Coats5 minute read

How to style a long coat, from the knee to the calf

A coat is chosen by its hem. Here is how to wear one that ends above the knee, below it or at the calf, and what goes under each.

By MasidasNov 13, 2026

Then put on, as I bid you, a soft coat and a tunic to the feet to shield your body. Hesiod, Works and Days

To style a long coat, start with its hem. Where the coat ends decides what you wear under it.

A coat that ends above the knee goes with trousers and jeans. One that ends below the knee can cover a dress. Here is how to wear each length, with the long coats at Masidas.

A short history of the long coat

The line at the top of this page is about 2,700 years old. Hesiod, a Greek poet, wrote it for his brother around 700 BC. His poem is a farmer’s guide to the year, and it stops to say how to dress when the north wind blows. After the coat he names boots lined with felt, and a felt cap to keep the ears dry.

The modern overcoat keeps his idea. It is a long, thick coat worn over everything else, and it usually ends below the knee. A coat that ends at the knee or above it has its own name: a topcoat.

Two famous coats set the lengths we still wear. The Chesterfield, a dark knee length overcoat, appeared in Britain around the 1840s. It took its name from an earl who led the fashion of his day.

The trench coat came later. Thomas Burberry invented its cloth, gabardine, in 1879, and the coat was made for British Army officers. Soldiers at the front gave it its name. After the war they kept their coats, and women began to wear them too.

700 BC Hesiod tells his brother to put on a soft coat against the north wind.
1823 Rubberized cotton is already in use for coats that keep out rain.
1840s The Chesterfield, a dark knee length overcoat, appears in Britain.
1879 Thomas Burberry invents gabardine, the cloth of the trench coat.

The hem decides the rest.

A woman walking in the longline tailored coat in coffee over a black turtleneck and black trousers, one hand in her pocket — A hem just above the knee.

How to style a long coat that ends above the knee

This is the easiest long coat to wear, because the leg shows below it. Trousers, jeans and a short skirt all work. Our longline tailored coat is cut like a long blazer, with one button at the waist. Its page says that it buttons over trousers for work and hangs open over a dress. It runs small, so take one size up.

For the weekend, wear the coat open over a knit and jeans. The lapel button coat is lined and cut straight, and the double breasted coat fastens neatly over a knit. A turtleneck sweater fills the open neck of either one.

A woman in the longline tailored coat in coffee, worn open over a black turtleneck and black trousers with ankle boots — Above the knee, over trousers.

A woman in the lapel button coat in black, open over a beige turtleneck and light blue jeans, a taupe tote in her hand — Open over a knit and jeans.

A woman in the double breasted coat in khaki over a white top and light blue jeans, a black bag on her shoulder — Double breasted, with jeans.

Back view of the longline tailored coat in coffee, showing the center back seam and a buttoned tab at each cuff — The back: one seam and two cuff tabs.

Close up of the double breasted coat in khaki: notch lapels, two rows of dark buttons and a flap pocket — Two rows of buttons and a flap pocket.

How to style a long coat that ends below the knee

A coat this long can cover a dress, so it is the one for evenings and cold days. Our lapel collar longline overcoat has wide lapels and a hem below the knee. Let it hang open over a fine knit and tailored trousers, as its page suggests.

Over a dress, match the hems. The ribbed V neck sweater dress ends at the lower calf, and its page pairs it with a long coat and boots in winter. Tall riding boots close the gap between hem and shoe. Carry one small bag, such as the pebbled top handle flap bag, so the line of the coat stays clean.

A woman in the lapel collar longline overcoat in apricot, open over a black turtleneck and slim black trousers with loafers — Below the knee, worn open.

Close up of the wide notch lapel and the tab with one large black button on the apricot overcoat — A wide lapel and one tab button.

A woman turned to one side in the apricot longline overcoat, one hand in its welt pocket — The pocket sits below the tab.

A woman in the ribbed V neck sweater dress in black, its hem at the lower calf, with black loafers and a cream top handle bag — The dress for under it: a hem at the lower calf.

The longest coat: a hem at the calf

The longest coat we have is a trench. Our open front trench coat has no buttons at all. It hangs loose, and side slits let it move as you walk. Wear it over a sweater and straight trousers, or over a dress.

A trench began as a raincoat, and it is usually not as warm as an overcoat. Ours is unlined, so treat it as a layer for mild days and add a knit when the cold comes. Wide trousers suit it: the high waist wide leg trousers fall straight and full to the ankle. A soft bag on the shoulder, like the slouchy hobo bag, suits a loose coat.

A woman in the open front trench coat in army green over a beige knit and cream trousers, the sleeves rolled and held by a tab — To the calf, over a knit and trousers.

Close up of the open front trench coat in army green: the wide lapel and the rolled sleeve held by a buttoned tab — The sleeve rolls and buttons in place.

A woman walking in the open front trench coat in army green over a beige knit and cream trousers, a brown bag in her hand — It moves as you walk.

Four lengths, side by side

These are the lengths of our four longest coats in size S, in inches, from each product page. Measure from the top of your shoulder down to see where a hem will reach on you.

Longline tailored coat, size S

Length: 33.9 in
Chest: 33.1 in

Double breasted coat, size S

Length: 37.4 in
Bust: 37.8 in

Lapel collar longline overcoat, size S

Length: 42.9 in
Bust: 37.4 in

Open front trench coat, size S

Length: 48.4 in
Bust: 40.9 in

Our guide on how to measure yourself for clothes shows where to hold the tape. For help choosing a coat by warmth and fit, read how to choose a winter coat. All of these are in coats and jackets, and the dresses are in dresses.

The longline tailored coat in coffee on its own, showing the notch lapels, one button and a flap pocket at each hip — Above the knee.

The lapel collar longline overcoat in apricot on its own, with wide lapels and a tab button on each front — Below the knee.

Questions about long coats

What do you wear under a long coat?

Wear something closer to the body than the coat: a fine knit, a shirt or a dress. Under a coat that ends above the knee, trousers and jeans work best. Under a coat that ends below the knee, a dress of about the same length looks right.

Can you wear a long coat with a dress?

Yes. Keep the two hems close together, or let the coat be the longer one. A short dress under a long coat is fine. A long dress under a shorter coat cuts the leg in two.

How long should a long coat be?

Choose by what you wear most. With trousers and jeans, a hem above the knee is the simplest. With dresses and skirts, choose a hem below the knee. Check the length in the size table of each product page before you order.