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A riding coat or jacket is a garment initially designed as outerwear for horseback riding. It protects the wearer's upper clothes from dirt and wear, and may provide additional protection in case of falls.
The Manchu "horse jacket" (magua) was a dark blue riding coat worn by Manchurian horsemen before becoming a staple item of menswear across the Qing Empire. It subsequently developed into the Burmese Taikpon and the Chinese Tangzhuang.
Original waterproof designs – similar to a Mackintosh – generally comprised a full-length coat with a wide skirt and leg straps to keep it in place. Other typical features included a belted waist, large patch pockets with protective flap, raglan sleeves with tab, and wind cuff, fly front, throat tab and a broad collar.
In 1823, Charles Macintosh (1766–1843) patented his invention for waterproof rubberized cloth, pressing together two sheets of cotton material with dissolved Indian rubber placed in between. It was a brilliant idea for making any fabric waterproof, and the very first Macintosh coats were made at the family's dyestuffs factory, Charles Macintosh and Co. of Glasgow.
The rubber processing pioneer Thomas Hancock (1786–1865) was aware of Macintosh’s work, and in 1825 he took out a license to manufacture the patented "waterproof double textures".
Hancock's solutions for using masticated scrap rubber instead had a higher rubber content than Macintosh's. It gave a uniform film to the cloth while minimizing water penetration and odor.
In 1831, John Hancock joined Charles Macintosh & Co. as a partner, leading to the merging of the two companies. This collaboration brought about the development of an automated spreading machine, which replaced the use of paint brushes in Macintosh's original designs. A significant setback for Hancock occurred in 1834 when his London factory was destroyed in a fire. It forced Macintosh to close his Glasgow factory, relocating all operations to Manchester. [1] [2]
From then on, the manufacturing of "proper" raincoats or macs impervious to all weathers – constructed of two layers of rubber-coated cotton fabric or "double textured" – was concentrated, with all necessary expertise and experience, in Manchester or the Lancastrian cotton towns. Such rubber or rubberized products amounted to a "cottage industry", as confirmed by the abundance of company records in the National Archives at Kew, Surrey.
Classic, belted, double-textured trench coats in off-white or fawn for riding or walking were fashionable before World War 2. They lasted until the end of the century as a specifically British fashion, flattering the human form and enhancing its magnetism.
Typical wartime usage can be seen in Danger UXB (Anthony Andrews), first broadcast in the late 1970s, or the 1976 movie The Eagle Has Landed (film) by Donald Sutherland. The military flavor of rubberized raincoats continued with the 1997 tv program Bodyguards (as sported by John Shrapnel playing Commander MacIntyre of the elite protection team). A model pictured in the December 1944 issue of Vogue (magazine) showed the attractiveness and practicality of these garments for the fashion-conscious, while they appeared in favorite 1950s and 1960s feature films such as Genevieve (1953) (worn by Dinah Sheridan), Me and the Colonel (1958) (Nicole Maurey) and Twice Round the Daffodils (1962) (Sheila Hancock), always sharp, clean, rustling and making a bold statement.
Meanwhile, traditional gentlemen's outfitters, such as Cordings, Hackett, and Gieves & Hawkes, continued to sell plenty of the popular walking coats in thick rubberized cotton. Around 1960, zippered jackets with a cinched waist were ordinary for young and old in Britain. Dark green hooded anoraks were fashioned with the same materials. The anoraks were typically made in dark green for scouting, hiking, climbing, canoeing, and other outdoor activities.
In 1970, double-textured "gangster" macs were the must-have, trendy outerwear for girls, originating from the Valstar "Gangster" brand designed by Maurice Attwood. The styles featuring a signature yoke in front and back, a belt and peplum, and wrist straps with buckles were sold in a range of colors, lengths, and either cotton or viscose at major high street stores like Debenhams (under their Debroyal brand) and C&A (Vivienne style) at prices from £10 to £20. The yoked design was all the rage, even appearing in small sizes for children.
This style, together with a similar style of rainwear, graced the foremost actors and actresses of the time. Cinema films included Country Dance (1970) (Susannah York), Hoffman (1970) (Sinéad Cusack), No Blade of Grass (1970) (Nigel Davenport, Jean Wallace, Lynne Frederick), The Ragman's Daughter (1972) (Victoria Tennant) and All Creatures Great and Small (film) (1974) (Lisa Harrow, Simon Ward). Examples of the many TV series in that period containing Valstar “Gangster” type double-textured rainwear were Take Three Girls (Liza Goddard), The Lotus Eaters (Wanda Ventham), and Man About the House (Paula Wilcox).
Since they provided effective insulation against the cold, the garments were later called “winter macs” by females, who would wear them buttoned, with short upturned collars and - to complete the look - a neckerchief giving a bright, contrasting slash of color.
The retro "gangster" style has been revived as the "Chorlton" in a choice of five colors by Lakeland Elements of Lancaster since Chorlton-upon-Medlock, now part of Greater Manchester, was the location of one of the early Macintosh factories.
Over the years, other design initiatives and variants included the introduction of colorful, light double-textured, and single-textured rubberized macs. There were ponchos, military-style capes, and, more recently the short, navy blue Margaret Howell hoody. On the Continent of Europe, the green hooded anorak or slicker, with yellow rubber lining, retained its popularity. This can be seen in the classic French relationship movie The Aviator's Wife (1981). The similarly unisex Friesennerz reversible hooded anorak in yellow rubber with blue or sometimes fawn lining, was sold on Germany’s high streets and sported by Glenda Jackson in her 1978 film The Class of Miss MacMichael. Certainly, the latter mac was beloved by young tourists of German nationality making a pilgrimage to the fashion mecca of the Swinging Sixties, Carnaby Street in London WW1.
