Trench coat

Originally made from gabardine, a worsted wool fabric waterproofed using lanolin before weaving,[2] the traditional colour of a trench coat was khaki.

[1] The coat is belted at the waist with a self-belt, with raglan sleeves ending in cuff straps around the wrists that also buckle, to keep water from running down the forearm when using binoculars in the rain.

The trench coat was developed as an alternative to the heavy serge greatcoats worn by British and French soldiers in the First World War.

A range of waterproof coats was designed and sold during wartime that incorporated War Office requirements with traditional aspects of leisurewear.

Other nations also developed trench coat style jackets, notably the United States and the Soviet Union, and other armies of continental Europe such as Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland (and are often seen in war zone photographs in the 1939-40 era, even being worn by troops on the attack).

Their original role as part of an army officer's uniform lent the trench coat a businesslike respectability, although many prefer to tie the belt instead of buckling it, for a more casual look.

Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine from Casablanca[10] and Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau wore the trench coat in the public eye.