Trench Coat n: Charles Macintosh, John Barbour, the company Aquascutum all had a hand in creating the water-proof item of clothing known as a trench coat, but it was Thomas Burberry who submitted his design of an army officer's raincoat to the British War Office in 1901. The coats were made of Burberry's own invention, the garbadine fabric and were dubbed "trench" coats after soldiers wore them on the front lines in the First World War.
Post-war, the coats became fashionable not least because they became a staple of the Hollywood wardrobe from the Film Noir in the 1940s, classics such as "Breakfast at Tiffany's". British Royalty, starting with Kind Edward VII has also contributed to its popularity. Find an in-depth history of the trench coat here.
In recent years, Burberry's has updated the trench coat with fashionable designs while the classic original pops up regularly in high street chains such as Zara, Gap, J Crew, Esprit and H&M.
The website Art of the Trench features examples from around the world
Top brands include Burberry, Mackintosh and Aquascutum.
Classic
Mrs. Robert L. Stevens, dressed as Greta Garbo, for the masquerade ball given by Muriel Maxwell, in the Crystal Room at the Ritz, Paris, on December 9, 1929
Seventies Fashion
@http://www.mydogearedpages.com/
Current
@http://artofthetrench.com/
Bensimon - French lace-up or slip-on sneaker made of cotton and cautchouch, company founded in 1980 by Serge Bensimon in Toulouse when he bought army surplus shoes and dyed the cotton. 
