Dear Lorraine
Splendid website this, didn't realise there were so many people out there with similar interests!
I spent a lot of my teenage years encased in a black rubber trenchcoat! My mummy and granny were extremely strict about what was to be worn outdoors, especially on family trips out. I was always kitted out in a heavy woolly jumper and cardigan knitted by my granny, and over the top was always a pair of thick black rubber trousers, black rubber boots, thick rubber gauntlets, and a very thick black rubber trenchcoat which was fully lined, and a black rubber sou'wester. I think the coat was possibly home made, as it must have had nearly 100 big plastic buttons to fasten, and once mummy had fully buttoned and tightly belted it all up, it was impossible to undo it yourself, with the heavy gauntlets buttoned up too. The whole outfit was really heavy and hard work to move about in. The rest of the family wore similar outfits of varying colours.
This full ensemble had to be worn whatever the weather, from snowy winter days, to all but the hottest summer days. I remember one family outing in the early 1980's to London, it was a blazing hot day, and we had a picnic in one of the parks. I was absolutely baking inside the outfit, and the black rubber smelt like it was almost melting in the sunshine! I remember people giving us funny looks.
I secretly used to enjoy wearing that gear, and to this day, I still wear heavy raingear when I get the opportunity!
Jacob F
Dear JF
Thanks so much for writing - very interesting story, lots of questions! Hope you don't mind!
1. Can't really work out why your mother and grandmother put you in rubber so obsessively - unless rubber meant something to them? Or they liked the children to feel embarrassed in public? Or they realized that secretly you liked to be made to wear it?
2. Do you think you got your liking of it from being made to wear it? Do you think you would have got to like something else, if made to wear that (eg leather)?
3. Are you glad you are hooked on it, or would you have preferred to be hooked on something else (If so, what?)?
Nice to have you with us!
Best
Lorraine
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