Explore 35 Alternatives to Burberry for Affordable Trench Coats and Macs for 2023

Burberry trench coats are gorgeous but also terribly expensive. For a more affordable trench or mac, try these stylish alternatives to Burberry for women and men on for size.

The Short Answer: The Best Affordable Alternatives to Burberry

Here are my favorite alternatives to Burberry from among all of the brands and destinations in this article:

The best selection of extremely affordable trench coats: Asos

British fast-fashion retailer Asos wins for its sheer variety of by turns stylish, funky, and oversized trench coats for women and men. For under $100, you can find everything from a head-turning plaid raincoat to a traditional double-breasted trench, making it an amazing affordable alternative to Burberry.

The best affordable luxury option for trench coats: Mackintosh

Mackintosh turns out to be an amazing affordable-luxury option for trench coats and rain jackets for both men and women.

Look to Mackintosh for a huge variety of macs and waterproof jackets for men and women, from a plain three-quarters length mac for men to a wide-lapel, belted RAINTEC trench coat for women.

The best one-stop-shop for affordable trench coat alternatives to Burberry: Nordstrom

Nordstrom is one of my absolute favorite retailers on the planet, and carries a wide variety of trench coats for women and men.

For women, Nordstrom carries trenches from brands including Asos Design, Cole Haan, London Fog, Avec Les Files, Ralph Lauren, Sam Edelman, Topshop, Steve Madden and Via Spiga. For men, Nordstrom offers macs and trench coats from brands including Asos Design, Hart Schaffner Marks, Brady, Cult of Individuality, Mackintosh, Frame, Ted Baker London, and Schott NYC.

Prices run from about $100 to $500 or more for designer labels.

The best no-compromise alternative to Burberry: Vintage or On-Sale Burberry

As posts on Reddit about affordable alternatives to Burberry trenches emphasize, used or vintage Burberry is an excellent option.

Check out leading online secondhand and vintage clothing sites like eBay, Etsy, ThreadUP, Tradesy, 1stdibs, Grailed, Curtsey, Poshmark, Mercari and Depop for Burberry trench coats listed as low as $100 or less (though do your due diligence to make sure you are reasonably confident you are getting the real thing).

Occasionally, it is also possible to find new Burberry trench coats on sale via luxury online clothing retailers and discounters Yoox, Gilt, Bluefly, RueLaLa, Farfetch and Nordstrom.

In Search of Affordable Alternatives to Burberry

I love the look of a belted raincoat. A good trench coat or mac can be worn for work and on the weekend and is a perfect transition piece for autumn and spring.

I particularly like the look of the raincoats and trechcoats on offer at iconic British retailer Burberry.  Unfortunately, I’m not about to plunk down the $1,990 or more that Burberry trench coats cost at retail.

It has been hard for me, based in the United States, to find options beyond spectacular-yet-pricey Burberry rain jackets. (When I have a chance to explore menswear shops in London, trench coats and macs are a lot easier to find.)

So I’ve been on a search for affordable alternatives to Burberry for a while now.

Over the past several years of research, I compiled the list below of trench coat options from among dozens of interesting fashion brands for men and innovative clothing brands for women that I’ve followed.

But, before I get to the list, the first question I wrestled with was, what kind of raincoat should I get? A trench or a mac?

Raincoat vs. Trench Coat vs. Mac

Formal rain coats tend to fall into two different options: a belted trench coat with all of the military-inspired trimmings or a simple Mackintosh rain coat.

A mac coat generically refers to a plain, button-down raincoat, while a trench coat features military-inspired details including a thick waist belt, shoulder and wrist straps, and large lapels.

Let’s briefly explore the differences between a mac and a trench coat before diving into suggestions for some alternatives to Burberry from innovative fashion brands.

What is a Mac or Mackintosh raincoat?

Much like “xeroxing” has come to generally refer to copying or “kleenex” is used interchangeably with tissues, the term “mac” is now used by many different companies to refer to a simple, button-down raincoat.

The original Mac jacket was named after Scottish innovator Charles Macintosh, who developed a way to rubberize cotton in the early 19th Century.

Over more than 200 years, the Mackintosh (a K was added to the name along the way) raincoat became so ubiquitous that its name became generic.

Most rain jackets described as macs are single-breasted and feature a series of buttons.

Some macs have a hidden placket that conceals the buttons underneath (though I personally prefer the buttons to be visible).

What is a Trench Coat?

A trench coat is a raincoat stylized with military-inspired details, often including belt straps and a thick waist belt, covered pockets, epaulets and d-rings at the shoulders, thick, wide lapels and large, detailed buttons. Trench coats can be either single-breasted or double-breasted.

