Heritage British-Made Men's Raincoats — Voted by the Community

Britain's wet weather has shaped several important developments in rainwear. In 1823 the Glasgow chemist Charles Macintosh patented a waterproof cloth made by sandwiching rubber between layers of fabric. Rubberised coats kept the rain out but were hot and heavy, and early versions turned stiff in the cold and sticky in the heat. In 1879 Thomas Burberry, an outfitter in Basingstoke, developed gabardine, a tightly woven, water-resistant cloth, and he patented it in 1888. Gabardine became the basis for many classic raincoats and trench coats. Waxed cotton grew out of the practice of treating sailcloth with linseed oil so that it shed water. In the 1930s, paraffin wax replaced linseed oil, which made the cloth more weather-resistant and stopped it yellowing. Waxed jackets were first worn by sailors, fishermen and dock workers, then taken up by farmers, gamekeepers and others who worked outdoors. Contemporary British-made raincoats build on these fabrics and methods to give everyday protection from wind and rain.