The Iconic Trench Coat: The Classic Amongst Raincoats
Autumn, so we have rain and cold wind. This requires appropriate clothing. So the mackintosh comes out again!
The most classic is of course the iconic Trench Coat. Of military origin, it is always waterproof, usually with buttons and a belt made of the same material. It is a very detailed garment: many pockets and buttons, flaps and, especially in the past, epaulettes.
Origin:
The word 'trench' indicates the military origin, and comes from the 'trenches' of World War I. In this global military conflict, British, French and American troops fought together against Germany.
In this global military conflict, British, French and American troops fought together against Germany. In the autumn of 1914, the battle came to a standstill in a protracted trench warfare. Fighters from both sides were stuck for days on end in muddy foxholes, which invariably flooded during the frequent heavy rainfall. The army uniforms of the time were usually not designed for such conditions. The thick British woolen overcoats, in particular, became soaked almost immediately, causing thousands of soldiers, including a good number of officers, to succumb to disease. With winter approaching, the British army command therefore urgently sought an alternative winter coat, which they eventually found in the trench coat.
Who is the inventor?
Two British companies claim to have invented this jacket. Aquascutum claims to have introduced this trench coat to help British officers get a functional jacket. But according to their major competitor Burberry However, the first trench coat was designed in 1914 by Thomas Burberry, the then 80-year-old founder of the company. Both companies produced trench coats for the British army during the war, but we will probably never know which of them had the first idea. Aquascutum's claim to fame dates back to the 1850s. However, Thomas Burberry, the inventor of gabardine, submitted a design of the new officer's coat to the British Ministry of Defence in 1901.
In any case, it was an instant success! The waterproof gabardine fabric offered perfect protection from the rain, as did the loose flap at the back. On top of that, the jacket came up to the knees, which made it long enough to keep the upper legs warm, but too short to drag through the mud. Officers could stow their gear in the large spacious pockets and sweat smell could escape through the vents.
Unfortunately, the trench coat was not free. Military personnel who wanted to wear it had to pay for it out of their own pockets. A trench coat cost about 3 to 4 pounds, which for an ordinary soldier was the equivalent of 3 to 4 months' pay. The result? The trench coat became a status symbol among the British officers. This even went so far that the army commanders at one point forbade anyone below the rank of sergeant major to wear the coat. Sad, but true. However, this had the unintended effect of greatly increasing the mortality rate among British officers, as the German snipers could now more easily pick them off.
Those same years were also the heyday of the great expeditions. One of the first to try gabardine was the British explorer Ernest Shackleton. Ernest Shackletonwho, in 1914, secretly crashed his ship into the crushing ice in Antarctica but managed to survive thanks to Burberry's indestructible fabric. And, of course, incredible perseverance.
So what is a trench coat really?
The trench coat is obviously a mackintosh made of gabardine, but leather or poplin are also sometimes used. It usually has a removable insulating lining and the classic models range in length from calf height to just above the knee.
Traditionally, it has a double row of ten buttons, wide lapels and a belt around the waist and sleeve ends. There are often flaps on the shoulders that can be closed with buttons. The classic colour for a trench coat is khaki.
During the First World War, the well known typical shoulder flaps and straps were added to the design of the trench coat. The shoulder flaps were used to attach epaulettes and other rank insignia; the belts, according to legend, were used to attach hand grenades. This sounds very tough and masculine, but in reality, swords and maps were simply attached to them.
Evolution
During the Second World Wars, different variants appeared. Usually shorter for more freedom of movement. We won't go into that now, but we can say that the trench coat was here to stay. Nowadays, it graces the streets of both men and women. Not only veterans, but also Hollywood ensured the fame and status and later spread worldwide.
Several famous actors wore this jacket in classic films, such as Humphrey Bogart in 'Casablanca' and Marlene Dietrich in 'A Foreign Affair'. The fact that gangsters, detectives and femmes fatales appeared on the big screen in trench coats made the garment even more attractive to the general public. The trench coat's reputation was definitively established.
Other fictional heroes also contributed: Inspector Columbo, Dick Tracy, Neo from The Matrix and Peter Sellers' Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Michael Caine in Get Carter, Warren Beatty in Dick Tracy and Alain Delon in Le Samouraï. They usually wear a Fedora or, in extremely cold weather, an Ushanka.
What is Gabardine anyway, you may ask?
Gabardine is a fabric in a steep twill weave. Traditionally, the fabric is made of wool. Mixes of cotton, artificial fibre and wool, as well as fully synthetic variants, are also common. Gabardine is impregnated with waterproofing agents, is durable and crease-resistant. Because of these properties, it is used for suits and uniforms, but especially for mackintoshes. The origin of the fabric is not entirely clear. British fashion designer Thomas Burberry is said to have invented it in 1879 as a mixture of wool and cotton, but according to other sources, the name is derived from the Parisian fashion house Gabartin.
On the right side of the fabric, gabardine has more warp threads than weft threads. There are often twice as many warp threads as weft threads. The warp thread usually passes through two weft threads before passing under one or two weft threads. This compact weave makes gabardine water-repellent and crease-resistant. Like any twill weave, gabardine has characteristic diagonal lines. These are clearly visible, close together and slightly raised. The angle of the diagonals is 45 or 63 degrees. Men's fashion more often uses variants with the larger angle. Women's fashion predominantly uses the smaller angle.
Raphaël van den Poel, former fashion consultant of Scapa, Reinhard Frans and Atelier NA tailored suits,
writes our weekly blog on gentleman matters. He writes for MYX Magazine, a Flemish luxury lifestyle platform.
He also has his own blog which you can read here: http://belgiandandy.blogspot.com
Raphaël van den Poel The Belgian Dandy
