Pakamac

A lovely film link, McMac. When I have the time, I’ll settle down to watch the whole film. I wasn’t sure about the mac at first, as I watched her on the bus in it. Once she started walking though and I saw the buttons on her mac, exactly like those on my ladies nylon Rainstar macs and a man’s nylon Pakamac, those few minutes elevated the clip into one of my favourites.

Incidentally, does anyone recall having a genuine Pakamac that came with a matching rain scarf? In all the hundreds of vintage mac newspaper adverts that I have, I couldn’t find any for one with a Pakamac. Quelrayn yes and other makes. I even own ladies Quelrayn nylon macs that have one. You can see one in my photos. I don’t think I bought genuine ladies nylon Pakamacs until the early 1970s, in the distinctive Suzanne style. They certainly didn’t have a matching rain scarf and nor had any of the other ladies nylon macs I’d been buying then.

I always prefer a video of a Pakamac in action and I discovered this little gem purely by chance:-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZILfQ1DeT3Y
The first three and a half minutes are especially interesting. The poor woman not only has to cope with a stormy walk home but is assailed by a winged monster into the bargain.

I agree McMac, it’s so much better to tuck my Pakamac collar inside my plastic rain bonnet, when I go out in the rain. Also, my favourite look is wearing a Pakamac over a chunky coat, usually a ladies woollen winter coat. My 2001 album and 2007 album has photos showing some of such combinations. I also have videos on YouTube. The only problem when I go out like that, especially in a wind, is having someone there to hold the camera.

Thank you for those lovely vintage photos, especially so because they’re new to me. Loving your new instalment of your memories.

Here's a couple of links to more Pakamac damsels in distress:-
Both clearly illustrate the need for below the knee fastenings:-
https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/en/research/photo-collection/detail?limitstart=50&q_searchfield=stormen
I think the guy on the right is a rainwear enthusiast if his facial expression is anything to go by.
https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/en/research/photo-collection/detail?limitstart=63&q_searchfield=Slecht%20weer%20op
This lady is too busy looking at what's going on, on the horizon to notice the serious danger right below her.
As promised here's part three of my Pakamac Odyssey, enjoy:-

Part 3-The Weather Project

The lollipop lady was called Fiona and she became a weekly visitor to our house. She became good friends with my Mum and influenced her choice of foul weather apparel.