A Short History of the Trench Coat

In the 19th Century, British innovators Aquascutum and Burberry developed their own waterproof fabrics and raincoats.

Both also developed strong relationships with the British military and individually with its officers. As the nature of war changed, the British military required a lighter, waterproof coat to wear in the field.

Aquascutum and Burberry listened. 

The two companies developed the first trench coats for the military, which we used in the Boer War and World War I.

Both companies lay claim to inventing the first trench, though Burberry has the advantage of being able to point to a 1912 patent for a Tielocken, which features similar details to the modern trench coat including a belted waist and wide lapels. 

(If you want to explore the military origins further, the Smithsonian Magazine takes a really fascinating deep-dive into the history of the trench coat.)

So, to recap:

What is the difference between a trench coat and a Mac?

Mac raincoats tend to be simple, single-breasted jackets and lack the military-inspired adornments such as a belt, epaulets or wrist straps that are more characteristic of trench coats.

Best Affordable Trench Coats for Men and Women

A number of iconic and innovative fashion brands offer Burberry dupes for macs and trenches for both men and women:

Mackintosh

Mackintosh, the iconic and longstanding UK-based competitor to Brooks Brothers, is one of the best affordable-luxury options for trench coats and rain jackets for men and women.

Given the company’s reputation for creating plain, unadorned coats, I was surprised at the sheer variety of macs and waterproof jackets available from the original Mackintosh company.

Look to Mackintosh for items including a belted cotton trench coat, field parka, hooded coat, field jacket, waxed cotton hooded jacket, oxford bonded cotton three-quarters rain coat, and a RAINTEC Mac.

Asos

Asos was founded in 1999 by two Brits, Nick Robertson and Quentin Griffiths. The acronym ASOS stands for “As Seen On Screen,” reflecting the founders’ desire to emulate looks for men and women seen on celebrities and in cinema.

As you might expect for a British brand, Asos delivers a series of super-affordable trench coats for men and attractive trench coats for women, many of which are under $100, including double-breasted, single breasted, and belted options. (Don’t expect the same materials or finishes as Burberry at this price point.)

KASSL Editions

Founded in 2018 by a bunch of self-described “fashion literate friends” in Europe, KASSL Editions makes a tight range of traditional trench coats and other raincoats for men and women for under $1,000, making them a great alternative to Burberry.

Brooks Brothers

Iconic, preppy Brooks Brothers has had its ups and downs recently, but remains a solid and reasonable alternative to Burberry for trench coats for both men and women.

At last glance, Brooks Brothers carried several single- and double-breasted trench coats and raincoats for men, as well as a quilted taffeta trench coat for women.

Brooks Brothers’ trenches tend to range from around $500-$700, though you may be able to snag them for less on sale.

London Fog

With a history that dates back to 1923, Israel Myers originally founded London Fog as Londontown.

Today, this longstanding clothing retailer makes a wide variety of short and long trench coats for women along with a sadly much more limited selection of trenches and raincoats for men.

Also find London Fog at major retailers including Macy’s, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Amazon.com and Zappos.

Boden

British brand Boden launched in 1991 with line of men’s clothing, but today is predominantly oriented towards women. 

Boden sometimes offers a Mac coat for men and several trench coat options for women, though their inventory changes frequently.

H&M

Swedish fast-fashion behemoth H&M offers a small selection of under $100 trenches for women and “water-repellant car coats” for men that look suspiciously like macs.

Gentle Herd

Fast-growing Direct-to-Consumer fashion brand GentleHerd began life selling cashmere clothes made with sustainably-sourced wool from Inner Mongolia.

The company has grown to offer a full lineup of clothing for men and women, including outerwear. During my last review of Gentle Herd’s website, I found more than dozen stylish trench coats for women and one fashion-forward trench for men.

Cos

COS, a fashion concept launched in 2007 under H&M by its Swedish CEO Karl-Johan Erling Göran Persson, focuses on minimalist fashion basics and is a step up in price from H&M’s fast fashion pieces.

Cos tends to carry a handful of trench coats for men like a linen bonded mac and lightweight cotton trench, and minimalist trench options for women like a belted duster coat and a long organic cotton mac.

COS’s trench coats cost around $250 and up for both men and women.

Peregrine

UK-based Peregrine makes an attractive bonded mac for men as well as plenty of trench-like raincoats and parkas for women.

Herno

Italian affordable-luxury fashion brand Herno, which focuses on “functionality over aesthetics,” makes an appealingly utilitarian lineup of trench coats for women and men from about $700. Shop Herno trenches for women and men at Farfetch, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales and Italist.

