|
The history of the raincoat |
Chillout Room>Rainwear History>
A note on the women's rainwear industry in these columns recently was, it appears, premature in announcing the decline of the waterproof, or rubberized, side of the trade. But we were in good company as several visitors from the Continent have recently expressed astonishment at the advances made in recent years in a trade they had thought to be at best moribund.
The trade did in fact go through a lean time five or six years ago when the then conventional single texture, unlined garment fell out of favour for a number of reasons, among them competition from plastic rainwear and then from the new chemical finishes for showerproof garments. In retrospect most manufacturers are thankful that these events occurred as they did as the need to keep existing rubberising plant employed provided the strong incentive needed to transform the industry into its prsent prosperous state.
For some time before this several progressively minded manufacturers had realized that the future of the trade layin widening its range into more highly fashioned garments. Many of them had been experimenting for some time with tweeds and similar cloths for rubberising and the trade's present era of prosperity can be said to have started when it was found that the Italian woolen industry could produce an attractive range of tweeds in interesting colours and surface effects which were, however, cheap enough to enable the trade to produce a well-fashioned garment in the medium price range.
After a fairly quiet start and a dull year for the whole of the trade in 1959 this particular line met with great success in 1960. So much so that from August until the end of the year the majority of manufacturers introduced a rationing system for their customers. Tweeds are still popular and are being produced in quantity for the coming autumn trade, some of the latest styles incorporating detachable trimmings in nylon fur fabrics. But the trade is also producing rainwear in a very wide range of fabrics and in weights suitable for all seasons.
Among the cloths now being used for rainwear are cords and twills, sailcloths, Venetians, spun rayons, and brushed rayons. One of the latest developmentsis of double texture cloths in which the rubber proofing is sandwiched between, say, a nylon check and a tweed; these cloths are expected to find a very wide application in the near future.
At present there is virtually no export trade in this 'fashion' rainwear. It may be however that a valuable potential exists and at least one manufacturer intends to make a determined effort in the next few months to open up new markets in Europe, particularly in Western germany and Scandinavia. It seems as if the women's rainwear trade in those countries, in fashion waterproof garments at least, is at about the same stage as it was in this country five years ago.
SHOP | CLUB FOYER | CHILLOUT ROOM | ASK LORRAINE
