Guide Note

In the Fall and Winter of 2007, a trend emerged for wearing military-inspired coats, with high waists, brass buttons and large collars. It was not the first time: military-inspired coats have been an occasionally trendy article of fashion for over 100 years.

Fast Facts

1. Available in a variety of colors and textures
2. Usually made of heavy cotton fabric or wool
3. Can range from actual military surplus to $800 Burberry designs

Since at least the early 20th century, the warm, double-breasted Pea Coat (or P-Coat) has been worn casually by civilians. Military style jackets were also evident in the youth counterculture of the 1960s, though more likely worn to co-opt military fashion than pay tribute to the military. Rock stars have worn colorful versions of military coats, including the The Beatles—on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band—and Prince in the mid-1980s. In the Fall of 2007, the trend re-emerged, with celebrities like Katie Holmes and Liv Tyler being photographed in a new generation of military-inspired coats, with prominent collars and brazz buttons.