Alex Mill

Founded by the son of former J Crew CEO Mickey Drexler, Alex Mill can be a great alternative to Burberry for trench coats for men and women, though their selection of trench coats  ebbs and flows. 

They used to offer a balmacaan jacket for women, which looked an awful lot like a trench, as well as a Greene Street trench for women and a cotton tech trench coat for men.

Those options are long-gone, but the company offers, as of this writing, a Gene trench coat for women.

Uniqlo

Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo can be a solid alternative to Burberry for very affordable trench coats though their inventory and priorities come and go. 

Uniqlo used to offer a flashy, wide-lapel, double-breasted trench for men and a similar option for women, but both are no longer in stock.

Browse Uniqlo’s current options for trench coats for men and women online.

Lands End

Longtime Dodgeville, Wisconsin-based catalog retailer Lands End tends to have a surprisingly robust selection of belted trench coats for women, including long coats and cropped trenches. 

While, at the time of this writing, Lands End does not stock a traditional trench for men, they have a number of rain jackets and car coats for the guys.

Aquascutum 

Aquascutum is, or perhaps was, an iconic British brand founded back in 1851 on Regent Street in London.

Their womenswear line began in 1900 and was adopted by British suffragettes.

Up until recently, and despite a number of ownership changes and some financial troubles, Aquascutum remained one of the best affordable alternatives to Burberry for military-inspired trench coats for both men and women. The company offered a wide range of styles including double breasted coats, belted trenches, hidden placket models and more.

Sadly, Aquascutum went into administration (again) in September 2020, and liquidators were appointed in April 2021. 

It’s a shame, because Aquascutum was my preferred alternative to Burberry for trenches. In fact, I bought two of them over the years on separate trips to London. While they weren’t exactly cheap, they were both under $500, making them a much more affordable option than Burberry’s trenches.

In September 2020, Trinity Limited entered into a licensing arrangement with Aquascutum, whose products now appear to be available only in China.

SHEIN

If cheap is what you’re looking for, Chinese e-commerce darling SHEIN and its many fast-fashion alternatives offer ridiculously-inexpensive belted trench coats for women and men.

Best Retailers to Discover Trench Coats

1. Ssense is one of the best options for discounted designer fashion, including trench coats. For women, Ssense carries a number of alternatives to Burberry from designers such as Mackage, Lemaire, Moncler, Aeron, Kassl Editions, Harris Wharf London, Low Classic, Nanushka. For men, I’ve encountered designer trench coats from brands like Acne Studios, Lemaire, Maison Margiela, Dries Van Noten, Jil Sander and more. Look to Ssense for fabulous markdowns that can (selectively) reduce the price of designer trench coats by 50% or more.
2. Nordstrom is the best department store to find a wide range of trench coats for women and men, offering up brands like Cole Haan and London Fog alongside pricier designer names.
3. Mr. Porter is another excellent option for discovering elevated and luxury trench coats. Look to Mr. Porter for trench coats from labels like Club Monaco, NN07, A.P.C., Eleven Eleven, YMC, Aspesi, Officine GEnerale, Studio Nicholson, Incotex, Mackintosh, Connolly, and Fear of God. While some of Mr. Porter’s trench coat options are much more affordable alternatives to Burberry, others, like a belted alpaca and linen-blend belted trench coat from The Row, cost upwards of $4,000.

Where to Buy Custom Trench Coats for Men and Women

Another option is to go bespoke. Several online custom tailors offer made-to-measure trench coats, though there are more options for men than for women.

1. Sumissura – In 2013, Entrepreneur Andreu Fernández launched Sumissura, a custom tailoring line for women.  Visit Sumissura to get a custom-fit trench coat for women from just $219.
2. Indochino – Custom bricks-and-clicks tailor Indochino offers a customizable trench coat for men for under $300. I have enjoyed my experiences with Indochino and appreciate that you can visit one of their showrooms to get measured for suits, shirts and outerwear.
3. Hockerty – Entrepreneur Andreu Fernández also founded menswear brand Hockerty in 2008 (originally known as Tailor4Less). Try Hockerty for a custom-tailored trench coat for men from just $269, where you can customize the length, colors, buttons, single vs. double breasted look and fit.
4. Knot Standard is another option for custom tailored trench coats for men. I had chance to visit Knot Standard’s DC showroom and get fitted for a sports jacket and trousers a while back and liked their personal touch.

