Kirsten Dunst was in attendance at The Hollywood Reporter’s Annual “Power 100: Women In Entertainment Breakfast” at The Beverly Hills Hotel in LA last Wednesday morning.
Kirsten Dunst wore a classic Burberry trench coat as a dress at the Hollywood Reporter’s Annual Power 100: Women In Entertainment Breakfast held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles on December 7, 2011 (Credit: WENN / FayesVision / Dan Jackman)
As the event was all about power, the commanding Burberry navy trench coat Kirsten Dunst chose to wear to the breakfast could not be any more fitting.
Kirsten Dunst added a Chanel quilted clutch and black satin pumps to complete her look (Credit: WENN / FayesVision / Dan Jackman)
It’s simple, sleek, and streamlined, and it lets Kirsten Dunst really wear it instead of the other way around. Kirsten added a few feminine touches with her Chanel purse, Nicholas Kirkwood floral satin pumps, and light makeup with pink tones.
Selena Gomez also wore a trench coat as a dress for an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Selena Gomez wears a trench coat as a dress outside the Ed Sullivan Theater for the Late Show with David Letterman in New York City on April 24, 2013 (Credit: WENN / FayesVision / Dan Jackman)
Like the tuxedo dress, a trench coat dress is one of those styles we’ve always wanted to try. It has an air of mystery to it and gives off a sexy siren vibe without having to expose a lot of skin.
But there are caveats to wearing a coat as a dress, and one of the top ones is how to wear one without looking like you’re about to flash someone.
Taking our cue from Kirsten Dunst above, here are tips on how to wear a trench coat as a dress the decent and proper way:
1. Pick a Knee-Length Trench Coat
Perhaps the most obvious way to be able to immediately pass off a trench coat as a dress is to choose one knee-length.
The KNEE length is key here: it provides just the right amount of coverage while still looking like a proper dress (anything too short or too long won’t work!).
Choose a double-breasted style or one with buttons down to the hem to ensure you’re fully covered. Of course, you can still wear something underneath, but make sure nothing has a longer hem than your trench dress so it remains as your ensemble’s focal point:
To turn a trench coat into a dress, it is essential to choose a knee-length coat that offers the appropriate amount of coverage while still resembling a proper dress
2. Choose a Trench Coat with a Skirt as its Bottom
If you’re worried about a trench coat looking too much like outerwear if you wear it as a dress, choose a trench coat with a skirt for a bottom.
That’ll give you the dress silhouette we’re aiming for here. Plenty of trench coats come in this style now — check out the pleated skirt, the ruffled skirt, and the flared A-line skirt trench coats below.
These trench coats also almost always come in knee-length, so you’ll be hitting two birds with one stone with these:
If a trench coat looks too much like outerwear when worn as a dress, it’s best to choose a coat with a skirt for the bottom half to achieve a dress silhouette
3. Shop for an Actual Dress Designed as a Trench Coat
You can shop for and wear a trench dress if all else fails. There are many trench coat-inspired dresses, but if you want the trench dress look, check out our pick from Rachel Roy below.
It still looks like a trench coat but works like a dress. But you could most likely wear it as a coat, too — any article of clothing we can get more than one use out of is a deal to us!
This Rachel Roy coat looks like a trench coat but functions like a dress, making it versatile enough to wear as either