My Mother had a new secret weapon as well-velcro. She ironed it onto the lower hem of all her winter coats and raincoats. This should she reasoned prevent the wind playing nasty tricks on her coat skirts and keep her as snug as a bug in a rug.
Fiona thought this was a great idea and in turn did the same, saying this could be the final piece of the foul weather jigsaw.
Fiona was a lovely lady who was very chatty and quite open about her feelings including the weather-related ones. Did she suspect something was going on with me, I wasn’t sure but didn’t mind if she did?
She proceeded over several visits to talk about her battle with the elements calling it her “weather project” including the various attempts to remain warm and dry irrespective of the weather. I found it extremely “stimulating” when the conversation veered onto the subject!
My mother seemed oblivious to the effect Fiona had on me but did warm to the weather project and recounted some of her own failed encounters with mother nature. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this.
Fiona had moved to the town 10 years ago because of her husband’s new job. Once her son had moved out to go to university, she found she had time on her hands. That’s when she decided to become a lollipop lady amongst other things.
I was right when it came to windy corner though- the local council found it difficult to keep anyone on patrol there for very long. The prevailing arctic conditions being the culprit. Apparently, it was seen as a type of punishment to be stationed there.
Despite this she relished the opportunity when it was offered, but with one proviso. To combat the weather, she would use her own clothing since the council offerings were in her words “inadequate”. They readily agreed. Initially she underestimated the size of the problem and as a result her initial outfit proved unequal to the task. The combination of heavy winter coat, boots, red Pakamac, wool hat, muffler and rain bonnet should have been more than adequate, but the strength of the wind took her by surprise.
She persevered for a month losing multiple rainbonnets in the process. She experimented with various types including the see-through sou-wester and the full shoulder covering rain bonnet. The wind especially loved the latter one since there was far more opportunity to blow it around and off Fiona’s head. The frequent gale-force gusts played merry hell with her Pakamac ripping the bottom button on more than one occasion and tearing the nylon skirt when it’d been violently whipped open once too often. I discovered that she was on her third Pakamac by month’s end! She usually ended each session wet and numb from the cold.
I wonder now if her third Pakamac had the all-important below the knee storm button since my later sightings seemed to suggest that most of the time, the skirt was not nearly as wayward although still probably being forced open enough for her lower legs to get a thorough soaking. The heavy winter coat may have also contributed to her woes by forcing the storm button open with it’s much greater momentum.
Her winter coat was snuggly warm with a high collar that she could hide in. However, it had one drawback in being a wrap coat only held closed by a belt. This meant that once the wicked wind had disposed of the nylon protection the heavy coat would flap wide open to expose her tweed skirt, which would get soaked in short order. There was also a worrying gap between the hem and the top of her boots which the weather mercilessly exploited.
If this was not enough her fleecy lined leather gloves had a nasty tendency to soak through and make her hands go numb. She realised that a major clothing upgrade was required if she was to avoid joining the list of lollipop ladies who had tried and failed to withstand Windy Corner’s terrible weather.
Fiona decided that first and foremost a different style of nylon raincoat was required and after much research decided one with a drawstring hood and belt was the answer the hood would solve the head protection problem and the belt would help control the billowing and pulsating of the coat which often in itself impeded her movement when she needed to escort children across the road. Windy corner was the shortest route from the school to the town centre. However, on stormy days the kids avoided it like the plague and only a few hardy individuals, usually senior pupils, would brave the ordeal.
She swapped the snuggly wrap coat for a long length hooded ladies duffel coat which fastened to the knee with buttons-not ideal but better than the wrap coat.
She had to concede that skirt wearing had no place in these harsh winter conditions and was down solely to vanity. Femininity was very important to her but not if it was going to cause such discomfort and pain, so reluctantly her beloved skirts were replaced by a combination of warm trousers and waterproof over trousers. Fiona admitted to us that this problem had been self-inflicted. She consoled herself with the thought that come the Summer she could go back to skirts and even bare legs on some occasions!
Finally, she opted for waterproof ski gloves to stop her hands being soaked and becoming blocks of ice. Her Italian leather gloves were beautiful to look at and warm to wear when dry, but again vanity could not get in the way of comfort and safety
In fact, the only thing to survive the revamp was her cosy winter boots. They had proved to be absolute life savers and kept her feet toasty warm even when the rest of her body felt like it was in a freezer. They also had winter soles which at least gave her a fighting chance of staying upright when gale-force gusts combined with icy pavements.
Fiona said that she could now look forward to her next stint at Windy Corner decked out in her new attire. She didn’t have long to wait as it coincided with yet another wet and windy day. Was there no end to this weather she’d thought?
The first trial by weather proved to be successful. Gone was the constant worry of which wind gust would carry off her rainbonnet and instead she discovered that if the Pakamac hood drawstrings were pulled very tight the duffel hood folded across her lower face and nose leaving only her eyes visible. This was such a relief after suffering from a frozen face on so many occasions. Her hands remained warm and dry, even though she had to endure torrential sheets of rain carried on heavy wind gusts.
The only real problem on this first outing was the incessant flapping of both the Pakamac and duffel coat skirt, but the new overtrousers took up the protection mantle admirably when those defences were breached.
This situation continued until one day the weather became bitterly cold, turning the rain to painful sleet. This would seek out any chink in your weather armour and freeze you to the marrow in no time. Fiona was shocked at how her new ensemble could keep her dry but allow the sleet to slice through her insulating layers like a knife. By the end of each of her three daily shifts she was visibly shivering even when huddling in her favourite doorway. This was confirmed, if confirmation was needed, by the number of whimpering pedestrians who were visibly struggling. This included several ladies who were similarly attired to Fiona. On two separate occasions the hapless woman had said she was going straight to M&S in the High Street to buy one of their new down coats that had just been put on window display. Fiona now new that her duffel coat was clearly not up to the task. A further revamp was urgently required and Fiona thought she may have been given the solution.
For the first time Fiona couldn’t wait until the last pupils had hurried across the road and on into the horrible weather. At least when she was battling her way along the nearly deserted High Street the icy cold feeling and shivering began to recede. She used one hand to shield her eyes and the other vainly tried to control the Pakamac skirt from manically flapping in the wind. Unfortunately, the nylon was streaming with sleety rain making it extremely slippery and making it virtually impossible to hold down. Once again, her overtrousers carried the day, magnificently holding the driving sleet off her legs. Thank god for them she had said to Mum. I think I would have been hypothermic otherwise.
The down coat proved to be well worth the effort in the end. It was prominently displayed front and centre in the window. Fiona wasted no time in going inside and asking an assistant if she could try one on. The assistant commented that there had been a rush on the coats today. “Look outside and you’ll see why” Fiona replied. “I hope you don’t have to walk far to get home tonight” she added. “It’s no problem, I’ve got my new nylon raincoat to protect me” the assistant had confidently stated. “Good luck with that one” Fiona said under her breath.
The coat seemed to tick all of Fiona’s boxes. It was mid-calf in length and importantly fastened closed to below the knee. The hood was deep and had drawstrings to pull the front section tightly around the face. But most important of all was the warmth. Fiona had never experienced anything like it, not even in her snuggly winter coat. She immediately decided to buy it. The assistant was surprised when Fiona did not take the coat off but instead did it fully up and tightened the hood. She then slipped her still soggy Pakamac back on and closed every fastening, belt and drawstring. Full storm mode you might say. The duffel coat was folded away into the bag meant for the new coat and everything was now in place for the journey home.
She walked purposefully to the front door and then headed out into the storm. By now the wind was blowing an absolute “hooly” and the High Street had been cleared of even the hardiest individuals.
Fiona had warmed up considerably in M&S and knew this would be the marker between warm comfortable success and a return to cold misery.
The first thing she noticed was that although the wind had forced the Pakamac skirt to resume it’s incessant flailing about the down coat remained largely motionless, only rippling and occasionally folding back on the bottom two padded sections. This combined with the fact that the icy sleet was failing to make any inroads into her now cosy cocoon. This continued all the way back to Windy Corner which was on her route home. A bit of a gamble, she knew, being on her own in the gathering darkness. If she injured herself by slipping and falling on the icy pavement, there would probably be no one around to help. She decided that it was worth the risk to see if this new wonder coat was up to the ultimate test.

