By For decades, the weather-resistant trench coat has been worn rain or shine in the U.S., Britain, and other parts of the world. Australian Elle recently advised, “Fact: a great pair of jeans and a timeless trench coat will forever be staples of our autumn/winter wardrobes.” And, as per The Sydney Morning Herald, “In 2024…the two sartorial classics combine for a new seasonal wardrobe hero—the denim trench coat.”
One place to look for a trench coat is at Gap online. It may also be available in some brick-and-mortar branches. The Upper West Side Gap is located at 1988 Broadway. However, be sure to check on availability before heading over.
Gap’s current national business model encourages ordering online and then choosing home delivery or looking into which branch stores carry a particular item for pick up.
Gap’s relatively affordable version of this time-honored outerwear in classic khaki or blue denim, is described on the website as “iconic.” A Google search will even reveal a vintage Gap 2002 blue denim version on eBay.
The provenance of the trench coat is described in wonderful detail on the Michael Andrews Bespoke website. Andrews is a former corporate lawyer who launched his elite fashion brand in 2006. His very classy studio is on Great Jones Street in Manhattan. This brand of trench coat costs thousands.
“As a corporate attorney, he understood that dressing the part provided a competitive advantage and he wanted to help others gain that edge. For over a decade, Michael and his team have created exceptional garments for individuals who demand the very best.”
The website also describes an evocative history of the trench coat in a section on its early days:
World War I introduced humanity to trench warfare, and early on it was clear that old-fashioned British military dress would no longer suffice. Trench coats were designed specifically to improve soldiers’ fortunes; even as they kept out water and warmed the wearer they were comfier, lighter, better camouflaged and better ventilated than their predecessors. Stylish enough for the officers who wore them, the coats were equally as functional — among other handy features, the coats’ belts had rings to hook on accessories, their back capes drained water, and their removable inner linings doubled as bedding or pillows if necessary.
Long before today’s ultra-light weather-resistant rain gear in a multitude of colors and styles was produced by specialized sportswear companies, traditional trench coats had already become famous. The word trench coat itself evokes the actors Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who were both famously photographed in their gabardine trench coats.
Another Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich made fashionista news wearing a trench coat in the 1948 film “A Foreign Affair”.
Perhaps the simplicity of the design, whether single or double-breasted, allows the wearer to have the sense of being able to travel incognito. The concept conveyed is of a person fading into the background when worn by a sleuth in a movie or by a TV character like Columbo in the series (1971-2003) of that name.
As chronicled on TV Tropes, “From the 1920s through the ’50s, a trench coat and a fedora were the standard outerwear for a man who was neither upper-class nor extreme lower-class. Consequently, they were the natural choice for spies, detectives and anyone wanting to blend in with the added bonus of easily concealing weapons.” Stereotypically, they are also favored by flashers.
Alternatively, adapted into an array of colors, a trench coat may produce a breath of awe and provoke admiring paparazzi coverage when interpreted as a pink dress recently worn by Megan Markle.
Trench coats may evolve but forever retain their appeal. Displaying an up-to-date concern for environmentally supportive features, Gap notes that its denim version is “Responsibly Made:…of our water-saving Washwell program. Compared with conventional wash methods, Washwell uses at least 20% less water and has saved over a billion liters of water since 2016.”
Want your own a trench coat? Vintage models are even listed for negotiable prices on Poshmark and eBay in olive, indigo, and other colors. So, depending on your budget, this style of classic weather-resistant gear is widely available.