Return to list

January 29, 1962
First Trench Coat

Related to Fashion

The trench coat was another example of Saint Laurent’s signature style. As with the peacoat, the couturier was borrowing from male codes of dress. Trench coats were initially worn by English officers during World War I to shield them from the elements in the trenches, which explains the name.

Yves Saint Laurent kept the raglan sleeves (meaning that they were sewn to the neck), the two rows of buttons, and the belt, which he used to accentuate the waist. However, he shortened the length of the coat, which was originally calf-length. The coat followed and highlighted the curves of a woman’s body. It is now a key item in the female wardrobe.

Galerie

First trench coat worn by Alla Illitchoum, autumn-winter 1962 haute couture collection, the salons at 30 bis rue Spontini, Paris, July 1962. Photograph by Sharock Hatami., © Hatami
First trench coat worn by Alla Illitchoum, autumn-winter 1962 haute couture collection, the salons at 30 bis rue Spontini, Paris, July 1962. Photograph by Sharock Hatami.
© Hatami
"Long Eveningwear" collection board. Autumn-winter 1962 haute couture collection.
© Yves Saint Laurent