How a Trench Coat Should Fit (Men’s Guide)
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A trench coat is a classic, masculine and incredibly practical menswear wardrobe essential. But just like anything else in menswear, it will only look good if it fits well. Here is a guide on a how a men’s trench coat should fit.
Shoulders
Trench coats are more formal than your typical rain jacket so they are regularly worn over suits and business casual outfits. In such a case, you want to get a trench coat that has enough room underneath, especially in the shoulders to accommodate a suit jacket.
The best way to get a good fit is to actually wear a suit jacket or blazer underneath when trying on the trench coat.
The shoulder seam of the trench coat should end 1 inch below the shoulder bone. It should not end before your shoulder bone or it will be tight. Nor should the shoulder seam fall off your shoulders, otherwise the trench coat will look too big.
Chest
Again, it’s best to try on the trench coat with a suit jacket or blazer underneath to make sure you have enough room. The chest area should be fitted but you should have around 3 inches of room between your chest and the coat. You should be able to horizontally fit your fist between your chest and the trench coat.
Length
Practically speaking, a longer trench coat makes sense because it offers better protection against rain and wind. But most modern versions are a bit shorter ending at or slightly above the knee.
If you’re shorter than 5’8 then get a trench coat that ends slightly above your knee. Anything longer will make you look short.
And if you’re taller than 6′ then you want a trench coat that falls slightly below your knees.
If you’re between 5’8 and 6′ then look for a trench coat that ends right at the top of your knees.
Body
Trench coats look their best when they are well fitted with a slim silhouette. As such, you want a slight taper from the chest to the torso to give the coat a masculine look. However, it shouldn’t be too tight and you should be able to comfortably button the trench coat over your suit jacket or blazer underneath.
Most trench coats also come with a belt loop or clasp which helps you adjust the waist fit. So don’t worry if the trench coat has a bit of extra room in the torso. You can always tighten it up.
Sleeves
The sleeves of a trench coat should be long enough to cover whatever you are wearing underneath be that a suit jacket, sweater or dress shirt. The purpose of a trench coat is to protect your clothing from rain, and it can only do that if the sleeves are long enough.
With that said, the sleeves should also not be too long where they run past your wrist and down your hands.
Ideally the sleeves should end 1 inch past your wrist bone. Anything shorter and the coat is not practical. Anything longer, and the coat will look too big.
You can also see: How a Leather Jacket Should Fit
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this guide on how a trench coat should fit. We covered all aspects of the fit so you can now confidently go out there and find the perfect fitting trench coat.
To help you out, here are some of our favorite trench coats you can buy today.
Our Favorite Trench Coats:
