The Heritage of the Mackintosh

Few garments are as quintessentially British as the mackintosh. Two centuries after a Glasgow chemist first found a way to keep the rain out, the classic mac is still a firm favourite, and it is the heart of everything we do at Hamilton Classics Rainwear.

A Scottish invention

In 1823 the Glasgow chemist Charles Macintosh patented a way of making cloth truly waterproof. He took naphtha, a by-product of the city’s gasworks, used it to dissolve natural rubber, and then sandwiched the rubber solution between two layers of fabric. The result was a cloth that kept the rain out completely, and it would soon give its name, with an extra ‘k’, to one of the best-loved garments in British history.

Woman in a full-length hooded black rubberised mackintosh with full puffed sleeves, buttoned and belted, standing on open heathland.
Hooded mac on open heathland

From rubberised cloth to the ‘mac’

Early rubberised cloth was not without its troubles. It could stiffen in the cold and turn tacky in the heat. Once vulcanised rubber arrived in the 1840s the material became far more stable, and Macintosh’s company (which later joined forces with Thomas Hancock) was soon producing coats for travellers, soldiers and anyone who had to brave a British downpour. Before long, a ‘mackintosh’, or simply a ‘mac’, meant any good waterproof coat.

Woman in a long belted black mackintosh and knitted hat walking through a misty park.
A belted mac on a misty morning
Woman with a blonde bob in a classic black rubberised mackintosh standing by a paddock fence, a horse looking on.
Country walk by the paddock

The golden age of the fashion mac

In the middle of the twentieth century the mackintosh became a fashion piece as well as a practical one. Gleaming black rubberised macs, belted at the waist and finished with storm collars, epaulettes and big buttons, were worn on country walks, at the wheel of the family car and on snowy winter mornings. Alongside them came the hooded rain cape, swinging, generous and wonderfully practical for cycling or a blustery stroll. These are the styles shown in the photographs on this page.

Smiling young woman in a long black rubber mackintosh with hands in pockets, on a woodland path.
Woodland stroll, circa 1980
Smiling woman in a belted black mackintosh and rubber boots standing in snow among birch trees.
Winter snow, sensibly dressed
Woman in a cap and long belted black mackintosh leaning against a vintage motor car.
Motoring in a mac
Woman in a hooded, double-breasted black belted mackintosh and boots saluting on a lawn.
A double-breasted hooded mac

Carrying on the tradition at Hamilton Classics

At Hamilton Classics Rainwear we are proud to carry that heritage forward. Our classic mackintoshes and capes take their cue from the timeless mid-century shapes: long, belted, properly waterproof and made to last. Whether you want a faithful vintage-style mac, a full rain cape or something made to your own measurements through our bespoke service, every garment is chosen and finished with the same care that made the original mackintosh a British icon.

Two women in long belted black mackintoshes laughing on playground climbing frames.
Friends in matching macs
Two women in long belted mackintoshes and boots posing outside a brick house.
Mid-century style outside a brick semi

Images courtesy of the Rubber Rainwear archive

Shop the collection

Ready to own a piece of rainwear history? Browse our collection of classic mackintoshes and capes and find the one that’s right for you.

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