Founded in 1851, AQUASCUTUM owes its worldwide renown to its trench coats. In 1853, its founder and tailor John Emary succeeded in creating a waterproof wool that gave the company its name, AQUASCUTUM being the Latin name for ‘water shield’.
AQUASCUTUM's waterproof wool soon became highly prized for its quality and was used to make soldiers' trench coats.

In 1897, AQUASCUTUM became an official supplier to the Crown, Prince Edward VII being its first royal customer to order a trench coat.
Many aristocrats went on to wear AQUASCUTUM creations, from Prince Rainier of Monaco to Sir Winston Churchill, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Sophia Loren, Cary Grant and Michael Caine.