Who originally designed the canvas duster coat?

The original idea for the canvas duster coat is credited to Andrew LeRoy from Scotland. He decided to reuse discarded boat sails by soaking them in linseed oil to make waterproof capes, and then sold them to sailors to be used while out at sea.

After steamboats replaced sailing vessels in Australia, the capes were still used by men on horseback. This is when the capes came to be called dusters. In 1837 the duster coat gained popularity in America, becoming the standard uniform of cowboys and ranchers in the western United States and also the military. Over the years modifications made to the design of duster coats have made them a timeless piece of clothing.