Stay Dapper and Dry in this Band of Outsiders Mackintosh

Pray for rain.

Scientific innovators rarely moonlight as style innovators. The notable historical exception to that trend is Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh, who, in 1823, patented a technique for rubberizing cotton and soon produced the first Mackintosh (“k” inexplicably added) trench coat. Almost two hundred years later, the simply-cut, sturdy coat is still guarding men against the weather. For their version, Band of Outsiders has thrown away the typical earth-tone palette and adopted a contrasting blue design, with a bright azure hood, cuffs and elbow patches over a navy print. Thoughtful touches abound that underscore the coat’s artisan-made quality: the stripes on the lining are drawn by hand, the buttons are cured enamel, and the hood is detachable when the day calls for a sleeker profile. The coat is, of course, 100% rubberized cotton and is made in Scotland in collaboration with the Mackintosh Company. Think of it as another innovation. [1,995; bandofoutsiders.com]

Photos by Band of Outsiders