The Trench Coat: From Battlefield to Timeless Fashion The trench coat began as a practical innovation — a water-resistant officer’s coat designed by British companies like Burberry and Aquascutum in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its durable gabardine fabric and tailored cut made it ideal for military use. During World War I, British officers wore these coats in the muddy front-line trenches, giving rise to the name that endures today. What started as a piece of battlefield gear would l