The 2026 Way to Wear a Trench Coat: Tied and Buttoned Like This

It's impossible to look dated in a trench if you do this.

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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wearing a trench coat and boots in Paris
(Image credit: Aissaoui Nacer/Backgrid)

This may not be the most "fashion editor" thing I've ever said, given the pedigree of the particular item in question, but I kind of hate talking and writing about trench coats. I think we can all agree that they're just kind of dull, and any coverage of them at this point feels repetitive. But then I saw what Rosie Huntington-Whiteley just wore upon arrival at Paris Fashion Week.

As you may have guessed, RHW wore a trench coat, which in and of itself isn't groundbreaking, but how she wore her Phoebe Philo trench is what made it look special and fresh. With most trench coats, there are countless ways to wear them, given all the buttons and such. But do yourself a favor and just wear it as Huntington-Whiteley did: buttoned all the way to the top and tied in a knot at the waist (as opposed to buckled or with a sans-knotted cinch). These two things together give a trench a whole new look, as you'll see on the always incredibly chic Huntington-Whiteley. (Her trench is a funnel-neck style, which is particularly cool right now, but even if yours isn't, just button the very top button to achieve a similar look.)

Now that we're all interested in trench coats again, given these easy RHW-approved tips, scroll on to shop cool trenches to put the tips into practice with.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wearing a trench coat and boots in Paris

(Image credit: Aissaoui Nacer/Backgrid)

On Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: Phoebe Philo Big Trench ($3900), Small Kit Cabas Bag ($4500), and Knee-High Boots ($2100); Oliver Peoples x Khaite 1995C Sunglasses ($556)

Shop Trench Coats to Button and Tie Like So

Allyson Payer
Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater arts. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.