The myth of the trench coat is that it was worn by soldiers in the muddy trenches of the First World War, giving the garment its name and rugged appeal. In reality, it evolved from waterproof coats created by Scottish chemist and inventor Charles Macintosh and British inventor Thomas Hancock (founder of the British rubber industry) in the early 1820s. And those that did wear it during the war were primarily of officer rank and above, who purchased the trench themselves as part of their uniform – a marker of social distinction and class, even in the army.
WWI soldiers wearing trench coats
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But, back to the start of the trench coat’s lineage in the 1820s. Macintosh and Hancock’s rain-repellent garment, the “mack”, was made from rubberized cotton and intended as outerwear for the well-dressed man whose days involved riding, shooting, fishing, outdoor activities and military service. As technology evolved, the rubber coating became more breathable, less sweaty, and better at repelling water. In 1853, a Mayfair gentleman’s tailor named John Emary developed an improved raincoat, which he produced under the name of his company Aquascutum (from Latin, meaning “water” and “shield”). Thomas Burberry, a young draper from Hampshire followed suit in 1856 with the founding of his eponymous company. By weatherproofing the individual strands of cotton and wool fibre rather than the finished textile, Burberry’s “gabardine” fabric, invented in 1879, was the most breathable yet, proving popular with explorers, aviators, and other adventurous gentlemen.