Trench coat

The trench coat is a waterproof, heavy-duty coat. It was first created for British Army officers just before World War I and became widely worn in the trenches, which is how it got its name. Early versions were made from gabardine, a worsted wool fabric treated with lanolin before weaving to make it waterproof. The traditional color was khaki. Classic trench coats are double-breasted with ten front buttons, wide lapels, a storm flap, and button-closing pockets. They have a self-belt at the waist, raglan sleeves ending in buckle-strapped cuffs (designed to stop rainwater from running down the arm while using binoculars), and button-closing epaulettes that originally served a military purpose.

The trench coat was meant as a windbreaker or rain jacket, not as primary winter protection. Some versions include a removable wool liner for extra warmth, but they are generally less warm than an overcoat. World War I advertisements show that trench coats were sized to be worn over the British Warm—a shorter wool coat—so they were cut generously. In recent years, manufacturers have reduced the sizing to match overcoat standards, since wearing two coats together is now uncommon. The trench coat became a fashion staple after being popularized by film stars like Humphrey Bogart and Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther movies, and it is now available in many colors.

**History**

**First World War** The trench coat was created as an alternative to the heavy serge greatcoats worn by British and French soldiers in World War I. Two British luxury brands, Burberry and Aquascutum, each claim to have invented it; Aquascutum’s claim goes back to the 1850s. Thomas Burberry invented gabardine in 1879 and submitted a design for an officer’s raincoat to the War Office in 1901. In the British Army, the trench coat was optional and could be bought privately by officers and Warrant Officers Class I, who were not required to own one. Other ranks were not allowed to wear it. Another optional item was the British Warm, a shorter wool coat similar to the greatcoat, also worn by officers and Warrant Officers Class I.

During World War I, the design was updated with epaulettes and D-rings. The shoulder straps held rank insignia; the D-ring was originally for attaching map cases, swords, or other equipment to the belt, though a popular myth claims it was for hand grenades. Soldiers on the front line called this design the "trench coat." Many had large map pockets and cleverly placed flaps and vents to address the odor problems of earlier rubber coats. A range of waterproof coats was sold during the war, combining War Office requirements with traditional leisurewear features. The trench coat merged elements of a military waterproof cape and the regulation greatcoat for British officers. Many veterans kept their coats after returning home, and they became fashionable for both men and women.

**Second World War** In World War II, British officers continued to wear the trench coat on the battlefield in bad weather. Other countries—including the United States, the Soviet Union, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, and Poland—also developed trench coat–style jackets, often seen in war zone photos from 1939–40, even on attacking troops. As the war went on, shorter field jackets like the British Denison smock (worn by commandos, paratroopers, and snipers) and the US Army’s M1941/M1943 field jackets became more popular because they allowed greater mobility.

**Later** Trench coats have stayed fashionable since World War II. Their origin as part of an army officer’s uniform gave them a businesslike respectability, though many people now tie the belt instead of buckling it for a more casual look. Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine in *Casablanca* and Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau wore trench coats in public view. In cold weather, the coat is often paired with a fedora or ushanka. Black oilcloth dusters worn in heavy metal and Goth fashion are sometimes mistakenly called trench coats. Early media reports of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting linked the perpetrators to the school’s "Trenchcoat Mafia," a clique said to wear conspicuous black Australian oilcloth dusters. In a copycat shooting at W. R. Myers High School days later, the shooter was rumored to have worn a trench coat. After these incidents, many US public schools banned students from wearing trench coats, both because of their cultural associations and because they could hide weapons.