Women’s trench coats in cinematography

The trench coat fashion spread in large part due to the film industry.

The trench coat became famous after the 1942 cult film “Casablanca” starring Humphrey Bogart in a Burberry trench coat.

Famous actresses of the time soon adopted this style from the men’s closet.

Because of its external severity, which is nothing superfluous, the trench coat in the cinema is able to give the heroine a certain character. This technique we see particularly clearly in the earliest films.

But even in our time, strong associations with the inspectors-detectives in hats and raincoats from the old black and white films. Often in modern movies trench coats appear on agents, spies and other mysterious personalities.

I have prepared a selection of the most memorable female movie characters in trench coats, and we will start of course with Hollywood classics.

Sophia Loren — “The Key” (1958).

A war film about the hard fate of a girl Stella. Trench as an artistic device emphasizes the strong-willed character of the heroine.

Brigitte Bardot — “Babette Goes to War” (1959)

Audrey Hepburn — “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961).
A Hollywood classic! The Burberry trenchcoat on Holly Golightly’s character appears closer to the final and most exciting scene of the film in the rain.

Catherine Deneuve — “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (1964)
A French musical about separation and love. It is hard to find a more charming image in movies than the young and sad Genevieve with doll hair in a light-colored trench coat and shoes, seeing her beloved off to war.

Anna Karina — “Made in U.S.A” (1966).
The muse and lover of French film revolutionary Jean-Luc Godard, Anne Carina plays the unusual girl Paula in a bright trench coat and dress.

Meryl Streep — “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979)
Drama about a couple going through a divorce and struggling to have a child, which won 5 Academy Awards. The trench coat in the final scene of the film again serves the director as a gimmick that enhances the character.

Lauren Hutton — “American Gigolo” (1980)

Gemma Arterton — “Quantum of Solace” (2008)

Dana Delany — “Body of Proof” (2011–2013)

Amy Adams — “American Hustle” (2013)
A crime comedy with an impressive cast and plenty of improvisation. And Amy Adams as Sidney is a model example of how a modern woman can look elegant in a trench coat.

Caitríona Balfe — “Outlander” (2014)
A fantastic series rich in all sorts of costumes and images. In one of the episodes, the heroine Claire is wearing a beautiful sandy trench coat.

Charlize Theron — “Atomic Blonde” (2017)
Sexy agent Lorraine Broughton is on a dangerous Secret Intelligence Service mission. Her closet consists of a succession of stylish coats and capes. The classic trench coat wasn’t left out either!

Jodie Comer — “Killing Eve” (2018)
An eccentric series about a stalker and a victim. The mentally unstable heroine Vilanel changes fashionable looks one by one, and this, incidentally, emphasizes the multiple personalities of the character. In one of the episodes, she wears a lavish dusty-pink Burberry trench coat.

Elle Fanning and Selena Gomez — “A Rainy Day in New York” (2019)
A romantic comedy from Woody Allen — words will be superfluous here for many. The trench coat in this movie becomes a thing truly indispensable.

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Author of the column: Julia Kuznetsova