It became very famous when Thomas Burberry, the Burberry young owner, invented a special type of fabric tha can keep the rain out. With this fabric, he realized a comfortable and rain resistant coat, so comfortable that the British Army adopted the Burberry trench coat, this was the name given to the new coat, for his soldiers.

During the First World War the design of the tranch coat was a little modified to include shoulder straps, to attach the Paulettes and other rank insignia.

Many veterans, returning to civilian life, kept the coats that became fashionable for both men and women.