History of the Trench Coat

The history of the trench coat is commonly misunderstood. It’s one of those things you think you know, but you don’t, like when you realise that—despite all of the daft articles on the internet making claims about milk and cream and fat content and storage temperature—gelato is literally just the Italian word for ‘ice cream’, they are exactly the same thing, and you’ve been duped by marketing. We’re here to dispel the vicious rumours about the history of the trench coat.

Origins of the Trench Coat

You probably think the trench coat originated for military use during one of the World Wars of the 20th century. Well, you’re wrong. You’re so wrong. You idiot.

Nah, sorry. You’re not daft. We thought the same, many years ago, before we became a menswear powerhouse

Actually, trench coats were created by a fella called Charles MacIntosh—a Scottish chemist, and his pal Thomas Hancock—the founder of the British rubber industry. What they did was create rubberised cotton and make coats out of them. The reason some people still call a trench coat a ‘Mack’ is because of old Charlie MacIntosh. Problem was that because the cotton was rubberised, they had a tendency to melt in the sun. You don’t want your clothes to melt, ideally. You don’t need to be a menswear powerhouse to know that.

Long story short—a company called Aquascutum started manufacturing less melty trench coats in the mid-1800s. ‘Aquascutum’ is basically Latin for ‘water shield’ and not, as you’d be forgiven for assuming, something to do with a damp testicle sack or some sort of waterborne disease.

Then Burberry got involved and started weatherproofing individual cotton/wool fibres, rather than the whole garment, which made trench coats more breathable, and now we were cooking on gas.

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Military Beginnings

Trench coats were used in WW1, but they were mainly for officers and higher ranking military folk as opposed to general issue uniform. They had a little cape at the back to deal with rain, a storm flap at the front that helped with ventilation, and plenty of pockets, D-rings on the adjustable waist belt for clipping useful tools to, they were double-breasted, they fell to at least knee-length, and they were sometimes lined with a warm material that could be removed and used for bedding if necessary. Which is all very bloody cool, isn’t it?

Early 20th Century Popularity to now

Post-war, the trench coat, like so many other military-coded garments, made its way back into the public mainstream. The belt at the waist made them versatile and adaptable for men and women alike, and its long, elegant silhouette appealed to anyone with even a slight penchant for the smart and mysterious.

Trench Coats in Pop Culture

Film

Obviously, the film industry pounced on the popularisation of the trench. This is where we get some of the trench coat cliches that still persevere today: The avid news reporter, the slick detective, the femme fatale… Think Casablanca, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Kramer vs. Kramer, A Foreign Affair, even Jimmy Stewart in It’s A Wonderful Life. God, he looked class in that trench coat, and he was no film noir detective, he was just a nice man with a mildly senile guardian angel.

Celebrities in Trench coat

Tons of male celebrities are confirmed trench coat fans. Andrew Garfield dons the trench pretty regularly. David Beckham, Jude Law, Will. I. Am., and Jason Statham are proponents of the Mack, and, famously, Gareth Southgate loves a trench coat (specifically a Percival trench coat—smart man).

Trench Coats Today

It’s 2024—trench coats are no longer only for high-ranking military officers, hard-boiled functioning alcoholic detectives with estranged wives, and morally ambiguous newspaper reporters with little bits of paper inexplicably tucked in the band of their trilbys. No, trench coats are for everybody. They’re practical and they’re stylish as hell.

Today’s trench coats may have lost a little of their military functionality—you probably don’t need a detachable woollen bed sheet lining if you’re just cutting about town—but they have become more refined and elegant.

Contemporary Styles & Trends

Today’s trench coats are lighter than they used to be, and that makes them a perfect outer layer, paired with a shorter jacket or outershirt, or even a roll-neck sweater. A trench is very much outdoor wear and is designed to be the outermost layer of any outfit you put together.

How to Wear a Trench coat

So your appetite for a trench coat has been fully whetted but you’re trying to figure out how you’d style or what to wear it with? Lucky you—we’ve created a foolproof trench coat styling guide just for you.

Are Trench coats still in style 2024?

Trench coats were in style in the mid 19th century, they were in style for the entirety of the 20th century, and they’re in style now. Until we’re all living in carefully controlled biodomes on the moon and Mars, in government-issue clothing, trench coats will always be in style, and you can quote us on that. Need some inspo on how to wear yours? Check out our guide on how to style a trench coat for a timeless look

How to wear a trench coat casually?

The trench coat is the outer layer that goes with almost everything. That’s the whole point. Put the rest of your fit together—ideally something with a couple of layers, and top it off with a trench. If you’re wearing shorts, maybe give a trench coat a swerve as you’ll look like you’re wearing a big waterproof dress. Not that there’s anything wrong with that—you do you, king—but we’re literally here giving you style advice and we feel it’s our duty to help.

A hoodie under a trench lends an air of casualness, and don’t be frightened to pair up with tracksuit bottoms and trainers if that’s what you’re feeling. The trench coat is adaptable and pretty faux pas-proof.