Dear Lorraine
Since I have lived in London I have always worn long coats and covered my head. Other women in our community do the same as do some English women I know.
Fi who I work with wears a long trench coat neophane ski mask that just leaves her eyes uncovered. She wears dark glasses. She says she is no longer stared at and pestered on the tube or when out shopping. Another colleague wears a hooded top with a deep hood and a baseball cap. Like boys on the street her face is totally covered. On wet days she wears a long hooded poncho over her hooded top.
Sometimes I and other women in work wear snorkel hooded parkas. These totally obscure the face. My friend has a Canadian rubberised parka that reaches her knees.It has a snorkel hood that is six inches deep and only about two inches wide. I tried wearing it, it was very warm and had a lovely smell but I kept tripping up as I couldn't see the floor!
Keep up the good work on your site.
AM
Dear AM
Thankyou very much for your letter - very interesting.
It can be really nice to have an excuse to wear all-enveloping things - but I can't quite make out if you enjoy it or not - except for the Canadian parka, which sounds absolutely lovely, in spite of it making you trip up!
We would all love to hear more, I know.
Best wishes, and thank you again
Lorraine
After looking for ages I have managed to find a Canadian rubberised cotton parka for myself in an army surplus shop in the East End. I love wearing it and do so all the time. I think they were or still are made for the Royal Mounted Police.
It is much too long its sleeves cover my hands and it goes down to the tops of my boots.Its dark green made of heavy rubberised material and smells heavenly. It is very warm lined with fur pile. It has a full length double zip at the front and a zip up vent at the rear both covered with velco flaps. It has straps to tie it to the thighs. It has six large useful pockets and rubberised gloves attached to the sleeves by a string.
The hood is amazing a snorkel design that can be worn as a stand up collar that comes over my eyes or a long deep snorkel six inches long. It has draw cords at the inner and outer ends and is furlined. The hood has two volume adjusters at the rear and another drawcord at the neck. I did trip up over steps until I got used to wearing it but now wear it from getting up to going to bed. And may not take it off then!
AM
A new term at university.
During freshers week will be extending membership of "Women Ourselves". We are a radial feminist group. We want women in university to get firsts.
The way do this we believe is to avoid men. Too many women spend their chance in uni getting drunk and used by men.
We advocate twelve hour working days of study and not wasting money on drink drugs and discos. We make up our social side by discussion and making life-long friendships.
Some of our members have already written to you.
We advocate total coverage of the body in public. We are pleased to see fashion this season advocating long hooded padded coats. Trench coats with silk facing and head scarves, gloves and boots are the way to defeat men. Snorkel parkas, dufflecoats with hoods covering up is the way. In twenty years WE will run industry and the country.
AM
Dear AM
Thank you!
Not quite sure who we are, but when we are in power how are we going to avoid tunnel vision?
Best
Lorraine
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