Some people dream about the perfect wedding dress. As for me, I used to dream about owning the perfect trench coat—namely one of Burberry’s iconic designs. Don’t get me wrong: I did love my actual wedding dress, but honestly, I’ve not looked at it in the years since I wore it. My Burberry trench coat, on the other hand, I’ve worn countless times and I pull it out every spring, basically wearing it on repeat until the end of autumn.
As well as an increasingly low cost-per-wear, the reason it’s such a great investment is that it goes with everything in my wardrobe—from basic everyday outfits to dressier evening looks. And, although trench coats have been around for over 100 years, the overall look of a ‘classic style’ has barely changed at all. Which makes sense; The first trench wasn’t designed with fashion or trends in mind. Much like other garments now considered timeless (jeans, boots etc) it was created out of necessity. The British army needed coats that were more lightweight but weather-resistant, and thanks to Thomas Burberry’s discovery of waterproof gabardine cotton in 1879, the designer was approached to create the new coats for the army. The garment was then worn throughout World War I by soldiers fighting in the trenches (hence the name).