The History of the Trench Coat: From Wartime Utility to Women’s Fashion Icon

Hello lovely,
There’s something rather wonderful about a good trench coat. Throw one over a dress, add it to your favourite jeans or wear it with a silk scarf and sunglasses, and suddenly you look as though you’ve made considerably more effort than you actually have. Which, frankly, is my favourite sort of dressing.

The trench coat has been a familiar sight in women’s wardrobes for over a century, worn by everyone from Hollywood actresses to fashionable Londoners dashing about in the rain. Its appeal is easy to understand. It’s practical, flattering and has just enough structure to make even the simplest outfit look put together.

But the history of the trench coat is rather more interesting than its reputation as a wardrobe classic might suggest. Before it became associated with Audrey Hepburn, elegant Parisian streets and beautifully belted waists, it belonged to the world of military uniforms, waterproof fabrics and British tailoring.

So, how did a coat designed for rather unpleasant conditions become one of the most recognisable pieces in women’s fashion? Let’s start at the beginning.

Where Did the Trench Coat Come From?

Despite its name, the trench coat wasn’t originally invented for soldiers sitting in muddy trenches. Its beginnings go back much further, to the nineteenth century, when British manufacturers were trying to make waterproof clothing considerably less miserable to wear.

Early waterproof coats had their drawbacks. Rubberised fabrics could keep the rain out, but they were often heavy, stiff and rather uncomfortable. You might arrive at your destination dry from the rain, only to discover you’d been sweating inside your coat the entire journey. Not exactly ideal.

In the 1820s, Charles Macintosh and Thomas Hancock helped develop rubberised waterproof clothing, laying the groundwork for the raincoats that followed. By 1853, tailor John Emary had developed an improved waterproof coat, establishing the name Aquascutum, which comes from the Latin words for water and shield. Then came Thomas Burberry. Burberry established his business in Basingstoke in 1856, and in 1879 developed gabardine, a tightly woven fabric that offered protection against the weather while allowing the body to breathe.

It was an important development. Clothing could now be weather resistant without relying on the heavy rubberised materials that had dominated earlier rain wear. Burberry patented gabardine in 1888, and the fabric became particularly popular for outdoor pursuits, exploration and military clothing. Both Burberry and Aquascutum would eventually become closely associated with the trench coat. There is still some debate over which company deserves credit for inventing it, although the design developed gradually from earlier forms of waterproof outerwear rather than appearing all at once.

And it was the First World War that gave the trench coat its familiar identity.

The First World War: How the Trench Coat Got Its Name

When the First World War began in 1914, British officers needed clothing that could cope with wet weather, difficult terrain and the demands of military life. Traditional military greatcoats were made from heavy wool, which offered warmth but could become cumbersome when wet. Lighter waterproof coats provided a useful alternative.

Burberry had already patented its Tielocken coat in 1912, a belted weatherproof design that helped establish the shape of the later trench coat. During the war, manufacturers adapted these styles to meet military requirements. The resulting coats were generally double breasted, belted at the waist and cut to allow movement. They also featured practical details such as deep pockets, adjustable cuffs and protective flaps.

Interestingly, trench coats were particularly associated with officers rather than ordinary soldiers. Many officers purchased their own coats, and the garment carried certain associations with rank and social standing. The name trench coat appeared in print during the war, with a documented use in a tailoring trade journal in 1916. Although its military history is often romanticised, the conditions in which these coats were worn were anything but glamorous. Still, the distinctive design survived, and several of its most recognisable features remain almost unchanged today.

Why Do Trench Coats Have Belts, Epaulettes and Storm Flaps?

If you’ve ever wondered what all those extra straps, buckles and flaps on a trench coat are actually for, you’re not alone. They’re easy to dismiss as decorative details, particularly when you’re wearing your trench over a pretty dress rather than a military uniform. But most have practical origins.

• The double breasted front: The overlapping layers of fabric helped provide additional protection against wind and rain.
• The belt: Originally intended to secure the coat around the body, the belt also became one of its most flattering features in women’s fashion.
• Epaulettes: These shoulder straps were associated with military rank and could also help secure equipment.
• The storm flap: The additional fabric across the shoulders and chest helped protect against wet weather.
• Adjustable cuff straps: These could be tightened to prevent wind and rain entering through the sleeves.
• D rings: The metal rings attached to some trench coat belts were intended for carrying military equipment.
• The back vent: This allowed greater freedom of movement, particularly useful when walking or wearing the coat over other clothing.

