smart over tailoring and hides city grime.

4. Rana Fitted Zip Jacket in Juniper

Not a trench, but cut from the same juniper double-faced wool and cashmere: the Rana Fitted Zip Jacket, with vertical seams, a crew neck and a gold front zip. Wear it under the Solane for a tonal look.

5. Riley Belted Blazer in Ochre Melange

The Riley Belted Blazer in ochre melange, a mustard brown. Single-breasted Italian recycled wool with notch lapels and a leather tie belt, it gives the belted trench line in a shorter jacket.

6. Anais Ripstop Peplum Coat in Ciel

The Anais Ripstop Peplum Coat in ciel, a pale sky blue. Ripstop is a light, tough woven fabric, which makes this a coat for spring rather than deep winter.

7. Harper Wool Coat in Pewter

For colder days, the Harper Wool Coat in pewter. It is a wool coat rather than a trench, so wear it when a belted coat is not warm enough.

8. Sasha Wool Coat in Dove Melange

The Sasha Wool Coat in dove melange, a soft grey, for those who want a pale neutral that is not camel.

How to wear a trench coat

A trench works because it adds structure to whatever is under it. Tie the belt at the back for a looser line and knot it at the front to mark the waist. Over jeans and a knit it is a weekend coat; over a silk dress it is an evening coat. Push the sleeves up a little so the cuffs of a shirt show.

For more coats, see Ulla Johnson coats and jackets and the wool coat edit. For further browsing, the Max Mara, Toteme and The Frankie Shop brand pages carry outerwear too.

Trench coats compared

Source: the Ulla Johnson product pages and care labels, read by Coveti Editorial on 7 November 2026.

Wearing a trench coat around the world

In the UK, a cotton trench is a year-round coat for rain, and a wool trench takes over from November. In the US, New York and Chicago winters call for wool, while a cotton trench covers spring and autumn and much of the year in San Francisco. Paris, Milan and the rest of Europe treat the trench as the default city coat in spring and autumn. In the Gulf, the trench is a winter evening coat: from December to February, a light wool trench over a dress suits desert nights in Dubai and Riyadh, where days are warm but evenings cool.

How do trench coats fit?

A trench should close over a jumper without pulling across the buttons, and the shoulders should sit at your own shoulder. Ulla Johnson cuts in US sizes and Coveti lists the UK equivalent: a US 0 is a UK 4, a US 4 is a UK 8 and a US 6 is a UK 10. Knitwear, outerwear, leather jackets and the lace pieces run P to XL, with P listed as XS. The brand flags one piece in this drop as running small, the Liza Strapless Dress, so size up there and take your usual size elsewhere. The full charts are in our Ulla Johnson size guide.

How to care for a trench coat

The Solane and Rana are dry clean only. Brush wool after wear with a soft clothes brush and hang it on a wide wooden hanger so the shoulders keep their shape. Let a wet coat dry away from a radiator. Take the belt out of the loops before cleaning so it does not get lost.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a trench coat and a mac?

A trench is a belted coat with military details such as epaulettes and a storm flap. A mac is a plain raincoat with none of them.

What colour trench coat is most versatile?

Camel and sand go with the most, followed by navy and black. Ulla Johnson cuts the Solane in sandstone, a warm camel, and juniper green.

Is a wool trench coat warm enough for winter?

Yes. A double-faced wool and cashmere trench like the Solane is a winter coat, though it does not shed rain like cotton gabardine.

What length trench coat should I buy?

Knee length is the most versatile and suits most heights. Choose midi length for more warmth and drama.

Why was the trench coat invented?

It was first made for officers in the First World War, and its name comes from the trenches.

How should a trench coat fit?

It should close over a jumper without strain, with the shoulder seam at your own shoulder. Tie the belt to adjust the waist.

Read next: How to style a trench coat, Ulla Johnson coats and jackets, Camel coats.

By Coveti Editorial. Updated 7 November 2026.