The story of the trench coat

The trench coat is now one of the most popular forms of weatherproof clothing in the world. And while it is widely acknowledged that the trench coat first became popularised during World War One, it is also important to recognise that its origins date much further back than this.

Invented by Thomas Burberry - founder of the luxury clothing brand, Burberry - many officers began to wear trench coats at the turn of the century, during the Boer War in South Africa. Famous British generals, such as Lord Kitchener, Lord Roberts and Lord Baden-Power preferred the lightweight cotton of trench coats to the heavier, rubberised Macintoshes they had been used to.

With such powerful recommendations, the War Office gave its official approval to the trench coat in 1901, with the Admiralty for the Royal Marines following suit in 1906. And as Lord Kitchener, Commander in Chief of the British Army, began fashioning the trench coat - then referred to simply as a 'Burberry' - the place of this clothing item in society was sealed.

With the advent of trench warfare in 1914, trench coats became an essential piece of the military outfit, with added epaulettes and "D" rings to enable the attachment of military equipment. As the trench coat, then the world's most durable weather coat, was popularised, it is estimated that between 1914 and 1918, 500,000 military trench coats were worn by combatant officers.

As army officers volunteered for the new Royal Flying Corps, trench coats took to the air as well. A letter written by an RAF Officer dated in 1919 describes how crucial the trench coat had become in the military. He stated:

"During the War, I crashed in the Channel whilst wearing a Burberry trench coat and had to discard it. It was returned to me a week later having been in the sea for five days. I have worn it ever since and it is still going strong."

When officers returned home after the war, they brought back their trench coats with them and the style became adopted into civilian life. Since then, the trench coat has become a significant cultural icon and has been donned by many famous movie stars, from Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca to Peter Sellers' notorious Inspector Clouseau, to Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Today, the trench coat is still one of the world's most popular items of clothing, as well as the world's most famous and long-lasting style of weatherproof garment.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance journalist.