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