There are not many fashion staples that Instagram’s most powerful influencers can claim to share with David Bowie, Meryl Streep and Marilyn Monroe – except, that is, for the trench coat. The archetypal heritage wardrobe hero is currently leading autumn/winter’s pared-back mood with a resolutely practical edge.

From London Fashion Week to Milan Fashion week, with Riccardo Tisci’s blockbuster Burberry show ending AW20 on a high. February and March has given us a surprise of wearing coats.

While innovative and exciting collections from Roksanda, Molly Goddard, Shrimps and JW Anderson gave us plenty of sartorial inspiration for the year ahead, we’d be remiss to overlook the wardrobe wonders we spotted out on the streets this season.

While several micro trends flourished (think turbo boots, greens of every shade and colour-blocking brights), thanks to the turbulent Storm Dennis, it was the outerwear offering that truly stole the show. Thankfully, editors and influencers departed from the beige brigade this time around, and instead a slew of far more thrilling coats were present.

From the trench’s cooler cousin to the not-so-country quilted jacket, via rock 'n' roll snakeskin and faux fur trims Penny Lane would be proud of, here are the five coats we saw on repeat at London Fashion Week AW20. We almost don’t want winter to end...

In search of the perfect winter pick me up? Look no further than the season’s most exciting trench coats, that will have you wishing for spring’s long-awaited arrival more than ever. After months of puffers, faux furs, and wool wraps, a lightweight rain-ready jacket is just the ticket for getting into the spring mood.

The majority of the spring 2020 collections included a riff on the classic trench coat—quite possibly because these double-breasted silhouettes are both timeless and practical for an unpredictable transitional weather season. But the trenches that debuted on the runways last September weren’t your standard beige toppers; instead, they were completely reimagined, with artful details like leather or check paneling, pleated and ruffled bodices, or even reconstructed with detachable skirts, side button details, open slit sleeves, and double lapels.

Here’s how to wear the trench coat this season.  

The trench coat has always been synonymous with the phrase “wardrobe classic”, thanks to its ageless, seasonless and genderless track record (which dates back to Scotland in the 1820s, and encompasses WWI, Hollywood and Burberry). Today, it’s also symbolic of fashion’s burgeoning eco-awareness, in that a good trench coat should last for life. Which is why we hope we’re going to see just as many trench coats at fashion month autumn/winter ‘19/’20 as we have on the front rows over the past two seasons.

OK, who’s wearing the trench coat?

In the course of an average day at Paris Fashion Week spring/summer ‘19/’20, you were likely to spot everyone from super stylist Suzanne Koller, to models Pia Ekman and Leka Dereviankina, to influencer Chloé Harrouche wearing an oversized trench while sprinting between shows. The labels to note? A tweak on the traditional silhouette comes into play with Burberry’s Chelsea coat, which uses the same gabardine fabric that Thomas Burberry patented back in 1879; while JW Anderson’s reversioned classic comes complete with plaid cuffs and lapels. Khaite and Tibi score points for the tonal colour palette, while Versace, Paco Rabanne and Balenciaga do minimalist lines and futuristic, glossy patent.

How do they style the trench? 

Koller wears hers belted, paired with fine gold jewellery, tonal slacks and Nike Air Force 1s. Attico co-founder Gilda Ambrosio lifts the mood with a fluffy boa; while French influencer Camille Charrière wears hers with white jeans, an enormous Bottega Veneta handbag and mock croc boots. And let’s not forget Reese Blutstein, who winter-proofs a delicate white dress with knee-high combat boots and a slouchy trench.