Part 4 coming soon

Susan I see you have quite an internet presence. Perhaps you could have a section for Pakamacs and heavy winter coats out in winter winds. Videos would be even better! One point though, there seems to be two camps of thought on how to wear a rainbonnet. Those who wear one with a gap between the bonnet and the Pakamac collar- the majority it seems. Then there are those who IMHO have given some thought to it and turn the raincoat collar right up and have the hem of the bonnet overlapping all the way around, sealing off a potential leak point in the process. Surely the latter is preferable. Ladies have enough to worry about when the wind’s playing havoc with their raincoat skirt without having the added discomfort of rain leaking in over the collar.

Thanks for the feedback Susan. I was a little bit unsure if this was the right forum to post this on. Rest assured there’s plenty more to come. Windy Corner is the ultimate Pakamac test

My impression of nylon Pakamacs for men Mr Doudy, is that 5 button Pakamacs were much less common than 4 button Pakamacs. Anyone who has kept up with my ramblings here, will know after a lifetime of buying ladies plastic or nylon macs, that I branched out into men’s macs 3 years ago, specifically Pakamacs. My current collection of men’s nylon genuine Pakamacs, numbering around 15, are mostly 4 button macs. Only 3 of my men’s nylon Pakamacs are the longer ones and are 5 button fastening. Another feature of these 5 button fastening Pakamacs is a handy pocket slit, allowing access inside the macs.

Fabulous links McMac of the lady in the billowing nylon mac, struggling across the road in a blizzard. She looks exactly like my lovely memories of mature ladies in such macs, from my youth in the 1960s. It was ladies like that who still influence my fashion tastes today. Also, I loved your reminiscences of Pakamacs in strong winds, from your younger days. I hung on every word imagining it was myself putting a Pakamac on over a heavier coat. So wonderfully descriptive. I’d have loved to have been there.

