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The Best Trench Coats for Wet Weather

The long, traditional topcoat defends the wearer against rain or wind.

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By Evan Malachosky

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Trench coat, raincoat, mac? The naming conventions for men’s foul-weather clothing are in shambles these days. Mac or mack, short for Mackintosh — or at least a move to avoid trademark infringement on the original Mackintosh brand — probably came first in the late 180os. The trench coat wasn’t far behind with both Aquascutum and Burberry claiming they invented it near the turn of the 20th century.

But it’s Thomas Burberry that deserves credit for at least popularizing the jacket. He submitted his trench design to the UK’s War Office in 1901, and it became a military staple shortly thereafter. Proper trenches today retain many of the military-inspired details found on the original design, like wide lapels, an integrated waist belt and shoulder straps.

They aren’t hard to find, but you’ll run into more streamlined versions of the trench sold by many brands now that look an awful lot like macs. Confused yet? Just call them raincoats and avoid putting your foot in your mouth; after all, that’s what they’re designed to do: keep the better part of your outfit out of the rain.

Shoulder straps? Check. Belt? Check. Wide lapels? Check. Mango’s Water-Repellent Cotton Trench is affordable, approachable and appropriately classic. 

We credited Thomas Burberry with popularizing the trench. Why not give his descending luxury label a little love? They make this Kensington Classic Trench Coat in a rich color called honey. It’s manufactured in England and water-repellent.

Zara does reproductions of nearly every pillar style. The trench coat’s no exception. Theirs is double breasted, belted and perfectly boring.

Because this option is double-breasted it truly protects the upper half (and about half of your lower body) from the elements. Close it for complete protection or wear it open for a casual, more airy appearance. It’s made from water repellent supima cotton and comes with a belt for a tailored fit.

No, Ralph Lauren’s Plaid Wool Trench Coat isn’t waterproof. But it’s luxury — and that more than makes up for its inability to survive a light drizzle. (It will but not as gracefully as these other garments.)

This brooding option from Frame leans into modern streetwear aesthetics, including a stark black color and white contrasting text on the back.

This is another example of the trench coat made modern; this time by APC. It’s cut from cotton-twill and has a simple, traditional shirt collar.

This is the Mac — or Mackinstosh coat — the kind we talked about in the intro. It has the shape and length of a trench coat but it’s much more modern. See: a hood and drawstrings.

This is undoubtedly a modern take on the trench coat, but it does the same job. It falls to the same length, comes in a classic twill tone and is both wind- and waterproof. It stretches, too. 

This isn’t the kind of trench coat you trudge out into a rainstorm in. Instead, it’s far more luxe; I mean look at it. It’s cut from undyed French Noire du Velay virgin wool, viscose-lined, double-breasted and finished with horn buttons. Plus, the lapels button tight around the neck to at least keep you safe from the cold wind.

Philadelphia brand American Trench has perfected the modern trench — hence the name. It’s made from khaki ventile, a vented fabric that’s incredibly water-resistant.

Banana Republic combines the length of a peacoat with the sensibilities of a trench for their water-resistant entry to the latter category. Plus, it’s the classic khaki color.

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