Need a trench coat? These are the best ones to buy right now

A classic trench coat with buttons, a belted waist and a beige shade is just as perfect during rainy summers as it in crisp autumns. That's why it has gained its reputation as a staple piece everyone needs in their wardrobe. The trench coat is one of few pieces that has been popular ever since its invention, never going out of fashion. However, the coat has transformed over the decades going from a functional piece to finding its way to catwalks and couture designers throughout the 1900s and 2000s. Turning our heads towards the AW22 runways, once again we spot the trench in new interpretations.

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From Jean Paul Gaultier during the 2000s, Balenciaga in 2017, to corseted at Christian Dior in 2022: Considering the trench coat's long journey, there is no wonder it has cemented its place in our closets. The inspiration for how to wear the coat is certifiably endless, seeing it being interpreted by stylists and the style set season after season. But the big question remains...

The trench coat takes on many tasks, from go-to workwear outerwear, slung carelessly across our shoulders for a night out or cinched closed on a Saturday stroll. Styling a trench coat can be tricky despite its timeless design, as its transformative powers work perfectly with almost too many looks. But as a rule of thumb, keep it simple. You don’t need more than a pair of fitted denim trousers, a comfortable everyday heel and a fun bag to pull off this piece of power dressing. And if you are not one to don heels, a pair of scrunched ballet flats will give you that sought after Frandinavian look.

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Superbly detailed and crafted from cotton with a touch of stretch, this lightweight, longline trench coat is elegantly elevated with an oversized collar, wide belt, storm flap, epaulets, and draped back panel. Structured in its style, while still retaining some care-free volume, it pairs best with dark wash denim and a pair of chunky loafers.

H&M's cinched trench coat plays around with texture, the light-weight fabric a crêpe weave. Calf-length and double-breasted, the side vents allows this coat to float fashionably behind us on our stroll through the city.

Totême knows how to elevate classics, and their straight double-breasted take on a trench coat is no different. Cut from cotton-blend canvas, featuring a spread collar, adjustable cinch fastenings at the wrists and a partial lining in satin, its has the makings of a forever-piece to bring out season after season, year after year.

This trench coat is a go-to for relaxed street wear styling. Double breasted with a shell made from a soft flowey tencel lyocell twill, this belted basic was made to be slung over athleisure. Style it with an oversized hoodie and relaxed denim for a model-off-duty look.

A modern update to a classic, Marc O'Polo's trench coat has been re-interpreted in a feminine and flirty silhouette. Made from a water-resistant, distinctive outer fabric with a slightly stiff texture, it provides unfussy comfort. The signature details include a wide storm shield on the back and on the side of the front, a wide fabric belt to accentuate the waist alongside a high vent for more freedom of movement.

Made from a linnet-cotton blend and cut for a regular fit, this double-breasted trench coat features classic details such as shoulder epaulets, an adjustable belt and a loose-hanging yoke at the back. Typically timeless in its design, the slightly looser and lighter silhouettes lends itself perfectly to wet weather during the warmer months.

If you were a fan of Daniel Lee's Bottega Veneta, this two-tone trench coat is a catch best caught before his last collection for the brand sells out. Made in Italy from weighty wool gabardine, the camel-coloured design is fitted with mismatched buttons and cut by a diagonal brown leather paneling that playfully references the house's preferred medium.

We could never make a list of the best trench coats to buy without including Burberry. The brand has built a heritage on its well-made British classics, the trench coat included. Here, its most traditional take on the staple features traditional details and, of course, the signature check lining.

Sustainable Danish brand Skall Studios offers a classic trench coat in a faded greige colour way. Oversized and cut from a cotton-linen mix, the Bobby coat is double breasted and features all of the traditional details we've come to expect from a trench. Wear with the brand's linen sets for a breezy summer look.

A modern take on the traditional trench coat, Isabel Marant's colour-blocked coat in a variety of beige offers a simple and versatile style. The statement belt matching the fold-out collar creates a contrast to the light beige body of the coat, further cinching in the waist.

At first glance, Axel Arigato's trench coat comes off as traditional. However, upon further inspection, the garment is updated with a multifunctional belt construction offering several styling options. Whether wrapped asymmetrically, cinched just at the front or the back, this piece offers a multitude of ways to wear it.

The history of the ever-iconic trench coat dates back much longer than most think. Most of us relate this piece of fashion history to World War I, worn by British soldiers on muddy and bloody battlefields. But in reality, the trench coat can be traced back to the early days of the 1820s and the British designer Thomas Hanock.

The coat which Hancock invented was a rain-repellent garment made from rubberised cotton designed for the upper class. But with time and industrial developments, the rubber coats were improved upon. First in the early 1850s by John Emary for Aquascutum, and later, around the late-1850s, Thomas Burberry for his eponymous company Burberry.

Burberry has been prescribed as the inventor of the trench coat, and whilst this is not entirely true, Burberry was responsible for inventing the weatherproofed material gabardine. This is how the brand became synonymous with modern-day trench coats.

So one might say that the trench coat has three inventors, all contributing in their way.