Short trench

Nordstrom short trench

The short trench coat is very easy to wear around.  You can wear it into the summer since it serves as a great lightweight jacket.  It matches with almost everything, dresses and pants, boots and heels.  Designers usually make them in a variety of colors every season since they are more trendy and fun to wear.  Also, short trenches are usually cheaper.  One caveat – the short trench won’t cover as much as the long trench.  So, for those of you who like to wear longer shorts, you might want to avoid the short trench since the shirt will peek out of the bottom and look quite funny under the trench.

Knee length trench

Knee length trench from Spiegel

Knee length trench coats are the most common kind sold, if you’re looking for something long.  This coat will usually hit around the knee, although if you are a bit taller or shorter, that length will change.  The knee length coat is very flattering for a woman as it lets you show a bit of leg, but not too much.  It also has a great silhouette since the belt at the waist cinches in and then flows out from there, similar to a dress, but sleeker.  The coat is very slimming and you can match it with many different things, from dresses to pants to leggings to boots.  For men, the knee length coat is also very useful since it is long enough to cover a jacket underneath, but also doesn’t overwhelm.

Jessica London calf length trench

Calf length

– Calf length trench coats are very rare, although they are sold by some designers.  These basically fall below the knee but above the ankle.  They are good if you want the full coverage of a full length coat, but don’t want the trouble of the coat dragging around or hitting your shoes.

Long trench coat from Spiegel

Full length to the floor

– Full length trench coats that hit the floor are oftentimes hard to find.  Designers tend not to make as many and not as many women look for these.  On top of that, unless you are the standard 5’6’’ height that designers tend to make clothes for, the coat will be way too long on you.  If you are taller than 5’6’’, the coat may tend to hit your calves and you will end up with more of a calf length coat.  If you are looking for a full length coat, make sure you are prepared to be patient and are ready to shop around for awhile.

For men, the full length coat is fantastic for covering and protecting your entire suit from head to toe.  Shorter men should try to avoid the full length coat since it could drown you.  The same is true for shorter women.

Trench coat dress

Nordstrom trench dress

Trench coat dresses are the perfect new trench coat style for women.  Most recently seen on stars like Katie Holmes when she is out walking around the city, these trench dresses are fitted like a regular trench coat above your waist, but then flare out from the belt on.  The flare makes the jacket look just like a dress, and the woman ends up looking very chic and feminine.  This style can be more forgiving for women with larger bottom halves since the flare disguises the butt and hips.  This coat is also really fun to wear since it is a whole outfit in and of itself.  You might not want to take off your coat if you find a great trench coat dress that fits you well.

Double breasted or single breasted

Double breasted trench

Most trench coats come in the double breasted style although recently, many designers are making more single breasted coats in response to high demand.  The double breasted trench coat is the classic kind seen in most traditional trench coats designed by Burberry, Coach and other famous brands.  It wraps fully across the chest and provides extra protection for clothes underneath.  The single breasted trench coat usually buttons in the middle so there is less overlap.  This style is often-times more slimming since you don’t have the double buttons running across the chest.  The style does not look as distinct as a traditional trench coat, but is flattering in its own way.  Try on both to see which suits your style best.  Some say that the single breasted trench is recommended for women with fuller busts, however, this is not always true.  Many times, designers have made the double breasted coat just as slimming.  Therefore, it really depends on the style you prefer.