Trench Coat A Wonderful Creation Beyond History And Imagination. Are you in awe about the ravishing trench coat? While donning this classy attire, has it ever occurred to you wheref rom the long, trendy trench coat got its name? The history of the trench coat goes back more than a century and has evolved since then, through various transformations in style, to become a symbol of sophistication and class, while endowing its wearer with both fashion and purpose. 

The trench coat, as we know it today, is a rainwear or a raincoat, worn by both men and women as an iconic fad apparel which has won much furor and enthusiasm since time immemorial. Glimpse through to know about the enchanting history of this epitome of elegance.

The Origin

The very name of trench coat suggests its close association with trenches and valiant soldiers at war. And if you delve deep into the history of this garb, you will find its roots in none other than the blood-spattered, gory First World War. Two great names were attached to this august creation- the eminent Burberry and the famous Aquascutum. Though Aquascutum was the first to begin with the trend of a shower proof coat, Burberry has won acclamations for winning the real credit behind the invention of the trench coat.

Thomas Burberry and His Magnificent Trench Coat

What made Thomas Burberry’s creation stand out amidst all other fabric manufacturers of the time was his diligent innovative technique of weaving a water proof fabric based on the agricultural perspective. It is indeed astonishing and amazing to know how Burberry closely observed farmers at work and carried on his experimentation, undaunted, till he introduced his unsurpassable creation- that of the gabardine twill fabric without the slightest use of rubber.

Soon his exalted creation became known far and wide and was extolled even by the royalties, who donned this outstanding embellishment both for its functionality as well as to put up a stylish demeanor and imbued it with a royal insignia. In the year 1901, Burberry went forth to tailor an official coat for the army officers at the United Kingdom War Office. Since then the coat went on to become the symbol of gallantry and reverence, adorning many a Warrant Officer’s broad, elevated shoulders.

At the time of the First World War, Burberry customized his magnum opus to cater to the needs of the war. This modified version comprised shoulder straps for attaching epaulettes and D-rings, which, as the story goes, were meant for fastening hand grenades. Thus came the well-known “trench coat”, which often took the place of a fashionable coat in the later lives of retired veterans of war.

The Trench Coat as a Bulwark against the Brutal Weather During the Second World War

By the time the Second World War took place, the trench coat was used for the purpose of safeguarding the soldiers from the tempestuous weather conditions.

Trench Coat A Wonderful Creation Beyond History And Imagination

Gradually, the attire became popular amongst other parts of Europe, namely, Germany, France, Poland, Netherlands and the likes. The coat, by then had taken the form of a ten-buttoned knee-length coat coming in mainly three colors such as brown, black or beige.

The Two High School Massacres

Post Second World War period, at one point of time, in the year 1999, to be precise, trench coats became infamous as being worn by the assassins of the Columbine High School and thus the whole group of outlaws came to be known as the “Trenchcoat Mafia”. In a similar kind of incident the shooter at the W.R. Myers High School too had been under the guise of a trench coat. Following these two heinous crime instances, many school students were forbidden to wear trench coats on the ground that these long coats possessed enough pockets and places to hide lethal weapons.

The Trench Coat as it is Famous Today

Today the trench coat has become a style statement, with its original design remaining almost the same, while a few modish foppery have been lent to the apparel. The fabric used is either wool gabardine or poplin and at times made of leather or cotton drill. The insulated liner inside can be taken out and used during whichever months or weather you wish to don it on. These double-breasted coats are now mostly used for business as well as casual purposes with chic belts and shoulder straps to enhance the style.

Trench Coat and Over Coat

Flustered as to whether the trench coat is the same as the over coat? You can very well perceive the subtle difference between the two if you observe both minutely. Here is an easy explanation.While a trench coat is made of fabric for acting as a water-proof, overcoats are meant for shielding the body mainly against extreme cold weather. Trench coats extend up to the knee, whereas overcoats can be anywhere between the knee till the ankle. Overcoats, unlike trench coats come in both single and double-breasted pieces, while trench coats have been designed solely as double-breasted costumes.

Trench Coat as a Symbol of Fad and Fashion

Whenever you dress yourself up in a trench coat, do you feel like the smart Commissioner Gordon of Batman or the ravishing Emma Frost of X-Men? Trench coats truly have become a craze among men and women, young and old alike, who rave about this impressive outfit all the more by idolizing their heroes donning the coats.

Switch on the television and you will be overwhelmed to find the umpteen number of heroes and heroines all decked up in this dashing and ostentatious apparel. What’s more, whether you are attending a business meeting or out in the violent thunderstorm or freaking out at a party, the trench coat is never going to let you down in any situation.

To Sum it Up

From the days of brutal warfare to the contemporary fashion world, from shielding soldiers at battlefields to embellishing enticing silhouettes, from transforming smart men’s physique to decking beautiful women’s bodies, the trench coat has come a long way to become a timeless style icon.