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Decades before the kids on TikTok were showering in their Arc’teryx, the best trench coats for men were the first line of wardrobe defense against all kinds of hellish weather. When they were issued to British soldiers during World War I, trench coats were long, double-breasted, and cut from gabardine, a durable cotton cloth you might call the Gore-Tex of its era. But in the time since, trench coats became prized for their civilian benefits too: roomy enough to drape easily over a razor-sharp suit, elegant enough to class up a hoodie and jeans, and warm enough to wear during anything shy of a full-blown blizzard.
The Best Trench Coats Shopping Guide
- The Best Trench Coat for Your Buck: J.Crew “Ludlow” trench coat, $498
- The Best Trench Coat for Royalty: Burberry "Kensington" trench coat, $2590
- The Best Trench Coat Your Old Man Swears By: London Fog Iconic trench coat, $150
- The Best Trench Coat for Titans of Industry With Taste: The Row padded trench coat, $2850
- The Best Trench Coat for Scandi-Minded Minimalists: Mfpen Installation coat, $590
- The Best Trench Coat for Swaggering Francophiles: Saint Laurent trench coat, $3695
It didn’t hurt that the style quickly racked up enough movie credits to fill out a lengthy IMDb profile of its own, taking on roles as a quintessential emblem of tough-guy style on screens across the globe. Belted jauntily at the waist and with the collar turned up, they turned out to be pretty good at helping gumshoe detectives or stoic hitmen keep a low profile, and look really damn cool doing it.
A century after they first saw action on the battlefield, the best trench coats for men haven’t evolved all that much. (Hey, if it ain’t broke…) These days, though, even the most classic versions have received minor facelifts: the silhouettes are a little slimmer, the colors a little more varied, and the overall design inspiration a little less literal.
In 2023, the trench coat is no longer the only respectable foul-weather jacket on the market, but it remains one of the coolest looking ways to stay dry when the forecast predicts drizzly skies, brisk winds, and a high chance of big fits. These are our favorites available right now, each one ready and willing to wade into the muck and fight tirelessly by your side, whether you’re battling the dude at Whole Foods for the last bunch of broccolini or your insufferable colleague Ted (hi, Ted!) for that promotion.
The Best Trench Coat From the Brand That Did it First
Burberry's legendary trench isn't just made from water-resistant gabardine cloth—it's made from water-resistant gabardine cloth the brand literally invented way back in 1879. Nearly 150 years later, the company still sells the Platonic ideal of the form, complete with all the traditional fixings you'd expect to find on a coat that refuses to go out of style: the khaki color, the epaulets, the double-breasted silhouette, and in Burberry's case, the unmistakable check pattern, a flex that says you know your menswear history and are willing to shell out top dollar to own a piece of it.
The Best Trench Coat Your Old Man Swears By
For a long time, London Fog was to raincoats what Kleenex was to tissues. There's a decent chance that someone in your family owned one of the brand’s ubiquitous trenches, but if they didn't, it’s not too late to rectify their mistake: the brand still makes one of the best value options on the market, with all the hallmarks of the genre you remember from your grandad’s version, including a cozy wool liner you’d be hard-pressed to find on alternatives ten times the price.
The Best Trench Coat for Your Buck
We've said it and we'll keep saying it: J.Crew is on a helluva tear, with designer Brendon Babenzien leading the 40-year-old brand back to the mall menswear mountaintop. Every new drop brings more must-haves, yet this slightly oversized trench coat stays locked near the top of that list. Ditching the epaulets of your grandad's trench for raglan sleeves (the kind that start at the collar) modernizes everything a little, but the traditional belt remains to keep your Oxford shirts and slouchy blazers protected from the elements.
The Best Trench Coat for Titans of Industry
The Row fuses stealth wealth values—no branding, luxury materials, eye-popping prices, an IYKYK air—into some of the most deeply-coveted, elegantly minimalist clothes on the market. Where the brand's supple cashmere sweaters and flow-y Italian-made trousers seem tailored, literally, for sipping Dom on a Monaco-moored yacht, the Row's trench coat is legitimately practical. Its Prada-esque technical minimalism comes by way of a water-resistant poly fabric with a water-resistant treatment, but the light padding turns it back into a Row-style eye-catcher. This trench isn't cheap, but that's the price you pay to stay warm, dry, and a step ahead in the style game.
The Best Trench Coat for Minimalists
Mfpen's Scandinavian minimalism is on full display with a trench that strips away almost everything—epaulets, shoulder flaps, a belt—to create a look that stands out because it's so pared down. Hell, the designers even desaturated the usual tan to a barely-there cream color. An on-point oversized fit that's just this side of billowing is built for pairing with Mfpen's oversized button-ups and baggy jeans, but is also the quickest way to dress up your hoodies and sweats on a dreary Sunday.
The Best Trench Coat for Swaggering Francos
Most trenches are designed as function-first staples meant to fly under the radar. But Saint Laurent asks: what if you want to stay dry but not humble? In designer Anthony Vaccarello's hands, glossy coated cotton and a trim double-breasted fit turn into a Blade Runner glam trench that puts the slick in "rain slicker." It pairs well with anything, but especially an all-black fit and broody mood while walking a misty town under hazy neon lights.
Plus 14 More Trench Coats We Love
Todd Snyder
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