The Mackintosh raincoat is a form of waterproof raincoat, first sold in 1824, made of rubberised fabric.
A parka or anorak is a type of coat with a hood, often lined with fur or faux fur. This kind of garment is a staple of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from caribou or seal skin, for hunting and kayaking in the frigid Arctic. Some Inuit anoraks require regular coating with fish oil to retain their water resistance.
A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant garment worn on the upper body to shield the wearer from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats with long sleeves that are waist-length. A rain jacket may be combined with a pair of rain pants to make a rainsuit. Rain clothing may also be in one piece, like a boilersuit. Raincoats, like rain ponchos, offer the wearer hands-free protection from the rain and elements; unlike the umbrella.
A trench coat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches.
A coat is typically an outer garment for the upper body, worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a belt, or a combination of some of these. Other possible features include collars, shoulder straps, and hoods.
A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear. Some jackets are fashionable, while others serve as protective clothing. Jackets without sleeves are vests.
Gabardine is a durable twill worsted wool, a tightly woven fabric originally waterproof and used to make suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, windbreakers, outerwear and other garments.
A poncho is a kind of plainly formed, loose outer garment originating in the Americas, traditionally and still usually made of fabric, and designed to keep the body warm. Ponchos have been used by the Native American peoples of the Andes, Valley of Mexico and Patagonia since pre-Hispanic times, in places now under the territory of Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, and Argentina, and have become familiar in parts of the U.S. also. A rain poncho is made from a watertight material designed to keep the body dry from the rain.
Driza-Bone, originating from the phrase "dry as a bone", is a trade name for the company making full-length waterproof riding coats and apparel. The company was established in 1898 and is currently Australian owned and manufactures its products in Australia. The trademark of Driza-Bone was first registered in 1933.
A ski suit is a suit made to be worn over the rest of the clothes when skiing or snowboarding. A ski suit made for more casual winter wear outdoors may also be called a snowsuit [ˈsnoʊˌsut] and are often used by children as everyday outerwear in the winter season. Some suits are specifically made for snowboarders but most are used by either skiers or snowboarders regardless of the style.
Oilskin is a waterproof cloth used for making garments typically worn by sailors and by others in wet areas. The modern oilskin garment was developed by a New Zealander, Edward Le Roy, in 1898. Le Roy used worn-out sailcloth painted with a mixture of linseed oil and wax to produce a waterproof garment suitable to be worn on deck in foul-weather conditions. Oilskins are part of the range of protective clothing also known as foul weather gear.
Clothing terminology comprises the names of individual garments and classes of garments, as well as the specialized vocabularies of the trades that have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold clothing over hundreds of years.
Waterproof fabrics are fabrics that are, inherently, or have been treated to become, resistant to penetration by water and wetting. The term "waterproof" refers to conformance to a governing specification and specific conditions of a laboratory test method. They are usually natural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated or coated with a waterproofing material such as wax, rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, or fluoropolymers. Treatment could be either of the fabric during manufacture or of completed products after manufacture, for instance by a waterproofing spray. Examples include the rubberized fabric used in Mackintosh jackets, sauna suits, and inflatable boats.
J. Barbour & Sons Ltd is an English luxury and lifestyle brand founded by John Barbour in 1894 that designs, manufactures and markets waxed cotton outerwear, ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories under the Barbour and Barbour International brands. Founded in South Shields, England, as an importer of oil cloth, J. Barbour and Sons Ltd became known for its waxed cotton jackets, a common element of British country clothing; some refer to any waxed cotton jacket, regardless of brand, as a "Barbour jacket". J. Barbour and Sons Ltd holds royal warrants for the supply of ‘waterproof and protective clothing’ from the Duke of Edinburgh (1974), Queen Elizabeth II (1982) and King Charles III (1987).
Ventile, is a registered trademark used to brand a special high-quality woven cotton fabric first developed by scientists at the Shirley Institute in Manchester, England. Originally created to overcome a shortage of flax used for fire hoses and water buckets, its properties were also useful for pilots' immersion suits, but expensive and leaky if exposed to sweat or oils.
London Fog is an American manufacturer of coats and other apparel. The company was founded in 1922 as the Londontown clothing company by Israel Myers.
Thomas Hancock, elder brother of inventor Walter Hancock, was an English self-taught manufacturing engineer who founded the British rubber industry. He invented the masticator, a machine that shredded rubber scraps and which allowed rubber to be recycled after being formed into blocks or sheets. A blue plaque commemoration is placed on No. 4 High Street in Marlborough, Wiltshire in his honour.
Waxed cotton is cotton impregnated with a paraffin or natural beeswax based wax, woven into or applied to the cloth. Popular from the 1920s to the mid-1950s, the product, which developed from the sailing industry in England and Scotland, became commonly used for waterproofing. It has been replaced by more modern materials but is still used by the country sports community. The main drawbacks are two: waxed fabric is not very breathable and tends to be heavier and bulkier than modern synthetic waterproof materials.
Massimo Osti (1944–2005) was an Italian garment engineer and fashion designer, most famous as the founder of the apparel brands Stone Island and C.P. Company. Osti's products were a mix of his own innovations and design ideas he got from studying military clothing, work-wear, and sportswear.
A car coat is an outer garment originally made to be worn by automobile drivers and passengers. First designed to provide maximum warmth and coverage, over time it became a much shorter garment. Today it describes a coat that typically ends at mid thigh. It is worn by both men and women.
