Lady Gaga's 38th Birthday Outfit Turns a Trench Coat Into a Dress

Lady Gaga wears a leather trench and sunglasses while leaving her birthday dinner

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 28 March 2024

It doesn't matter if it's March or December: When celebrities pick out a birthday outfit, they choose over-the-top opulence that manifests as sequins, fringe, and more sequins. (The better to pop on their Instagram carousel the day after, of course.) But Lady Gaga, a fashion renegade in her own right, flipped the style script for her celebration last night.

The singer and star of Joker: Folie à Deux exited her 38th birthday dinner in Los Angeles wearing a slick take on the birthday outfit. A floor-grazing, Matrix-like leather trench coat with an exaggerated belt served as the centerpiece of her look, courtesy of Retrofête. The dramatic layer first appeared on Retrofête's Fall 2024 runway at New York Fashion Week—so it's not available to shop just yet.

Lady Gaga leaves a restaurant for her birthday wearing a leather trench coat — Lady Gaga left her birthday celebration in a Matrix-inspired leather trench coat and coordinating accessories.

A model wears a leather trench coat that Lady Gaga wore for her birthday — Gaga's coat came directly from Retrofête's Fall 2024 runway at New York Fashion Week. There, it was styled for daytime with a tucked-in blouse and straight-leg jeans.

Gaga's birthday outfit dialed into punk accessories from there, with a stack of silver chain necklaces peeking out from beneath the moto collar of her coat. She also carried a slouchy black leather clutch and concealed her eyes behind square-frame sunglasses. As for footwear, she choose square-toe black boots. (So far, eagle-eyed fans and Gaga's stylist, Nicola Formichetti, have yet to ID where the accessories in her all-leather look came from.)

While swerving around typical party styles like mini hemlines and twinkling embellishments, Lady Gaga stayed true to her daytime style. The proof's in the last outfit she shared with fans: Hanging out in Los Angeles last week, the 13-time Grammy winner posted a short Instagram Reel wearing a moto jacket, floral mini dress, and leather ankle boots.

A post shared by Lady Gaga
A photo posted by ladygaga on

Lady Gaga is hardly the first celebrity to pull a leather trench off the rack when she's looking for statement outerwear. Zoë Kravitz spent her Batman promotional era in a YSL leather trench coat; Dua Lipa turned a low-key travel outfit into a moment of spring style inspiration in a forest green leather trench this week.

In this case, Gaga's sleek birthday trench is a lesson: You can still party without a classic party dress, and in pieces you'll wear more than once. Committing to personal style can be a special occasion in and of itself.

Shop more leather coat and clutch pairings inspired by Lady Gaga's birthday outfit below.

Aritzia New Tabloid Trench Coat

AllSaints Bettina Leather Clutch Bag

Gap Vegan Leather Trench Coat

Cuyana System Zipper Pouch

Helsa Water-Based Faux Leather Trench Coat

Serapian Secret Woven Leather Clutch

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Lady Gaga

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders including stylist Alison Bornstein and J.Crew womenswear creative director Olympia Gayot, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what trends—like the rise of doll-like Mary Janes or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. (She justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”) Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. Halie has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self-Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she was awarded the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.

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