Length for a raincoat

I like mid calf because when I sit down it covers the seat. Knee length just doesn't keep me comfortable when the coat is wet.

Definitely below the knee, mid-calf would be good. If possible, something that covers your knees fully while you're sitting down, which also means your upper legs stay dry sitting on a wet bench. Ankle-length seems too long, you stay dry but could get tripped up or not be able to see your feet going around puddles or over curbs.

The good news is that there are lots of coats like this for women, the bad news is that I'm a guy who can't find anything that really works. You seem to have a good one if you can get it shortened a bit.

Mid-calf sounds good for your plans for rainy weather. And if you happen to be wearing a dress sometime in rainy weather on vacation or at home, that length would keep your dress dry.

You might want to pin it up to two of the lengths you’re envisioning and just check in a mirror that you’re happy with how it looks overall with your height & build.

Difficult question to answer without knowing more about what kind of rain you need to deal with, and in what circumstances.

Will you just be dashing quickly from a restaurant to a cab in a light drizzle? Will you be out hiking for hours in stormy conditions? Are you going to the Greek islands, Orkney, or Tallinn? In November or June? Will you be carrying a backpack, or just an umbrella?

The rain coat you want (or need) will be different depending on those questions (and plenty of other things, like your personal preference, style choices, what your activities will be, how long your trip is, and other priorities). There's no "one raincoat solution fits all" for every circumstance.

I have several different rain garments that I bring, depending on what kind of trip it is. What you describe sounds like what I'd call a "trenchcoat" which may be great in some conditions, but could be either too much (for brief, light showers in warm climates) or not enough (for walking around in Ireland during fall or winter months).

I've heard it said that indigenous Alaskan native languages have "a hundred different words to describe snow." Don't know if that's actually true, but it's a handy reminder that "snow" can mean lots of different conditions, calling for different solutions. Same is true for rain.

Always full length to my ankles because I don’t like rain dripping on my lower legs from shorter raincoats. I like full coverage.

Can you shorten your mother’s raincoat?

I live on the wetter side of England, and I have a raincoat. I haven't worn it for at least 30 years, but keep it in case I have to go to an actual interment on a very wet day, but that hasn't happened for a long time. If the rain is very heavy, I stay indoors and dodge around to miss when it is at its worst. An umbrella is OK, provided the wind is not strong. It does all depend on where you are going and what you intend to do there.

Follow-up question: What shoes to wear with the coat. My concern is always with comfortable walking and water resistance. A long raincoat will conceal their fashion faux-pas. Plus equal weather resistance in a hat, which can set its own standard of fashion, adding a warmish scarve bought as a souvenir.

An ankle-length coat would be a terrible trip hazard on stairs.

My trips have mostly fallen between May and September, and I have a fleece jacket or a packable down jacket to wear under the coat if I hit colder-than-average weather in places like Scotland and Scandinavia. I have slacks that sort of shed water unless there's a terrible downpour, and I use long johns that help keep my legs dry on those occasions. As a result, I've nearly always been comfortable with just a waterproof rain jacket. That's all I've used since 2015.

If traveling in colder weather, when getting really wet would make me more miserable, I'd want to take a longer raincoat unless traveling to an unusually dry destination. For truly cold destinations (north of the Alps in winter, for example), I'd need a full-length warm coat, but I will probably never take such a trip.

One thing that really concerns me is having to drag a full-length coat around on hotel-change days when I don't need to wear it. A long coat would probably not fit in my suitcase, and I couldn't just tie it around my waist, as I can a rain jacket. I know from having taken full-length raincoats on trips back in the 1970s that they are a royal pain to carry around; that's why I prefer just a rain jacket for most trips.

You might want to pin it up to two of the lengths you’re envisioning
and just check in a mirror that you’re happy with how it looks overall
with your height & build.
Thank you, good idea.

Difficult question to answer without knowing more about what kind of
rain you need to deal with, and in what circumstances.
Yes, you are correct. And the truth is, I have no idea. I live in a state that seems to be perpetually in a drought, so am not used to rain at all. Future travel plans include Europe, USA, Canada, as a start.

Can you shorten your mother’s raincoat?
Me....nope. I have a great tailor.

An ankle-length coat would be a terrible trip hazard on stairs.
Yes, I hugely underestimated that ! But since we were leaving in less than a week when I discovered the coat, there wasn't time before I left to do anything. It's definitely getting shortened!

One thing that really concerns me is having to drag a full-length coat
around on hotel-change days when I don't need to wear it.
I agree in general, but the great thing about this raincoat is how very small it packs up. I have a relatively small pouch (not gusseted) that it packs into. The bag is called EnV and is sold locally where I live (although they also do mail order). This is the pouch: https://envbags.com/collections/pouch-sets-1 and the raincoat fits into the medium size that is 10" x 6.5". (I have no connection to the sellers, I just think their products are good).

I appreciate the responses (I meant to replay sooner, but came down with Covid and while I wasn't that sick-just like a cold, I was SO tired!). I think I am going to go for mid calf, and determine the exact length once I'm at the tailors.
As I mentioned, the raincoat is probably 50 years old and the only thing I can think is that the quality was much better that long ago? And of course, the sentimental value matters to me as well (my mom and dad were travelers, back in the day).

Will you just be dashing quickly from a restaurant to a cab in a light
drizzle? Will you be out hiking for hours in stormy conditions?

If you plan to be hiking hor hours in a rain storm, rain pants and waterproof boots.

Being prepared for rain: in Ireland other group members fought the rain/ wind with their umbrellas & I stayed dry in boots & raincoat but it’s a lot to bring - in Paris I carried an umbrella I never used – in Rome we got caught in a downpour as our raincoats were up in the room – too much of a bother to carry –

***This trip we were prepared & it worked great:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095NYS5BW?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

husband carried both our fold up / wad up rain jackets in his daily backpack & we had easy access to them when suddenly in Salzburg it started raining – we were dry though they aren’t long