If you could go back in time. What rainwear would you get

[Bill_P]

Well the first raincoat I ever bought with my own money was a kelly green pvc, reversible to navy canvas slicker with a snap front & attached hood, so I have a soft spot for one of those. Probably also get one in yellow/navy, and if I could find one in my size, a gray/red one like Jennifer Grey wore briefly in "Dirty Dancing". Wow, I never realized just how nostalgic I am for the '80s!

If I was back in the early '80s I'd probably also scour the army/navy surplus stores, and maybe Sears, K-Mart & Herman's Sporting Goods for those old Academy Broadway or Weather-Rite brand full-length rubber raincoats with the brass clasps. I'd get one in yellow & one in black, with matching sou'westers.

And finally I'd also have to hop over to merry ole England to get myself a genuine rubber mackintosh. And also a pair of genuine Scottish-made Hunter wellies instead of the Chinese ones we have now.

[neil]

A Belstaff Ironhyde coat
http://strait-acting.blogspot.com/2008/ ... tside.html

[capuchelatex69]

No doubt that I would look at all the rubberised cotton capes and SBR ones, as it was so easy to find them in the specialised providers of these old good times : Comptoir Commercial du Caoutchouc, Manufacture de Saint-Etienne, La Maison du Caoutchouc, Hutchinson, and so on.
Unfortunately, they have all disapeared, one after other.
Our french friends, and surely numerous of you out of the french borders, certainly know all these magic names.

[Priscilla]

For me, it would probably be around 1976 to 1978, when hooded plastic macs came back into fashion, together with 'jelly jackets'. I had been living abroad, and had not seen the arrival of the new raincoats until late summer 1978, when i had a visit to London's Oxford Street. I was truly amazed and delighted, and bought two there and then. One was crystal clear, very crackly and stiff, and the other was long blue with high fitted waist, and 'Cinderella' sleeves - fuller at the shoulder joints, and buttoned cuffs. It reached down well below my knee. Why oh why did I ever throw it out?

A year later I was in a Van Allen shop in Gloucester, and there was a whole rail, maybe 8ft. long, full of myriad coloured macs. C&A always had a good variety; i well remember buying a green mac with little wrist fasteners using D-rings from Peacocks. But almost every shop had something; semi-clear capes could be bought in large stores.

But I am old enough to remember two other eras of plastic, the fifties with the original 'plastic mac' often with a triangular rain scarf or pixie hood, and then the sixties when post Mary Quant, solid colour macs were everywhere.

Oh such memories

[Taffmac]

I would like to be transported back to the early 1960's. There was a small shop in my home town in South Wales which was a ladies and gents outfitters. It was there that I was taken to get my school uniform, my first ever suit, my winter coats, and most other clothes. I usually passed this shop once or twice a day on my way home from school. The shop was run by a local man and his wife and they had one lady assistant. The thing that I remember most of all was that they had a mannequin which stood in one corner of the shop and sometimes it would be draped in a ladies see-through plastic mac, over other clothes, of course. It used to make my day to walk past the shop as slowly as possible without being caught ogling the mackintoshed mannequin. Also, it would be quite common to see genuine Pakamacs folded up in their packets on display in the shop window.

At that time, I thought that I was the only person in the world to have this desire to wear plastic macs but I think that if I could go back in time, I would now buy all the plastic macs in the shop.

Of course, I would love to go back to the late 1970's/early 1980's when see-through plastic macs were everywhere, but what would I buy ? Probably a few of the see-through hooded plastic ponchos in Kendall's in Pontypridd, the label said "Lebel". I bought a natural coloured one "for my girlfriend" but I wish now that I had also bought other colours, especially pink, my favourite.

Great memories !

Jeff.

[evad]

I think I would go back to a little before I was born- clear vinyl raincoats of the 40's, and early 50's. I just love the look of a belted raincoat with flowing skirt, and pixie and square back hoods.. mmmm. The other raincoats of the 50's I loved (and still do!) are the clear raincoat shells that have a lightweight cotton print lining. Love those coats. Have three that actually fit me.

I am also pretty happy with what is around today!

[cammacg]

It definitely has to be the fabulous age of the easily accessible rubber macks. These I remember well from the 50s and 60s. Also the double rubbered macks from Mac Mac at Beaminster in Dorset. We can buy rubber lined, and double rubbered macks today, but what a price.

[mrbassman101]

I'd go back to the 1970's to Wallis shops
for their lightweight double textured
rubberised mackintoshes.
All sorts of designs and colours and all
with that delightful rubbery smell.
If I had to pick one it would be a long
black wrap-over mackintosh with a tie
belt and a fawn interior. Lovely !!

[kulshan]

Great question and love the different comments. Back in the 50's and 60's there were tons of frosty clear rain jackets..a few of which are used by cheerleaders today. These were worn for everything, walking, sports, bicycle, anytiime outdoors there was rain, you covered up with stiff, thick, clear plastic. I'd love to walk into a store and see that full row of jackets and occasionally pants as well.

[rainfash]

I would go back to the 70s at Woolworth's where they had shiny blue, white and red unlined pacamacs. They had a southwester, and the they had white stripes at the pockets, cuffs, at the collar and at the wrists. The blue and red coats had white stripes, the white coats had either red or blue stripes.
Does anybody remembers those macs ?