Yes, it’s practical - but the trenchcoat’s air of mystery and glamour is what has kept it on the fashion’s front lines for so many years.

This coat was designed during the First World War by Thomas Barberry for British officers to wear in the trenches and which matured into attire for allied espionage and wartime romance shown in movies. Considering it’s origins, it is remarkable that the right trenchcoat somehow goes with almost everything we own and seems right for each season. Also, it is the one coat that never goes out of style.

Though the silhouette is classic, few trenches are the same. An extra button here, a discarded epaulet there, a longer yoke – one tiny alteration can add sleekness or strength. So there’s bound to be a coat that can work well on all harmonies.

The classic trench is made of cotton gabardine – a fabric with extremely tight weave – treated to make it waterproof. Check the seams as they will be taped if it’s waterproof.

Other styles play with the length - usually producing coats that hit at the knees or right below. Fabrics, too, provide options for updates, from bright leathers and evening dressy cotton-silks to the more casual denim.

So when does all this tweaking mean a trench is no longer a trench? If it isn’t belted, it doesn’t read as a trench.