A coat's length decides what everyone sees of the outfit under it. Drag the hem on a plain figure from hip to ankle, switch between trousers, a short dress and a midi skirt, and see where the lines work and where two hems clash.
The hand-width rule explains why two close hems look like a mistake and two a hand apart look planned. Then check what to look for in a coat at any budget.
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A black belted coat in a wool-look cloth. Check the length in the shop listing against your own knee before ordering, as the article suggests.
Wool-look fabric · Belted · Black
A belted coat with real wool in the cloth, listed as three-quarter length. A good example of a knee-ish hem with some body in the fabric. This one is red.
Wool and polyamide · Belted · Three-quarter length
A cream wool-blend coat with a shirt collar. A heavier cloth like this holds a long, straight hem well.
50% wool blend · Shirt collar · Cream
