The Sophisticated Coat Trend That's Making the Rounds in Paris, L.A., and London

The car coat—a slightly shorter alternative to a standard trench coat with a single-breasted fit, as opposed to double—has been around for over a century, with historians suggesting it first took off back in the early 1900s. And yet, many people only learned of the silhouette this year, when it took off seemingly out of nowhere on celebrities, the runways, and the streets of cities like Paris, London, Los Angeles, and more. Traditionally more of a staple in men's fashion, the top layer, which is designed to make sitting in a car easier and more comfortable (re: its knee-length hem), has successfully broken into the women's ready-to-wear landscape. And after all this time, it's not giving up its newfound popularity there anytime soon.

Typically, the thought is that trends start on the runways and trickle down to celebrities, who have access to pieces straight off the catwalk, and eventually to street style. (Though, depending on how many followers you have, maybe you have that direct access too.) From my POV, though, the rise of the car coat for women started the opposite way. Suddenly, people all over my Instagram feed weren't wearing the maxi-length trenches or coats they once never left home without. Instead, they were choosing shorter, single-breasted toppers, usually in a lighter-weight fabric, that had less bulk and more of a sleek appearance. In Paris, Sylvie Mus took the classic approach and chose to wear a version by Burberry. I bought my chocolate-brown car coat from Fforme at a sample sale and haven't taken it off since. (You only think I'm kidding.) During a trip to Milan, Magasin founder Laura Reilly styled a black option with J.Crew's editor-favorite lace-trim skirt and boots by The Row. Every look I spotted a car coat in was elevated and sophisticated, something you can't say about all outerwear, even the styles at their trendiest in 2025.

In the wild:

Styling notes: If you like the knee-length-skirt-with-boots look, a car coat is the perfect topper because it breaks up the various lines of your outfit. For balance purposes, you never want your coat and the pieces underneath it to line up exactly.

Styling notes: Car coats were designed to be less bulky than a traditional trench coat, so they're great if you want something lighter on top. This outfit could have gone with a leather bomber jacket or blazer, but Mus's Burberry car coat is more free-flowing and relaxed yet polished, and the length adds interesting contrast.

Styling notes: Skip traditional taupe or black and opt for chocolate brown instead if you want your car coat to always be the centerpiece of your outfit. The color also makes styling more interesting. Here, a navy-blue east-west bag is an unexpected complement to the coat's brown color, making both pop.

It's not that car coats have never made it to the runway, however. They've been spotted at various points across various seasons, but never really hit "trend" status, probably because so many other outerwear styles overpowered them. Miuccia Prada didn't let them get passed over this season, though. At Miu Miu's F/W 25 show in Paris back in early March, Mrs. Prada highlighted the rising silhouette on a couple of models, styling plaid and gingham car coats on top of floral, just-above-the-knee-length dresses worn with tall socks and sneakers. The choice gave the traditionally feminine frocks a masculine tinge, building on the show's emphasis on individuality and dressing with a spirit of freedom, ignoring societal norms about who should wear what.

On the runway at Miu Miu's F/W 25 show:

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The A-list caught on quickly, as they so often do, with both Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner being spotted post–fashion month in car coats of their own, Bieber in Los Angeles and Jenner in Paris, where she was shooting a campaign for L'Oréal. Bieber's look went particularly viral, praised for its casual grace. She styled a tan car coat by The Row with a striped Marni tee, Gimaguas kick-flare pants, The Row mules, and a Khaite large clutch tucked under one arm. The look was modern minimalism at its finest, an updated take on the off-duty style we all now reference constantly from past decades.

On A-listers:

On Hailey Bieber: Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Lock Earrings ($3300) and Elsa Peretti Bone Ring ($5000); The Row shoes and trench; Gimaguas Lula Trousers ($175); Marni top

On Kendall Jenner: The Row Marlo Tote ($4300); Gucci sunglasses

Jenner's take was on the more low-key side, with the model and 818 founder wearing a gray, plaid car coat on top of jeans and a black sweater post-shoot. She then accessorized with vintage Gucci sunglasses and The Row's latest handbag hit, the Marlo.

Clearly, car coats are flying high across all the fashion capitals. Get on board by shopping any of the sophisticated toppers in the curated collection below. As someone who's been wearing her car coat for months now, trust me, you won't regret it.

Shop the car coat trend: