Trend Report: Trench Coats

Trench coats are a classic staple that everyone should have. Even more classic is the Burberry trench. The trench was developed after heavy serge coats worn by British and French soldiers in World War I. Thomas Burberry invented the actual trench coat, and the garbardine fabric trenches are usually made out of, in 1901. Burberry had submitted a design to the United Kingdom war office for military officers as a raincoat and ended up becoming part of soldier's uniforms shortly after. The coat was called "trench coat" by officers who wore them in the trenches during war. After the war, many soldiers kept these coats and they quickly became fashionable for both men and women. People such as Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's popularized the trench even more.

A traditional trench coat has 10 crossover buttons, come in the colors beige, khaki, or black, an extra lining inside the coat, has raglan sleeves, cuffs gathered with wrist straps, and shoulder straps (at first used to attach military insignia, leather gloves, and handbag straps). It has been considered a coat for the intellectual and chic because it is a classic. In 1990 (after we had seen punk rockers in the 1970's and 80's typically sporting it) a new creative designer for Burberry, Roberto Menichetti, redesigned the trench into a 1930's look that inspired millions of copycat designs.
Here are some that have been seen on the Spring runways-

Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring 2010 ready-to-wear

Aquascutum, Spring 2010 ready-to-wear (claimed they first invented the trenchcoat!!)

Celine, Spring 2010 ready-to-wear

Burberry Prorsum had soo many great coats in their Spring 2010 ready-to-wear collection...the pink one is my favorite!