The trench coat has been a menswear staple since WW1, where, as bonafide survival gear, it helped soldiers stay dry, warm, and comfortable in the harshest conditions.
Trench coats are now associated with soldiers, spies, detectives, and adventurers of all stripes. A trench coat is the first choice for anyone who is trying to go incognito. So it’s not surprising that Vollebak, the British adventure clothing company known for experimenting with cutting-edge Swiss fabrics and imagining the clothes we need to keep us alive everywhere from the Amazon rainforest to the surface of Mars, has taken it upon itself to reinvent the trench coat.
It’s made from a 3-layer Swiss material that is abrasion-resistant, waterproof, breathable, and elastic. A reinforced collar with a detachable storm flap (it can be completely removed or just left unfastened to one side, leaving it attached to the collar), bonded vents, and metal parts go far beyond mil-spec. Two long side vents are designed for maximum airflow. The two large side storage pockets are reinforced with bartacks and fastened with concealed zippers with rubberized pullers.
And the Vollebak Trench Coat is quite literally cut by lasers before it is bonded together. The heat vaporizes and seals the edges of the material as it cuts them, leaving the edges raw. Unlike its predecessors, this trench coat is not only tough but because of the materials used (which didn’t even exist when then the first trench coats appeared), it also has the kind of stretch normally associated with high-performance sports gear.
The design is basic, lacking the sweeping oversized collars and epaulets seen in movies like Casablanca and Blade Runner. But make no mistake. Behind this classic look is the most technically advanced trench coat ever made. This thing could probably help you survive WWIII, a nuclear holocaust, or the total destruction of the planet. Volllebak says it’s as durable as its famous 100-year gear. They’ve tested it to show that it can survive 100,000 cycles of wear before it starts to break down. For reference, note that a normal polyester fabric can survive just around 25,000 revolutions. It costs $995 but in terms of cost per wear, this may be a better value than most fast fashion. Consider it an heirloom piece that you can pass on to future generations. Bogey would approve.