Making Scents
Named after the building address of Muelhens perfumery in Cologne, 4711 is the world’s oldest perfume formula with its origins dating back to a 17th century Carthusian monk. Amazingly, it remains a strong seller even 400 years on.
Price 25 USD
Available at most global perfume stores
Protect and Serve
Thomas Burberry developed the perennially popular trench in 1901 as an overcoat to be used by British army officers. It’s innovation lay in a patented fabric, called gabardine, which was hardwearing and water-resistant yet also breathable.
Price 1,095 USD
www.burberry.com
Tried and Tested
Clark’s has unceasingly produced these ageless desert boots since 1950, when the company’s founder decided to replicate the Egyptian-made, crepe-soled, rough suede boots worn by British forces in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II.
Price 110 USD
www.clarksoriginals.com
Sure Footing
Converse All Star Chuck Taylor’s are the oldest, most popular, and all time best selling basketball shoe of all time. Since their introduction in 1917, they’ve sold over 800 million pairs and in 2003 Nike acquired the company.
Price 50 USD
www.converse.com
Pour Vision
This Texas original is actually the world’s oldest major soft drink. Hitting the shelves in the U.S. a year before Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper today sells more than 530 million cases worldwide. Amusingly, we still have no idea what’s in it.
Price 8 USD (case of 24)
Available at most global supermarkets
Hide and Sleek
First introduced as the ‘Sac à Dépêches’ in 1935, Hermès changed its name when Grace Kelly used hers to hide her baby bump from the prying lenses of the paparazzi. The subsequent global coverage made the bag a massive sales hit.
Prices range from 6,500-150,000 USD depending on size and material
www.hermes.com
Seeing the Light
Aviator sunglasses were first developed in 1936 by Ray-Ban for pilots to protect their eyes while flying. The company began selling the glasses to the public a year later and they’ve never stopped since.
Price 150 USD
www.ray-ban.com
Ship Shape
The Sperry Top-Sider is the original boat shoe. Invented by Paul Sperry in 1935, the shoes’ white sole and treaded rubber allowed boatmen to not just walk on the decks of their vessels without slipping but also to do so without without leaving any marks.
Price 85 USD
www.sperrytopsider.com
Scooting the Truth
After World War II, Enrico Piaggio, the son of Piaggio's founder Rinaldo Piaggio, decided to leave the aeronautical field in order to address Italy's urgent need for modern and affordable transport. The resulting vehicle, launched in 1946 and named Vespa (wasp in Italian), featured a body, with all its curves and sculpting of pressed steel, that was unusually also the frame as well. It’s hardly changed since.
Price 6,000 USD
www.piaggio.com
Lube Tube
California, 1953, and a start-up company plans to create a rust-preventive solvent for the aeronautical industry. After forty attempts to develop this water-displacing solvent, they finally succeed (hence the name). Extraordinarily, it would take a further five years for the pioneers to realise that this handy lubricant had a myriad of uses beyond what it was intended for. So in 1958 they packaged it in a handy spray can and the rest, as they say, is history.
Price 5 USD
Available at most global hardware stores