Even More Alternatives to Burberry Trench Coats for Women

Look to the following brands for trenches for women (but not for men):

1. Karen Millen designs a wide variety of stunning trench coats for women. The British label focuses on designing “a collection of versatile offerings that can be slipped into your existing wardrobe with ease. Think elevated basics, elegant occasionwear and tailoring that fits like a glove.”
2. Everlane – Ethical apparel startup Everlane is another one of my favorite brands for men and women.  Everlane tends to be an excellent option for really affordable women’s trench coats. Over the years Everlane has carried a series of under-$200 raincoats for women like a now-retired double-breasted, belted Drape Trench Coat and a simple Mac jacket, making it an extremely affordable alternative to Burberry. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen similar trenches or macs for men at Everlane.
3. Bardot sports a fantastic wide-lapel classic belted trench coat for women for under $200.
4. Aeron, a Budapest-based clothing brand founded by Eszter Áron, designs trenches for women that feature modern takes on classic styles. Look for Aeron’s trenches on sale at Ssense.
5. Something Navy – Blogger-turned-entrepreneur-turned-style icon Arielle Charnas first launched her blog and then her own fashion line in collaboration with Nordstrom.  Her collection, available via Nordstrom, includes a number of unique and attractive trench coats, including this gorgeous elongated lavender trench.

Even More Mac and Trench Coat Options for Men

Several additional brands offer even more choices for affordable alternatives to Burberry for trench coats and macs for men:

1. Charles Tyrwhitt – They call them raincoats, but Charles Tyrwhitt offers a small and affordable selection of macs and trench coats for men.
2. Todd Snyder – New York fashion entrepreneur Todd Snyder is one of my favorite elevated alternatives to J. Crew for men. Through its flagship store on Madison Ave in New York City and online, Snyder sells a range of envy-inducing tuxedos and suits, casual button downs, denim, accessories and more.  Todd Snyder sells a gorgeous made in New York reversible trench, which doesn’t come cheap, and a more reasonably-priced khaki trench.
3. Bonobos is one of my favorite innovative menswear brands for their stylish fit, colorful approach to a man’s wardrobe and the service and integration they provide between their online platform and series of guide shops.  They don’t offer a wide range of trench coats, but have in the past featured coats like a hidden placket, single-breasted trench for men. Check out Bonobos’ selection of coats for men to see if they have a trench on offer at the moment.
4. Percival – British menswear brand Percival prides itself on “subverting the classics.” At $299, Percival’s Waterproof Sherlock mac coat is an excellent affordable alternative to Burberry.
5. Cardinal Canada 1938 is a Montreal-based menswear brand that is part of Cashmere Outfitters. The Canadian brand offers minimalist grey macs, a hooded raincoat and several stylish belted trench coats for men for around $400-$700.
6. Harvie and Hudson – Founded by Thomas Harvie and George Hudson in 1949, Harvie and Hudson has added flair to London’s Jermyn Street for decades with their signature, colorful H&H stripe. Harvie and Hudson offers a simple and extremely affordable single-breasted luxury waterproof mac in beige and navy.
7. American Trench – Jacob Hurwitz and David Neill founded American Trench back in 2013 in Philadelphia to offer a made-in-America trench coat. The entrepreneurs offer a classic and remarkably affordable American-made trench coat in navy and khaki.
8. Suit Supply – Netherlands-founded menswear startup Suit Supply pushes the envelope with impeccably-tailored, slightly-flashy men’s suiting and casual wear. They offer a range of bold cotton trench coats for men that will make a statement.
9. Jos A. Bank carries a basic double-breasted trench coat plus a small selection of other raincoats for men.
10. Private White VC is “the last remaining clothing factory from the world’s first industrial city,” Manchester in the United Kingdom. The company makes “Made in Britain” macs and trenches starting at under $700 as of this writing. I particularly like the timeless Ventile Mac 3.0, the company’s signature single-breasted cotton raincoat, which is the “cornerstone” of their operations.

Photo courtesy of Private White VC

How much do Burberry trench coats cost?

According to Burberry’s U.S. website, $1,990 for a cotton gabardine trench coat to $2,990 for a cashmere trench coat.

How much should a good trench coat cost?

Trench coats, mackintoshs and rain jackets can cost as little as $50 from a crazy-cheap fast-fashion brand like Asos or SHEIN to between $500-$1,000 for upscale or sustainable clothing brands.

You should expect to get what you pay for, which is to say that it is more likely that a coat from a fashion label known for quality like Mackintosh, Brooks Brothers or Boden will last longer than fast-fashion options, though exceptions (like Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo, which has a reputation for quality, affordable basics) exist.