Tyra Banks did a lot of things in the new America’s Next Top Model docuseries that made people angry—one of which was wearing what the internet has dubbed the "f*ck ass trench coat."
After more than a decade spent manufacturing problematic ANTM moments (including, but not limited to: race-swapping, body-shaming, victim-shaming, homophobia, and yassifying homelessness), the supermodel returned to television screens to answer for her crimes against the Millennial generation at large. Except, she didn’t actually own up to much of anything, but what she did do was debut a new genre of redemption tour ’fits.
Like any intelligent woman put on trial by public opinion, the “smize” inventor chose an intentionally demure look for her Netflix-sponsored deposition. But instead of going makeup-free in a simple T-shirt, as an outward sign of contrition (a popular strategy taken by the likes of Mila Kunas and Ashton Kutcher, Shane Dawson, James Charles, and more in their own apology videos), Banks went what we’ll call the Jeffree Star route. She blew out her hair, applied a full glam look, then popped on a designer trench coat and her best push-up bra to loudly proclaim her innocence.
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By all appearances, Banks selected a neutral-colored jacket to portray herself as a neutral participant in the Top Model saga—despite her 15-year reign as creator, host, and executive producer. (As one Threads user so aptly wrote: “Tyra cosplaying detective while being the prime suspect is taking me out.”)
Where her look should have come across modest, unassuming, and repentant, flashy additions—like, a garden-worth of 3-D florals, a bare neckline, and a canvas waist-belt cinched to the high heavens—actually caused the traditionally-minimalist jacket style to read bold, confident, and unapologetic.
Like the aspiring models Banks would traumatize, the trench coat began its long slog to fame in the trenches. First designed by Thomas Burberry in World War I, these waterproof jackets were given to British soldiers as protection from the mud, rain, and drainage they’d face in the literal trenches. Like these men, Banks would make her own brave soldiers wallow in the mud, risk hypothermia in freezing-cold water, and pose on actual military bases.
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When Burberry released their military designs to the masses years later, the canvas design became an instant success—one that would thrive for generations to come. Throughout the years, the trench coat has been embraced by respected historic figures, such as Queen Elizabeth II, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jackie Kennedy, as well as iconic movie stars, like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Today, trench coats are one of the most popular outerwear styles on the market, having shot back into the limelight by the rise of quiet luxury. Perpetually worn by stars like Hailey Bieber, Zoë Kravitz, Kendall Jenner, Sofia Richie, and more, the trench coat is considered a pricey, but humble fashion staple that conveys maturity, simplicity, and professionalism. Banks’ ill-chosen Burberry pull, however, came equipped with several ostentatious design details that effectively undermined this message—and perhaps, that was the point.
