…It was originally created by Thomas Burberry when he submitted the design as an army officer's raincoat to the British War office in 1901. A descendant of the heavy serge ‘Greatcoats’ worn by British French soldiers in World War I it was used by officers in the ‘Trenches’ which is how it got its name.

A Trenchcoat, typically, was a ten-buttoned, double-breasted long coat made of waterproof heavy-duty cotton drill or poplin. Made in Belge, Khaki, Tan or Black fabric it usually came with an insulated removable lining. The design was adapted to include cuff straps, Brass D-rings (which were used to secure grenades or swords in WW1) and epaulettes (originally used to hold gloves and folding army issue caps). By 1939-WW2 - it was part of every serviceman’s uniform but when Black leather Trenchcoats were adopted by the Nazi SS as a means of inspiring fear and respect, the subsequent Hollywood image of the Black Trench-coated Gestapo officer was made chillingly familiar and entered popular culture.