I rather like that these details have survived for so long. A modern trench coat can look beautifully elegant, yet its construction still reveals something about the circumstances in which it developed. And, of course, that waist belt would eventually become a particularly useful feature for fashion designers.

How the Trench Coat Entered Women’s Fashion

Although the trench coat is closely associated with men’s military clothing, women began adopting practical rain wear and military influenced outerwear during the early twentieth century.

The First World War brought considerable changes to women’s lives and wardrobes. As women undertook a wider range of jobs, including work in transport, factories and wartime services, practical clothing became increasingly important. Tailored jackets, sturdy footwear and more functional outerwear were becoming familiar parts of women’s dress.

The trench coat fitted comfortably into this changing approach to fashion. After the war, military inspired coats also entered civilian wardrobes. Their popularity was encouraged by their association with wartime service, but their practical qualities helped them remain fashionable long after the conflict ended.

For women, the belted shape was particularly appealing. It could be worn loosely over everyday clothes or pulled in at the waist for a more defined silhouette. By the 1920s and 1930s, variations of the trench coat were appearing in women’s fashion, often adapted with softer proportions and fashionable details. The trench was beginning to acquire a rather different personality.

The Trench Coat Through the Decades

1920s: Practicality Meets Modern Fashion

The 1920s saw women’s fashion become increasingly relaxed, with shorter skirts, straighter silhouettes and a growing interest in comfortable clothing. Coats followed these changes, and practical belted raincoats fitted naturally into the wardrobes of women who wanted clothes suitable for travel, work and everyday activities.

Trench style coats of the period could be relatively loose through the body, reflecting the fashionable straight silhouettes of the decade. They were often worn with cloche hats, sensible shoes and the sort of simple accessories that made getting dressed for a damp British afternoon considerably easier. The overall effect was neat, practical and modern.

1930s: The Trench Coat Becomes More Elegant

By the 1930s, women’s fashion had moved towards longer, more fluid silhouettes, with greater emphasis on the natural waist and shoulders. Outerwear reflected these changes.

Trench coats and belted raincoats could be cut with more shaping through the waist, broader lapels and carefully considered proportions. They worked particularly well with the tailored suits and elegant day dresses of the period.

A woman might wear a belted raincoat over a printed dress, adding a small hat, gloves and a structured handbag. There’s something lovely about the practicality of 1930s daywear. Even the more fashionable pieces were often designed with everyday life in mind. And a good raincoat was certainly useful.

1940s: Wartime Style and Hollywood Glamour

The 1940s were particularly important in establishing the trench coat’s place in women’s fashion. During the Second World War, military influenced clothing became increasingly visible. Women’s suits often featured pronounced shoulders, neat tailoring and practical details that echoed uniforms. The trench coat fitted beautifully into this aesthetic. Its structured shoulders and belted waist complemented the fashionable silhouette, while its weather resistant fabric made it useful for everyday wear.

In Britain, wartime restrictions and clothing rationing encouraged women to make careful wardrobe choices. Practical coats that could be worn over several outfits were especially valuable. But the trench coat was also developing a glamorous reputation, thanks in no small part to Hollywood. Marlene Dietrich, whose style frequently borrowed from masculine tailoring, helped establish the appeal of strong, beautifully cut outerwear. Her appearance in the 1948 film A Foreign Affair is among the cinematic references associated with the trench coat’s growing fashion status.

The coat also became a familiar part of film noir imagery, appearing on detectives, mysterious strangers and sophisticated women with complicated love lives. A trench coat, a tilted hat and a little lipstick is a very effective way to communicate how intriguing you are.

1950s: Feminine Silhouettes and Cinema Romance

The 1950s brought another shift in women’s fashion. Christian Dior’s New Look, introduced in 1947, had helped revive an emphasis on defined waists and fuller skirts.

