SHOPPER
In the Trenches

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Thomas Burberry invented the trench coat, after creating the rugged water-resistant fabric gabardine, for the British army in the late 1800s. Today's trench coats? They're far from your soldier's standard issue raincoat. Classic khaki endures, along with military detailing -- belted waists and shoulder epaulets -- but now cutting-edge shapes and fabrics have entered the fray.

Reiss's ladylike version adds volume and movement with generous kick pleats. Club Monaco's interpretation is a cocooning single-breasted coat with three-quarter kimono sleeves. French designer Agnès B. lightens things up with an airy cotton chambray in heather gray.

Christopher Bailey, who designs Burberry now, begins each collection with variations of the iconic coat, explaining that it's one of the few pieces that aren't size-ist, sexist or ageist.

And there's something to be said for a style that endures a century, appealing to everyone from secret agents to flashers.

-- Cory Ohlendorf