Contemporary British-Made Men's Trench Coats — Voted by the Community

The trench coat grew out of the waterproof coats that British firms made for army officers before the First World War. Gabardine, a tightly woven, weatherproof cloth introduced in 1879, allowed a coat that kept out the rain but was lighter than the heavy serge greatcoats then worn, and a design for an officer's raincoat was put to the War Office in 1901. During the First World War, officers and senior warrant officers could buy these coats privately; other ranks were not allowed to wear them. Soldiers at the front called the coat a trench coat, and the name stuck. Many of its details had a job to do. The double-breasted front and storm flap kept out the weather, the belt drew the coat in at the waist, and the D-rings held map cases, swords or other kit; the idea that they were for grenades is a myth. Epaulettes carried rank badges, and wrist straps stopped rain running down the sleeves. After the war many officers kept their coats, and the trench coat became everyday wear for both men and women. Coats made today still keep many of these original features.