Throughout the following decade, fashionable coats were designed to accommodate a variety of silhouettes. Trench coats remained popular, although women’s versions could feature softer shoulders, narrower waists and fuller skirts than their military predecessors.

Some styles were cut with generous hems to sit comfortably over dresses, while others retained the straighter lines of traditional rain wear. The trench also became increasingly associated with romantic cinema.

One of its most memorable appearances came in the 1957 film Funny Face, where Audrey Hepburn’s character wears a raincoat during the famous Paris photography sequence. It’s a wonderful example of how an ordinary piece of outerwear could become part of a fashionable cinematic image.

For everyday women, a trench coat offered something rather useful. It could be worn over a smart suit for work, a pretty dress for an afternoon outing or more casual separates at the weekend. The styling might have changed, but the coat remained familiar.

1960s: Audrey Hepburn and the Modern Trench

If one actress helped secure the trench coat’s place in popular fashion imagery, it was Audrey Hepburn. In the final scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Hepburn’s Holly Golightly wears a trench coat in the pouring rain, creating one of cinema’s most recognisable images. The coat is simple, but that’s precisely why it works.

Its clean shape, belted waist and understated colour complement Hepburn’s elegant appearance without competing with it. Throughout the 1960s, trench coats also adapted to changing fashion silhouettes. Some retained traditional proportions, while others appeared in shorter lengths, brighter colours and more experimental materials.

The decade’s fascination with modern fabrics brought new possibilities for rain wear, including glossy PVC coats that offered a very different look from classic cotton gabardine. For a more traditional 1960s outfit, a neatly belted trench worn over a shift dress, with pointed shoes and a structured handbag, feels particularly appropriate. Or go for the slightly more dramatic version with oversized sunglasses and a headscarf. Very chic, and rather useful when you haven’t had time to do your hair.

1970s: Relaxed Tailoring and Individual Style

By the 1970s, the trench coat had become firmly established as a fashionable wardrobe piece. And fashion was becoming much more varied. Some women preferred traditional beige raincoats, while others embraced longer silhouettes, wider collars and the softer tailoring associated with the decade. Trench coats worked particularly well with flared trousers, roll neck jumpers, midi skirts and platform shoes. Leather and suede outerwear were also fashionable, and designers experimented with trench inspired shapes in different materials. The coat could look smart and understated or decidedly dramatic, depending on how it was styled.

In 1976, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren produced a trench coat design that now forms part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, demonstrating how the garment could be interpreted through a very different fashion perspective.The trench was no longer tied to one particular style of dressing.

1980s: Power Dressing and Statement Outerwear

The 1980s were not a decade particularly known for doing things by halves. Women’s fashion embraced strong shoulders, oversized proportions and bold tailoring, particularly in the world of professional dressing. Naturally, trench coats followed suit.

Some styles featured wider shoulders, generous cuts and longer lengths, creating a dramatic outer layer over suits and dresses. Leather trench coats also suited the decade’s appetite for more assertive fashion. A long trench worn over tailored trousers, with a silk blouse and heeled boots, could create a particularly polished look. For something more casual, the same coat worked with jeans, a chunky jumper and ankle boots. The beauty of the trench was that it could accommodate both.

1990s and Beyond: Minimalism and Reinvention

The 1990s brought a renewed appreciation for simple, understated clothing.

Minimalist fashion favoured clean lines, neutral colours and pieces that could be worn repeatedly without looking overly styled. The trench coat was perfectly suited to this approach.

Classic beige, black and navy versions worked with slip dresses, straight leg trousers, simple knitwear and the relaxed tailoring of the decade. Meanwhile, fashion designers continued experimenting with the trench’s familiar shape.

Maison Margiela, Jean Paul Gaultier and Rei Kawakubo are among the designers who have revisited the garment, challenging its proportions and construction. The trench coat could now be cropped, oversized, deconstructed or made in unexpected fabrics. Yet the classic version never really disappeared.

Why Has the Trench Coat Remained So Popular?

Fashion has a habit of declaring things essential, only to forget about them a few seasons later. The trench coat has managed to avoid that particular fate. I think much of its appeal comes down to the fact that it is genuinely useful.

