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War! What is it good for? Pt. III: Fashion
War is undeniably one of the main drivers of innovation over the course of history. Countless consumer goods, indispensable technologies and lifesaving medical procedures stem from conflict or its aftermath.
In Part I we explored advances in medical science.
In Part II we learned how war changed the way we eat and drink.
In Part III we’ll take a look at what we wear today
The trench coat
Though this iconic garment obtained its name from the First World War, its history starts a century before.
The predecessor to the trench coat was the mac, named after its inventor Charles Macintosh who in the 1820’s started using rubberized cotton to create outerwear. The mac was waterproof, though the fabric did not breathe and soon starting smelling unpleasant.
Tailors and manufactures continued to develop the cut and the fabric. Early versions of the trench coat were created by John Emary in 1853 and by Thomas Burberry in 1856. Emary named his company Aquascutum (Latin for “water shield), while Burberry simply gave his company his own name.
In 1879, Burberry pioneered a breathing fabric of which the individual yarn was waterproofed rather than the cloth or the finished garment. This was…
