Shiny PVC v Rubber

[WealdenMac]

Recent postings of pictures of Pia and Latex Kitty looking fabulous in shiny PVC raincoats together with links to the new French rainwear shop and the one I saw in Berlin at Easter demonstrate the heights that mainland European designers can achieve when working in that magnificent material. Occasional seasons apart, it seems to me that we in the UK have never quite embraced shiny PVC as enthusiastically as our European cousins. When I was but a callow member of the relatively new Mackintosh Society in the 1970's there was certainly a strong feeling amongst some more established members that shiny PVC was somehow a second class material and that rubber, in all its manifestations, was and would always be "numero uno". But when there was something of a revival in the popularity of shiny raincoats amongst the wider female population in the mid 1980's it was led by shiny polyurethane coats from companies like Harglenis. I am happy to enjoy both materials because they bring different things to the party so to speak but I do wonder if we haven't somehow missed a bit of a trick here by not promoting shiny PVC enough.

[JanetandNick]

What you need is the best of both worlds.
And, as it happens, Nick has just this morning posted a couple of new photoalbums on my website.
"Ultra Shiny PVC" (Both a long coat, and a dress)
"SBR" (Just a couple of pictures of a heavy rubber coat)
Hope you all enjoy both!
Love,
Janet
xxxxxx
http://www.janetseclecticreviews.org.uk

[Plastic Max]

What a question ..... can't decide ....... love them both! But I like my SBR macs to be dull while my PVC macs must be shiny. Can't figure that one out. Anybody else have mixed likes?

[pvcmac]

i love both rubber and pvc macs. for me it has to be the old fashioned rubber lined cotton mackintoshes. (ladies/girls macs). and as for pvc it has to be the shiny cotton backed type from the 60s/70s including rukka macs.
sadly both type of macs are very hard to get hold of these days.

[latexloo]

I think if you look up the word "dilemma" in the dictionary, it comes up with this question!
For me I prefer SBR and latex raincoats because of the feel and smell of them, but pvc are easier to look after and last longer too, also cheaper to buy.

[Jjai]

I used to like just thick and shiny PVC especially the styles they used to sell in the yacht chandlers and what workmen used to wear on building sites - the thick heavy glossy macs, but then I bought an SBR trenchcoat four years ago which I wear all the time as it is matt Black and does'nt look conspicuous at all.

I would love to get hold of a Dark blue or bright Red Rukka style mackintosh and souwester but unless anyone starts re-manufacturing these I like many others only have to look in vain for overpriced second hand ones.