It’s Official: The Cropped Trench Will Be Autumn’s Biggest Jacket Trend

As we shuffle our way out of summer (far too slowly for my liking), there's one corner of our wardrobes that our eyes keep turning to — the transeasonal pieces that will see us through the unpredictable autumn weather.

In Australia, pieces that are typically considered to be transeasonal are more important than in many other countries. Depending on where in the country we reside, our coldest seasons are probably a bit shorter and milder than for our northern hemisphere counterparts (where a deeply cold winter can last for more than four months!). That means lighter-weight jackets and light layers, in general, are crucial for comfort.

That's probably one of the reasons why trench coats get so much mileage in our wardrobes. Generally waterproof, lightweight, and easy to layer t-shirts or thick knits underneath (depending on the temperature that day), trench coats are uniquely suited to weathering anything Mother Nature throws at us.

The classic trench has a long history of being an overachiever in people's wardrobes and dates back to the early 1800s when Scottish chemist and inventor Charles Macintosh and British inventor Thomas Hancock created a rubberised cotton fabric that repelled water. Of course, the trench was popularised a few decades later, thanks to Thomas Burberry (yes, that Burberry) and John Amary (of Aquascutum).

In the 200-odd years since, the trench has seen many reinventions, but has remained a utilitarian jacket that serves a very particular function. Namely, keeping us cosy and comfy in all weather conditions and ensuring we look polished and put-together while doing so.

In autumn 2024, the trench coat has been reinvented yet again. The time, as a cropped jacket (a shock, since we started to think denim trench coats would be the trench of the season).

The rise of the cropped trench is hardly a surprise, with the autumn/winter 2024 runways flooded with cropped jacket styles. But it was the spring/summer 2024 runways back in 2023, with Loewe and Altuzarra showing waist-length trench jackets in June and September respectively.

The bubble-hem trench jacket from Loewe is now in stores, as is Acne Studios' more classic-looking trench style with an exaggerated collar and belted cuffs and hem, and of course, Burberry's boxier and cropped version of its iconic trench.

There are also plenty of options on the high street if you don't have a designer budget, with our favourite being the olive green jacket from Aussie label, Oroton, which also has belted cuffs so you can push up the sleeves on milder days. Ahead, we've rounded up our favourite options for all budgets, in case you feel the pull to invest in this season's most on-trend jacket.