Kaia Gerber Signals the Return of Trench Coat Season—At Least for L.A. Cool Girls

This exact look deserves a trip to Paris.

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Kaia Gerber was spotted in a khaki trench coat, navy trousers, Repetto ballet flats, and a brown Paloma Wool tote bag
(Image credit: Backgrid)

Trench coats are the L.A. cool-girl equivalent of New Yorkers' wool wraps: They're durable, versatile, and effortlessly chic. A trench-clad Kaia Gerber used her February 5 dinner on Sunset Boulevard to demonstrate the synergy between each style.

After a surprise appearance at Chateau Marmont's post-Grammys party, Gerber returned to the famous hotel in elevated basics, not last weekend's Givenchy LBD. A classic khaki trench took its place. It featured cascading buttons, epaulettes atop each shoulder, and fitted, buckle sleeves. Gerber only fastened the top button, calling attention to her collar (or lack thereof). Not a single lapel appeared on the coat.

A cropped black long-sleeve peeked out from beneath her coat, which seemed simple until the henley-looking neckline revealed itself. She coupled it with straight-leg navy trousers in her signature, low-rise silhouette. (You know how Gerber feels about high-waisted bottoms: "I don't know how people sit in them," she told Harper's Bazaar.)

Kaia Gerber was spotted in a khaki trench coat, navy trousers, Repetto ballet flats, and a Paloma Wool tote bag

Kaia Gerber signaled the return of trench coat season—if you're on the West Coast.

(Image credit: Backgrid)

If she offered a crash course in Gerber-core styling, last night's accessories would be prerequisites: a lived-in tote and ballet flats. This time, Paloma Wool's $440 Philana bag fit the bill. Its oversize silver grommets sealed the deal. The metallic embellishment was beloved by Mariah Carey and Britney Spears in the early-2000s; one of Gerber's favorite decades to channel.

Since adding it to her closet in Oct. 2024, Gerber's gotten her money's worth (and then some) on the Philana, carrying it to the gym, the grocery store, and beyond. Last night marked its Chateau Marmont debut.

To finish, Gerber styled perhaps her preferred shoes to pair with the Paloma Wool bag: block-heel ballet flats from Repetto, a French brand with roots in ballet footwear. She rotates between two best-sellers—the $425 Cendrillons and $470 Camilles—but this time, the latter, slightly taller ballet flats gave her trench a flirty Parisian feel.

If you thought this street style set looked Parisian, see how she dressed up a similar trench last October. On a similar evening in L.A., the local traded her henley top and trousers for a thigh-grazing LBD. Instead of the Paloma Wool tote, Gerber went the rare Chanel route with a bright blue top-flap bag. Her Repetto ballet flats, on the other hand, made the cut.

But why revive her trench now, you ask? Spring 2026 runway shows—which Gerber undeniably kept tabs on—hosted a trench coat convention. Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Maison Margiela, Elie Saab, Bottega Veneta, Ferragamo, and more debuted different versions of the timeless khaki wrap. Even so, no two trenches are created equally.

Ahead, shop Marie Claire's edit of Gerber-coded coats that look fresh off a catwalk.

Shop Trench Coats Inspired by Kaia Gerber

Meguire Hennes
Meguire Hennes
Staff Writer, Fashion

Meguire Hennes is the fashion staff writer at Marie Claire, where she breaks down the celebrity looks living rent-free in her head (and yours). Whether a star is walking the red carpet or posing on Instagram, Meguire will tell you who they're wearing and why. When she's not gushing about A-listers from J.Law to Rihanna, Meguire also covers breaking industry news.

Previously, Meguire was the fashion news writer at The Zoe Report. She received a bachelor's degree in fashion studies at Montclair State University, and has freelanced at Bustle, Women's Health, Well+Good, and more. You can find her words across the fashion, beauty, health, and wellness verticals, because her Libra moon wouldn't let her settle on one beat. Follow her on Instagram for BTS moments from her Marie Claire era.