With the weather so cold some days that our leather bomber jackets just simply won't do, it might be time to turn to the leather trench coat. With their given length and heavy material, and when wisely layered over knitwear or thermals and properly accessorized with cold-weather accessories, the leather trench might just be the ultimate way to combat the winter in style.
On Burberry's Fall/Winter 2025-2026 runway, the British brand best known for trench coats presented leather interpretations of their classic silhouettes: reddish brown, black, and deep green belted trench coats of varying lengths. Elsewhere in the Fall/Winter collections presented earlier this year, Fendi offered a leather trench with a buckle belt detail, while Khaite styled one open with weather appropriate layering underneath, Chloé paired a rich brown matrix-esque silhouette with a fur scarf and chain belt, and Alaïa featured one with a super puffy collar detail that played with volume and dimension. This is all to say that the leather trench coat is incredibly versatile, are created in unique ways, and the styling options are endless.
Burberry Fall/Winter 2025-26
Courtesy of Burberry
Fendi Fall/Winter 2025-26
Courtesy of Fendi
Spring/Summer 2026 collections featured leather trenches, too—Maison Margiela with a form-fitting one, Burberry with a notable snakeskin leather option, and Khaite with mid-length cuts—proving the versatility and that it's a worthy investment piece for it's abilities to transcend season alone.
The trench coat has a rich history, with leather iterations in particular worn throughout Wold War I in defense of harsh weather conditions. Modernly, Hollywood has adopted the trend and the leather trench has become a popular wardrobe choice in films, especially for the sake of establishing a character as mysterious, dark, villainous, or moody. "The Matrix," for example, featured an iconic leather trench coat worn by Morpheus that worked as a storytelling device, represented non-conformity, leadership, power, and remains a lasting symbol of the film and franchise, as well as a look and aesthetic that people often aim to recreate.
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Lately, our favorite stars have put the endless ways of styling the leather trench coat on display: Tessa Thompson paired hers over a hoodie and accessorized with a baseball cap and red loafers for a casual, effortless street style look, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stepped out in a full dressed up Burberry look, Julia Fox was spotted in one with sharp broad shoulders, and Ellie Goulding wore her floor-length trench open, paired with baggy suit shorts and a crop top as a pregnancy announcement.
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Khaite Fall/Winter 2025-26
Courtesy of Khaite
Chloé Fall/Winter 2025-26
Courtesy of Chloé
Alaïa Fall/Winter 2025-26
Courtesy of Alaïa
With runways and celebrities alike co-signing the style, I think it's safe to say that it's leather trench coat season.
