TIMELESS APPEAL

The TRENCH coat has witnessed many ITER ATIONS over the years, but its enduring LEGACY is rooted in its PRACTICALITY.

- BARRY RODGERS

 

In the continually shifting fashion landscape, replete with trends and micro-trends, the trench coat has maintained its significance as an emblem of a unique historical era—World War I. It was a time of profound transformation, challenging established social hierarchies, military paradigms, and even fashion norms. However, much like any enduring piece of clothing, the trench coat’s longevity is rooted in its utilitarian origins, which have provided a canvas for creative experimentation.

THE LEGACY

While the history of the trench coat did not commence on the silver screen, it did gain prominence there, as costume designer Maxima Basu, who has worked on films such as Dangal, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmaavat, among others, points out: “The trench coat’s cinematic history is deeply rooted in Western noir films, where its stylish presence added an element of mystery and charisma to the dark and enigmatic characters that often inhabited the frame.”

The trench coat’s roots extend back to the early 19th century. It’s worth noting that in 1615, the Spaniards were already using latex to create waterproof materials, and in 1496, Christopher Columbus brought back natural rubber balls from the West Indies. But it was Charles Macintosh, a Scottish chemist, who, while searching for a use for the byproducts of the coal gasification process, discovered that the distillate obtained from tar could dissolve rubber.