The trench coat is the most versatile item a man can have in his colder-season wardrobe. But where did it come from? From battlefields to catwalks, here’s the story behind Britain’s favourite transitional coat.
On the battlefields of World War I, long before the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn wore the iconic garment, the trench coat was supposedly born; its name, of course, derived from the trenches that were the fixtures of that dreadful war. Or so the story goes.
In reality, the origin of the trench coat can be traced to almost a century before World War I, along with another icon of outerwear: the Mackintosh. Created by its namesake, Scottish chemist Charles Mackintosh (with the help of British inventor Thomas Hancock), the “mac” was initially made from rubberised cotton—the first type of truly waterproof fabric ever created. Mackintoshes were designed for dapper gents and their leisure activities, such as riding, fishing, and shooting, but they were also used by British military officers and soldiers throughout the nineteenth century.
John Emary, a Mayfair tailor and founder of Aquascutum, took inspiration from the Mac when he invented the raincoat in 1853. Decades later, Thomas Burberry closely followed suit when he burst onto the scene with the creation of the iconic Burberry trench, crafted from a breathable, twill-woven garbardine. It's not an understatement to say that Burberry's reinnovation of the coat made waves—so much so that, on his expedition to Antarctica in 1907, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew were clad in Burberry garbardine trenches.
Given the weight of the trench's history, its continued importance in modern-day wardrobes is to be expected. But one of the reasons we keep coming back to this versatile coat is due to its sheer adaptability. As one of the most groundbreaking transitional items we own, it has unsurprisingly been reimagined over the years in single- and double-breasted iterations, with and without belts and pockets, and in a range of fabrics and colours. Overall, however, the essence remains the same.
Romanticised throughout the decades by trench coat-clad icons along the likes of Bowie, Twiggy, and Kate Moss, it's become more than just a piece of clothing. It's synonymous with British style as a whole—a reflection of innovation and an enduring statement of heritage. The cooler weather creeping in is just one excuse for pulling it on before you head out the door; it's practical, stylish, and can add a touch of finesse to many an ensemble. What’s not to love?
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