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Trench jackets, invented by Thomas Burberry in 1914, were originally designed for soldiers in the trenches during World War I. They became popular after the war and were worn by Hollywood stars, becoming a fashion staple that remains popular today.
Trench jackets, also known as trench coats, are knee-length coats. A belt or tie holds the coat up at the waist. They are traditionally made of a waterproof material and can function as raincoats.
The coats are available in single and double breasted versions. Some trench jackets have hoods, further adding to their usefulness in wet conditions. When first introduced, most were gray or beige in color, but now they are available in just about any color or pattern imaginable.
Shipowner Thomas Burberry is credited with inventing the coat. In 1879, he developed a durable waterproof fabric that he called gabardine. The material was first used for the tent by Roald Amundsen on his trip to the South Pole in 1911.
Burberry had been the official designer of service uniforms for the British War Office since 1901. When World War I broke out in 1914, Burberry adapted its designs using the gabardine material. Adjustments he made to the design made the coat more useful to soldiers serving in the trenches during the war. It was from this original use that the trenches got their name.
The popularity of military styles with the public after the war made trench coats a popular fashion item. The fact that they were worn by military officers made them a symbol of authority and power. Private investigators and other law-enforcement figures could be seen using them to establish their authority and provide an air of intimidation.
Hollywood picked up on this fashion trend and trench coats became the signature look for film noir stars. Like other fashion trends, the public popularity of the coats expanded as more stars were seen wearing the coats. They were adapted for daily use and some received feminine lines. They could be seen as often on glamor icons like Greta Garbo as they were on Humphrey Bogart.
Throughout the 1900s, the trench coat fit into many fashion genres. From heavy metal artists to couture, the coat’s material and lines decided who could wear it with ease. The coats had a period of dark association in the late 1990s, following the Columbine school shooting in Colorado. Shooters there and, later, in copycat shootings wore black trench coats, barring them from many schools.
Trench jackets remain a fashion staple at the turn of the 21st century and show no signs of decline. Major clothing suppliers carry them and slightly alter the lines as fashion trends demand. Consumers can find them in a wide variety of materials, from wool to cotton and even synthetic leather.
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