Long Coats Are the Fashion Insider’s Secret to Looking Stylish and Warm This Winter
Pavement sweeping and purposeful, ankle-length outerwear is trending for good reason
There are plenty of trends in the field of coats—from faux-fur fabrications to the funnel neck with a strap that fastens across its wearer's throat—but what really matters this season is the length of your outerwear. Whether your coat of choice is a puffer, something tailored or even a trench, as long as it's, well, long, it will signal you know what's up this winter.
Long coats—the kind with a straight wool hemline that hits the shin or sweeps with a degree of fluidity to just above the ankle—are suddenly being embraced by tastemakers, who sensing the shift from cold to flipping cold over recent weeks are prioritising outerwear that's protective as well as on-point trend-wise.
- Best long all-rounder coat: The Frankie Shop
- Best long camel coat: ME+EM
- Best long black High St coat: Zara
- Best long sculpted coat: Helsa
- Best long evening coat: Toteme
- Best long suede coat: Desavary London
On the streets of Paris, this meant coats that were enveloping. Often coupled with an oversized cut—roomy sleeves plus rounded shoulders etc—the effect was blanketing albeit polished courtesy of tailoring. As an observer, it was convincing. Somehow, a coat that gives more coat looks purposeful even if you pair it with something understated; straight-legged jeans and toe-cap ballet pumps, say, perhaps because it requires a certain amount of commitment that's admirable. Stylist Alexandra Carl wore hers particularly effortlessly, with flared jeans plus a jumper slung around its shoulders, but it would equally make a dramatic statement on this year's party-season circuit if suitably zhush-ed.
Ann Demeulemeester SS26, Celine SS26, Alaïa SS26
It will also be a trend as we travel into spring. For SS26, long coats appeared on the catwalks a surprising amount considering it's a season of balmier temperatures, with particularly luxuriant versions at Alaïa, Ann Demeulemeester and Altuzarra, as well as Bottega Veneta (mock-croc leather car coats), Calvin Klein Collection (drop-waisted trenches) and Celine (double-breasted designs with slits up either thigh). This means investing now will guarantee your outerwear's cool-factor until well into 2026 (and beyond, let's face it, because a long coat will always have longevity).
When it comes to what to wear under your long coat, you really don't have to worry too much. With such a swathing effect provided by its length and fabric, it's the star of the show for a reason.
The Best Long Coats To Buy This Winter
This is your classic tailored coat but with an ever-so-slightly longer hemline that makes it even more elegant.
You can always rely on Zara to come up trumps in the outerwear department.
Tove's long coat is the longest of the bunch, with an impressively extended hemline that is designed to hover just above the ground.
Rendered in warming moss green, with a length that offsets a heeled boot to perfection, Arket's long coat is one of the best on the high street.
With its sumptuous cream shade, plus a short-pile shearling fabrication that's super cosy, & Other Stories has made a coat you will not want to remove all winter.
I love the double-breasted heft of this coat from Weekday, which has a tweed-esque fabrication that adds to its charm.
The fluidity of this coat is only enhanced by its slightly elongated hemline (size up if you want to accentuate it even more).
The Frankie Shop Gaia coat is the fashion insider's favourite. The mannish shape, exaggerated shoulders and oversized shape are perfection.
Since launching Helsa in 2022, model Elsa Hosk has grown her clothing brand into one of the most sought after labels. This sculpted coat sells out every time its restocked so don't wait around.
If you haven't tried the suede trenches from London label Desavary, then you are missing out. The oversized shoulders make for a super flattering silhouette.
Ferragamo's coat isn't just long but has an oversized silhouette, lending a sense of cool to its refined scarf neck and kimono sleeves.
Toteme makes some of the best elongated coats in the business, with this signature draped-collar style being one of the ultimate versions.
Whilst its an investment, a black leather trench will never date.
Max Mara's rose-coloured outerwear is a change from its signature—the undeniably elegant camel—but not an unwelcome one when rendered in a mid-calf length.
The enveloping cut of this coat, rounded in the shoulder and swooping to below the mid-calf, makes it a favourite with Marie Claire.
M&S's long coat has a slender cut that means it's perfect for work—and play this party season.
