Style in the Trenches

Along with the little black dress and the crisp white button-down shirt, the trench coat is one of the most stylish and timeless designs in fashion history. As is the case with many classic items of clothing, this stylish cover-up began as a functional piece more so than a fashion trend.

The trench coat was invented in 1901 by Thomas Burberry, the founder of the Burberry fashion house and also the creator of gabardine fabric. He submitted the design to the United Kingdom War Office as an alternative to the heavy greatcoats worn by British and French soldiers in World War I. The classic trench coat is a ten-buttoned, double breasted long coat in khaki, beige, tan or black. Two notable differences from the great coat style were the additions of epaulets and D-rings and this updated design was named "trench coat" by the soldiers in the trenches.

photos courtesy commons.wikimedia.org and gettyimages.com

The trench coat continued to be a popular choice of army wear throughout World War II and many veterans kept them when they returned to their lives as civilians. The trench coat eventually became a fashionable clothing item for both men and women and even after more than 100 years, the trench coat is still synonymous with the Burberry name. Below is one of the photos from Burberry's F/W 08 campaign featuring a classic trench coat.

photo courtesy thefashionspot.com

Screen legends such as Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich and Humphrey Bogart wore trench coats in various films and this also helped to popularize the trench coat among the public as they often tried to emulate this elegant and mysterious look. Below are Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca.

photo courtesy http://www.myspace.com/froshy and thegoldenera.net

Numerous modifications to the colour, fabric and cut of the trench coat have been made in order to appeal to the different generations that have gone by over the years but there are many people who still opt for the classic trench simply because it never goes out of style.

Below are a few lovely trench coats that will keep you chic and warm this fall.