Whats the difference between a Trenchcoat and a Mackintosh?

[top_cat]

I would really like to get one of those lovely jackets with the high collar, belt around the waist and double-breasted buttons, but all my search results have switched between short-trenchcoats and mackintoshes. So I was wondering if anyone could help me with which best fits my description

[RainyDee]

Hi TC,

Now, I am not an expert on this kind of rainwear, but I'm sure a Mackintosh has a hood and a trenchcoat doesn't, I'm sure there are others on the forum with far more knowledge on the subject than me!

[neil]

I'm not sure there is a definite distinction;different people have different names for the same thing.
I tend to think of a trenchcoat as a double breasted,belted coat of kneelength or a bit below.It is not neccessarily waterproof.
A Mackintosh (or mack or mac) I think of as a long waterproof coat of any design.Its a fairly old fashioned term deriving from the rubberised cotton "Mackintosh"material.
North Americans may have a different terminology.

[Hugo]

There might be some difference in style, but I think, the main difference today is simply the origines. On the other hand, the original trench coat is made from cotton drill or poplin, the original macintosh from rubberised fabric, both waterproof. I sometimes get the impression, that today, trench coats are the male version while macintoshes are the female version of pretty much the same coat, made of any fabric. Iin the end, it all boils down to "raincoat". None of the original coats had a hood.

[wellyboy]

A mackintosh is a rubberised, sometimes shiny coat, with a nice aroma of rubber emanating from it.
It is usually but not exclusively black, double-breasted with optional hood.
But they also come in white, off-white and cream and can be bought in knee-length and full length designs.
Many people in the equestrian world would have worn them up to the mid 80s, before the introduction of the wax jacket.
I had two of them myself. As a teenager and in my early to mid 20s. They are very difficult to locate in the high street shops, but you can purchase them online.
The black mackintosh is also nice. Try Gekko rainwear online.
The trenchcoat can be worn by either sex, but while the style maybe similar to the mackintosh, it would be have the traditional characteristics of the macktinosh and would be showerproof as opposed to being waterproof.
Still, the sight of a young lady buttoned and belted in her shiny black rubber mackintosh is still a rare sight these days, but when spotted the picture is one to behold.

[Jjai]

I think the original 'Trenchcoats' were as said previously long knee length or below raincoats first issued to Officers and men during the first World war as a modification of the military style 'Greatcoat' which tended to be of thicker woollen material.
The name trenchcoat is implied probably from where the soldiers issued with them wore them mainly in Northern France at the time.
Since then it has become the pattern for many styles and materials however most have Gunpatches over one or two of the shoulders, thick belts and wrist straps and made in double breasted style.

Mackintosh seems to apply to more or less any raincoat these days, but the only real style seems to be a double breasted longer length raincoat made of Shiny Black rubber with glued and taped seams. I bought one from Stormclouds about four years ago and it is the best raincoat I will ever have.

[Hugo]

Here is an easy guideline:

For a classic trenchcoat, ask Humphrey Bogart
For a classic mackintosh, look here: http://www.mackintoshrainwear.com/

By the way, neither has originally been made of shiny black rubber or latex.

It seems, that "trenchcoat" has become another word for "long coat" and "mackintosh" for "raincoat".

Here is an interesting website dealing with denominations of coats: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-mackintosh.htm