KittyT
I'll Lock Up
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- Boston, MA
I'm currently reading Raymond Chandler's "The Big Sleep". For some reason, I'm not sure why, I was struck by this:
"The door opened and a woman got out. A small slim woman in a vagabond hat and a transparent raincoat."
I know nothing about raincoats. I never imagined that transparent raincoats were around back in the 30s. After a little research, I have found the following historical bits from http://coat-4-rain.blogspot.com/2007/03/raincoat-and-story.html. I had no idea!
----
Chemicially treated fabrics gradually began to predominate by the early twentieth century. For World War I, Thomas Burberry created the all-weather trench coat. The coat was made of a yarn-dyed fine twill cotton gabardine.
The gabardine was chemically processed to repel rain. Though these trench coats were first made for soldiers, after the war ended in 1918, they spread in popularity. They were also much cooler than those made of Macintosh's fabric.
By 1920, raincoat design moved beyond the trenchcoat, though that coat remained a classic. Oil-treated fabrics, usually cotton and silk, became popular in the 1920s. Oil-skin was made by brushing linseed oil on fabric, which made it shed water. Car coats were introduced in the 1930s. These raincoats were shorter than trenchcoats and made for riding in automobiles. Rubber-covered and-backed raincoats, made of all kinds of fabrics, resurged in popularity between the wars as well.
After 1940, raincoats made of lightweight fabric became more popular. Military research lead to the creation of raincoat fabrics that could be dry-cleaned. Vinyl was a preferred fabric in the 1950s for its impressive waterproofness, as was plastic (through the 1970s), though such raincoats retained heat.
Innovations in fabrics continued to affect raincoats. Wool blends and synthetic blends were regularly used to make raincoats beginning in the 1950s. Such blends could be machine washed. There were also improved chemical treatments of cloth. Heat-welded seams were introduced as well, increasing how waterproof the fabric was.
In the 1960s, nylon was used to make raincoats, and in the 1970s, double-knit became a preferred fabric. Double-knit raincoats were not as water repellent as those made with other fabrics, but were designed differently to compensate. Still such raincoats were not as comfortable, and double-knit faded throughout the decade. Vinyl raincoats briefly had a renewed popularity, especially among women.
---
I'm still confused about Carmen Sternwood's transparent raincoat in "The Big Sleep". I guess I figure a clear coat would be PVC, but that wasn't popular until later on, was it?
So anyway, spring is upon us and spring is WET! Show me pictures of vintage raincoats, or show me your own! Unfortunately, I have been able to find very little other than coats dating to the 60s. Pictures of men's raincoats are easy to find. I have found very little in the women's category.
60s PVC raincoat
Another 60s one
And another
Unsure of date:
"Xmas 1926"
"The door opened and a woman got out. A small slim woman in a vagabond hat and a transparent raincoat."
I know nothing about raincoats. I never imagined that transparent raincoats were around back in the 30s. After a little research, I have found the following historical bits from http://coat-4-rain.blogspot.com/2007/03/raincoat-and-story.html. I had no idea!
----
Chemicially treated fabrics gradually began to predominate by the early twentieth century. For World War I, Thomas Burberry created the all-weather trench coat. The coat was made of a yarn-dyed fine twill cotton gabardine.
The gabardine was chemically processed to repel rain. Though these trench coats were first made for soldiers, after the war ended in 1918, they spread in popularity. They were also much cooler than those made of Macintosh's fabric.
By 1920, raincoat design moved beyond the trenchcoat, though that coat remained a classic. Oil-treated fabrics, usually cotton and silk, became popular in the 1920s. Oil-skin was made by brushing linseed oil on fabric, which made it shed water. Car coats were introduced in the 1930s. These raincoats were shorter than trenchcoats and made for riding in automobiles. Rubber-covered and-backed raincoats, made of all kinds of fabrics, resurged in popularity between the wars as well.
After 1940, raincoats made of lightweight fabric became more popular. Military research lead to the creation of raincoat fabrics that could be dry-cleaned. Vinyl was a preferred fabric in the 1950s for its impressive waterproofness, as was plastic (through the 1970s), though such raincoats retained heat.
Innovations in fabrics continued to affect raincoats. Wool blends and synthetic blends were regularly used to make raincoats beginning in the 1950s. Such blends could be machine washed. There were also improved chemical treatments of cloth. Heat-welded seams were introduced as well, increasing how waterproof the fabric was.
In the 1960s, nylon was used to make raincoats, and in the 1970s, double-knit became a preferred fabric. Double-knit raincoats were not as water repellent as those made with other fabrics, but were designed differently to compensate. Still such raincoats were not as comfortable, and double-knit faded throughout the decade. Vinyl raincoats briefly had a renewed popularity, especially among women.
---
I'm still confused about Carmen Sternwood's transparent raincoat in "The Big Sleep". I guess I figure a clear coat would be PVC, but that wasn't popular until later on, was it?
So anyway, spring is upon us and spring is WET! Show me pictures of vintage raincoats, or show me your own! Unfortunately, I have been able to find very little other than coats dating to the 60s. Pictures of men's raincoats are easy to find. I have found very little in the women's category.
60s PVC raincoat
Another 60s one
And another
Unsure of date:
"Xmas 1926"
