Pretty Little Liars Trivia: Why the coat is red, and a trench!

When an average citizen thinks of a trench coat, think of of it in the color of khaki. Call it beige, tan – whatever… you know what I mean. That’s what is typical. But when a Pretty Little Liars fan thinks of a trench coat, they think of Vivian Darkbloom in her mysterious red trench. And it’s made all that more mysterious considering we don’t really know who is wearing the red trench.

In this promo for Pretty Little Liars season 4, all of our liars are in the iconic red trench. What does this tell us?

Some Background on the Trench Coat

The history of the trench coat is LONG, and worth reading on Wiki if you have the time. What you need to know is that:

• First developed and worn during WWI. Named after men on the front lines, in the trenches.
• A classic coat shape, popular to this day for men and women alike.
• Available in many colors, though khaki reigns supreme as the classic option.
• Seen in popular culture Inspector Gadget, Dick Tracy, Colombo, Castiel (Misha Collin’s character on Supernatural), Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), Carmen Sandiego, Holly GoLightly (Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s), Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion on Firefly) and even the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant on Doctor Who) and actors like Humphrey Bogart in film noirs.

Why it works for Pretty Little Liars

In fact was almost mandatory (as a trend) for detective’s in a film noir’s of the 30’s and 40’s to be seen wearing a trench coat. Actors like Robert Mitchum, Humphrey Bogart and Alan Ladd looked dashing in these coats. These men were often damaged heros. These were, of course, classically male coats for a very long time. But the fitted shape to them easily attracted women to the easy and traditional shape. Since then, we have associated trench coats with detectives, always on a mission, and often having an upper hand.

Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (1946)

And though you may want to say that costume designer Mandi Line couldn’t have given it this much thought, it makes complete sense that our mystery woman on Pretty Little Liars wears a red trench coat. After all, it’s worn by someone hiding in plain sight. We take notice because of the color of red, but the trench coat also makes it not so unique that we can find this person just by the style. Plus, the trench coat gives us ideas about mysteries and someone with a secret task.

Of course,  this point us in the direction of thinking that it’s possible Red Coat is not a foe, but a detective-like friend who is also trying to discover secrets along with the girls. What do you think? Is Red Coat definitely bad?

Pretty Little Liars Season 4 Spoilers

For the first promo poster and image of Pretty Little Liars season 4, we see Aria, Hanna, Emily and Spencer all in red trench coats. Have you wondered why? Because there could be a secret meaning there, even spoilers for the upcoming season.

We know that whoever wears the red coat is guilty of something, and highly suspicious. We know red coat keeps secrets. Well, who else does that describe? Our four liars! And does this mean more of our liars might start turning to the dark side? Can we still trust them all?

And look at those powerful poses? While in the season one poster of Pretty Little Liars, the four girls looked perplexed and caught by surprise…here they are owning it. They look much more confident. Are they going to be more proactive in trying to solve their problems, and less like the victims they used to be?

See, something I forgot to mention is that trench coats were used because they helped protect people from bad weather.

And these ladies look prepared for war.

You can buy the exact coat seen in the poster: Pretty Little Liars Season 4 Fashion

Pretty Little Liars season 4 premiere date is Tuesday, June 11 2013.