A well chosen trench can be worn over almost anything, particularly during spring and autumn when the weather can’t quite make up its mind. It also has a wonderfully adaptable shape. Wear it open and loose for a relaxed look, or fasten the belt to create a more defined waist. Roll up the sleeves, turn up the collar or add a silk scarf, and the same coat can take on a different character.

Then there’s the history. A vintage trench coat carries traces of military tailoring, early twentieth century rainwear and decades of fashionable reinterpretation. You can appreciate those details without needing to dress entirely in period clothing. And for anyone who enjoys vintage fashion, that’s rather appealing.

How to Wear a Vintage Trench Coat Today

If you’re looking to introduce a trench coat into your wardrobe, I’d start by thinking about the decade that appeals to you most.There’s no need to recreate an entire historical outfit unless you fancy it. A few carefully chosen pieces can give a modern trench a distinctly vintage feel.

• For a 1930s inspired look: Choose a longer belted trench with a soft drape. Wear it over a midi dress with a small hat, leather gloves and a structured handbag.
• For 1940s style: Look for a traditional double breasted trench with strong shoulders. Add tailored trousers or a knee length skirt, a neat blouse and lace up shoes.
• For a 1950s outfit: Cinch the waist over a full skirt or fitted dress. Finish with a silk scarf, a small handbag and low heels.
• For 1960s chic: Pair a shorter trench with a shift dress, pointed flats or ankle boots and oversized sunglasses.
• For a 1970s look: Try a longer, slightly relaxed trench over flared jeans, a roll neck jumper and heeled boots.

Personally, I’m particularly fond of a classic trench worn with a vintage silk scarf and a good pair of sunglasses. It takes very little effort, but always looks as though you’ve planned the whole outfit. Which is quite handy when you haven’t.

What to Look for When Buying a Vintage Trench Coat

If you’re hunting for a genuine vintage trench coat, there are a few things worth checking before handing over your money.

• Fabric: Traditional cotton gabardine is a good choice, although vintage raincoats were made in a variety of materials. Check for wear, staining and damage to any waterproof coating.
• Lining: Look for tears, loose stitching and signs of deterioration, particularly around the shoulders and underarms.
• Buttons and buckles: Make sure the fastenings are intact. Replacement buttons are often manageable, but unusual buckles can be harder to find.
• Fit: Vintage sizing can differ considerably from modern sizing, so rely on measurements rather than the label.
• Length: Consider whether you want a shorter 1960s style or a longer, more traditional coat.
• Condition: Check the collar, cuffs, hem and belt carefully, as these areas often show the most wear.

And don’t assume that every vintage trench coat is a Burberry. Many manufacturers produced beautifully made raincoats throughout the twentieth century, including Aquascutum and numerous department store and clothing labels. A lesser known vintage label can be an excellent find, particularly if the fabric, construction and fit are good.

The Trench Coat in Fashion Today

More than a century after its military associations became established, the trench coat remains a familiar part of women’s fashion. The classic cotton gabardine version is still widely recognised, but designers continue to experiment with oversized silhouettes, cropped lengths, leather, unusual colours and decorative finishes.Its history is receiving renewed attention, too. In September 2026, London’s Victoria and Albert Museum opened The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon, a display exploring the coat’s development from functional outerwear to fashion design.

The exhibition includes historical examples and contemporary interpretations, showing just how much the trench coat has changed while retaining its recognisable features. It’s a lovely reminder that even the most familiar items in our wardrobes have stories worth exploring. And perhaps that’s what makes vintage fashion so enjoyable. Once you know where a garment came from, you start noticing details you might previously have overlooked.

Final Thoughts

The trench coat has had quite a journey. From nineteenth century experiments with waterproof fabrics to First World War military clothing, 1940s cinema and the fashionable wardrobes of the decades that followed, it has been adapted and reinterpreted countless times.

What I find particularly interesting is how little the basic design has needed to change. Those belts, buckles, storm flaps and distinctive lapels still appear on coats today, even though most of us have rather different requirements from the officers who wore their predecessors. A good trench coat is one of those vintage pieces that can slip into a modern wardrobe without much fuss. Wear it traditionally, dress it up or make it your own. And if it makes you feel a little like Audrey Hepburn walking through Paris, well, there’s certainly no harm in that.

Until next time, stay delightful darling.

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