My dear fashionistas, welcome to the last fashion story in the series of posts from England on the Mr.M blog. The month of March was dedicated to the unusual country in the heart of Western Europe and the largest constituent country of the United Kingdom, a country known for its royal family, traditional English breakfast, famous English accent, tea, rain, rain and more rain. Spring in London is the most beautiful time of the year and I am excited as I will go to London again in May this year for the continuation of the collaboration, so I will try my best to bring you new impressions and English capitals. In today’s fashion story, I will show you some spring fashion trends that rule the streets of London.

The images you will see today were created in the legendary Trafalgar Square which represents the heart of modern London and is a public square in the City of Westminster in central London, established in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. The square’s name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars over France and Spain that took place on October 21, 1805, off the coast of Cape Trafalgar.

The site around Trafalgar Square has become a significant landmark of London since the 1200s. For centuries, distances measured from Charing Cross served as location markers. The site of today’s square formerly housed an elaborately designed, enclosed courtyard, the King’s Mews. After George IV moved the mews to Buckingham Palace, John Nash restored the area, but progress was slow after his death, and the square was not opened until 1844.

The recognizable Nelson’s Column, which over time has become a recognizable symbol of this 52-meter-high square, is guarded by four lion statues in its center. A number of commemorative statues and sculptures occupy the square, but the Fourth Plinth, left empty since 1840, has hosted contemporary art since 1999. Prominent buildings overlooking the square include the National Gallery, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Canada House and South Africa House.

The square has been used for community gatherings and political demonstrations, including Bloody Sunday in 1887, the culmination of the first Aldermaston March, anti-war protests and climate change campaigns. Since 1947, Norway has donated a Christmas tree to the square and it is placed twelve days before and after Christmas. The square is the center of London’s annual New Year celebrations. It was famous for its feral pigeons until their removal in the early 21st century.

Let’s take a look at the fashion that mostly prevails on the streets of the English capital. London is a metropolis with a specific climate and a city where it rains “forever” with few sunny days, so rainwear (raincoats, raincoats and windbreakers) is indispensable, so those fashion pieces are exactly the ones you can often see on the streets of London. Of course, the fashion house Burberry represents a special aspect of British culture and heritage, and therefore there is a collective euphoria in Britain when this brand is mentioned. There is no Brit who does not feel proud if he owns at least one piece of clothing, footwear or fashion accessories from this timeless fashion house in his wardrobe.

Since you all know how much I love and respect the work of this fashion house and how much I am a big fan of this brand, I believe that everyone who has been following my blog for a long time knows that I have their coats in various colours, but it was time to refresh my wardrobe a little, so I decided to bring a yellow raincoat this spring.

Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli is a distinctive Irish brand whose tradition and love for rainwear spans nearly two centuries. You must be wondering what is the story of this extraordinary brand? Back in 1823, Mr. Charles Mackintosh patented his breakthrough invention in the form of an extraordinary waterproof fabric. His material has been used by a select few manufacturers to make special raincoats, using his patent 2 layer double cotton bonded with a rubber compound which is then further bonded with rubberised cotton. Later, in 1889, one of those manufacturers from Manchester expanded its operations to Ireland and in 1934 registered its Mackintosh manufacturing business.

The popularity of raincoats has led to them being exported to countries as far as the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. They were worn by men and women who appreciated their function and quality workmanship, however, complaints continued due to the unpleasant smell of the rubber and their tendency to melt in warmer temperatures and become very stiff during cooler temperatures. These raincoats were in such demand that they were also supplied as the official uniform raincoats to Irish government organisations such as the State Police, Military Police Airport Police, Army Officers, Prison Officers and other semi state organisations such as Irish Rail and the Post & Telegraph Service until the downturn in demand caused by the recession and availability cheaper synthetic waterproof materials.

The turning point for the brand was in 1983, when the company was bought by Francis Campelli, who solved all the above complaints and developed a fabric that is odorless and will not change its properties in extreme weather conditions. This fabric is a double cotton texture, with a high-tech breathable membrane sandwiched between 2 layers of cotton, it is breathable, waterproof, windproof, durable and has the added benefit of being dry cleanable and hand washable. For nearly 200 years, generations of artisans have produced these raincoats that have come to be known as ‘The Mack’.

The fabric used to make Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli raincoats is known as Double Texture Cotton. This material is made of 2 layers of fine quality cotton and one special layer of high-tech polyurethane waterproof breathable membrane. It is important to note that all 3 layers are connected by heat and pressure with a hidden waterproof membrane located in the center.

The fabric is pre-shrunk and lightly sanded to provide extra comfort to the touch. Also, this material is additionally coated with a moisture repellent finish to disperse rain. It is important to note that this material is silent unlike the others and does not cause excessive noises when rubbing. The fabric is waterproof, windproof, breathable and durable in general wear conditions.

The Mackintosh will hold its shape thanks to the construction of the seams and the bonded membrane that binds the 2 layers together. It will not become excessively rigid at low temperatures, nor will it melt during exposure to high temperatures. This fabric can be cleaned in a number of ways: dry clean, hand wash or machine wash, but machine wash is not recommended as the Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli team usually use wool linings that can shrink or leather belt buckles that would fall apart in the machine or other non-machine washable covers. It is important to note that after washing or the first season of wearing, the fabric of your raincoat will become a little softer.

As you are used to sharing maintenance tips for Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli raincoats, today I will try to share some additional maintenance tips with you. As for cleaning, the brand recommends Chemical or hand wash at 30° with soap flakes that should be rinsed well. After washing, hang the raincoat on a wide roomy hanger and dry naturally. If you decide to use an iron, then use a steam iron on low heat. After cleaning, reprime if necessary to maintain the shower-repellant finish. It is important to note that colours may lighten after cleaning.

Machine washing is not recommended, but the double-textured fabric used in Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli mackintoshes can actually be washed in a modern washing machine with a delicates or wool programme. The fabric will not shrink or delaminate, the color may change – lighten, but not more than when washing by hand. If the raincoat is machine washed, the pre-shrunk wool lining may still shrink and any genuine leather buckles may begin to fall apart. After a good rinse with plenty of cold water to remove any residue will ensure an even colour, this can be done using a shower head in the shower or bath, or even a garden hose if you have the option. After rinsing it is best to hang your Macintosh on a wide plastic hanger on the clothes dryer.

To maintain the beauty of your Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli raincoat, there is no need to iron or refinish the rainproof finish as the mackintosh will remain waterproof due to the hidden waterproof membrane, but leaks may occur at the stitching points if the rainproof finish is somehow damaged worn out. Iron the garment only from the inside, using a modern steam iron, which will have a Teflon backing to prevent the surface from shining. Remove all detachable items and iron separately. Pressure can be applied to any area where there is only one layer of fabric.

During ironing it is only necessary to use light pressure or no pressure at all on areas where there are folds or 2 layers of fabric. To restore the rain-resistant finish, you can purchase a product from specialized camping equipment stores and look for products that are used to repair cotton clothing and follow the instructions for proper use. To extend the life of your Macintosh, hang it to dry in a well-ventilated area and make sure it is completely dry before long-term storage.

In today’s story I present to you this unusual Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli yellow double breasted raincoat which is ideal for rainy and windy weather. A yellow raincoat is needed by every man during the autumn and winter period, and this raincoat can be worn on all occasions and has a special and elegant charm. It is important to note that this raincoat is extremely light and I liked this interesting colour.

If you want to stay updated and find out what new products Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli, a luxury Irish rainwear brand, has prepared for us, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

OUTFIT

Trench Coat: Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli

Sweater: Burberry

Jeans: Burberry

Sneakers: Dolce & Gabbana

All the people who have been following my blog for years know that I have a great love for the Burberry brand, I honestly don’t even know how many of their clothes I own anymore, but I know that their new collection for Spring – Summer 2025 is something new and refreshing that I needed. In today’s fashion story, I will show you two new fashion pieces in my wardrobe: a two-piece lightweight cashmere sweater and spring jeans from the British fashion house Burberry. Crafted from two separate pieces of the finest cashmere combined with silk, this sweater is ideal for transitional weather when you don’t know what to wear without feeling too warm during the treacherous spring temperatures. The combination of these two colours, orange and yellow, is something completely new and unusual, as is the oversized cut of this sweater, which won my heart at first sight when I saw it.

My dear fashionistas, we have come to the end of the last fashion story from the series of posts from England, where together we discovered the beauty and brilliance of sustainability of rainwear with the Irish brand Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli, the beauty of urban cut with the British brand Burberry and the beauty of the comfort of Italian footwear with Dolce & Gabbana, partners with whom fashion stories are a real adventure. I sincerely hope you got some inspiration for your ideal spring outfit!

Since I received a lot of messages and e-mails asking when travelogues from South America will be published, I will try my best to show you the beauty of South America, as well as the numerous capitals I visited there, in the following posts starting on April 4. Since I had to stop my South American adventure, at the end of April I’m going back to South America again to continue my adventure and you can follow it on Instagram, but don’t worry because stories from South America will be published during my trip, so you won’t be deprived of enjoying new travelogues.

I hope that I will meet all your expectations and that you will enjoy the new travelogues as much as I have prepared this content for all of you with great love. See you soon in a well-known place with some new interesting travelogues and fashion stories! 🙂

With Love from London,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by Mackintosh Ireland by Francis Campelli, Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana brands. This post is my personal and honest review of their products.