Winter storms were my favourite time. On days with bitterly cold winds and a combination of rain, sleet and snow, that corner spot must have felt like hell on earth. Add in the maritime location and the weather feels damp and excruciatingly raw against unprotected skin. So if you were having to stand out in an exposed spot for any length of time maximum skin coverage is a must. Frostbite was probably a real worry for my favourite lollipop lady.
On days like this she had one last surprise for me -my first ever sighting of a full length hooded down coat. As you can imagine this filled out the hooded Pakamac magnificently. This combination was a must if she was to stay both warm and dry and as well protected as possible from the elements.
The only problem now was keeping her footing in the lashing winds and often icy pavement.
Around about this time crossing ladies started wearing nylon orange and yellow tabards. So now this vision stood resolutely in the worst winter weather, her tabard and Pakamac skirt billowing and flapping spectacularly. The new down coat being that much heavier stayed mostly closed, even when it didn't she had the reassurance of her nylon over trousers as a last line of defence.
I didn't know if she was now secretly enjoying this since she wore the Pakamac hood drawn tight effectively making the down hood a snorkel.
I often wondered if patrolling this corner was a punishment of some sort but I don't think she ever missed a day unless the weather was so bad that the schools were closed.
On one of these days I was watching from my view point and my mother appeared at the corner with her shopping and was promptly blown back around the corner by a huge gust of wind. She made a second attempt but was blown back again. At this point my lollipop lady stepped forward and helped my mother into the doorway she had been sheltering in. Now she was well and truly stuck. There were virtually no pedestrians around that day so I decided I would have to go and help.
I nipped downstairs and slipped on my wellies and reached for my duffel coat. It was then I noticed the beige Pakamac rolled up on the shelf behind the other coats. I couldn't believe my luck, how didn't I know about this. The extreme Pakamac experience was now at hand.
I unrolled it and saw it was a man's raincoat, full length and looked almost new. I quickly donned it over my duffel coat and buttoned it fully. I pulled the collar up high and tightened the duffel hood strap as far as it would go. I was already excited and I was still in the house!
I opened the front door and almost lost it to the wind. This was going to be quite an experience. The corner was about 100 yards from the house although today it could have been 100 miles or more.
Once outside the full force of the wind and rain started acting on my raincoat. The skirt quickly blew open and flapped madly behind me. The duffel hood was in danger of blowing off and I was struggling to make headway.
Near the corner the wind changed direction and threatened to blow me out into the road past my stricken mother. No wonder so many umbrellas had met their end at this point.
Finally I grabbed the pedestrian handrail and leaned back into the wind and slowly walked round the corner to the doorway.
I finally got to meet my dream lady. She and my mother were huddled together still being lashed by the wind and sleety rain. They were waiting for some strapping man-their words, to take my mother around the corner and here I was. My mother didn't recognise me at first but was relieved to see me none the less and didn't even notice that I was wearing a "despised Pakamac" I then thanked the crossing lady although a combination of being so muffled by her coat hoods and the noise of the howling wind, made it hard to hear anything she said. I asked quickly why she did this job and she replied that there's no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing.
All the time her Pakamac skirt was flapping like two sails caught in a ferocious storm and then the bottom popper ripped open. She looked directly at me and lamented the fact that she should've worn the buttoned version on a day like this. I was in seventh heaven in the middle of a horrible winter's day! Close up I was now able to see that her down coat was closed by toggles all the way down to below the knee, with only the last part of the skirt rippling and occasionally folding back to reveal her nylon over trousers. She was also wearing heavy winter boots with what looked like very grippy soles. They were almost certainly fleecy lined looking at the shape and size of them.
All this time my mother was reassembling herself to face the oncoming ordeal. She'd tied her rainbonnet as tightly as possible and pulled the silk headscarf underneath forward over her forehead and eyes. She kept trying to hold down the skirt of her blue nylon raincoat in a futile attempt to keep her tweed coat covered.
My Mother took my arm and flashed me a weak smile. Off we went into the storm. We had to bend almost double to make it around the corner. Twice we were blown sideways by the gale, coats pulsating and billowing in the wind, skirts flapped madly around our arms and shopping bags. They had now been so thoroughly soaked that there solid colours had become almost translucent.
My mother had to wrestle with her rainbonnet as the visor flipped up and let the wind rush in making it ripple and flap alarmingly.
When we reached the point where the wind suddenly changes direction my mother finally lost her rainbonnet. Her headscarf threatened to follow suit but she managed to hold it tightly until the wind subsided a little.
After this we managed to make the rest of the journey to the house relatively quickly-wind assisted
Once inside my mother let out a huge sigh and said that if it wasn't for the lollipop lady she didn't know what she would have done. She went on "I think I'll be dressing like her from now on if I want to go out safely in this type of weather. I've invited her round for a warming cup of tea once she's finished, it's the least I can do" I was in seventh heaven again!
I quickly replied "I'll go and help her if the weather doesn't improve"
I quickly turned to peeling off my own layers. Taking particular attention to removing the sodden Pakamac. I was dry from the neck of my duffel coat to just above the knee. The hood and lower part of my duffel coat were sodden along with the section of jeans above the wellies.
The next half hour or so dragged as I desperately hoped the weather didn't improve.
I quickly donned my duffel coat, still sodden Pakamac and my nylon over trousers from my golf bag.
I was exhilarated to find the second journey was as difficult as the first, no let up in the weather then.
The wind forced me to use the corner handrail again to navigate to the doorway where my lollipop lady was still sheltering in.
"I've come to help you back to the house" I shouted above the storm. Her reply was swept away in the storm so instead she motioned me into the doorway.
I was absolutely on fire-huddling against my ideal lady, sheltering from the storm. She shouted that she was finished for the day and only had to stow away her lollipop sign and tabard.
The stowage turned out to be the other side of the doorway. which fortunately together we could open and shut safely.
Next we readied ourselves for the walk back to the house. She tightened the Pakamac hood even further and checked that all her poppers were firmly snapped shut. She made sure that the ends of her heavy winter gloves were tucked well inside the storm cuffs of her down coat and the Pakamac sleeves were pulled right down
We then opened the door and headed out into the storm force winds.
She held on tightly to my arm and we huddled close to minimise ourselves against the wind and driving sleet. Her other hand did it's best to hold the Pakamac skirt closed to prevent it being whipped into a frenzy. I didn't know then that her down coat was just as vulnerable to soaking as any traditional one.
Unlike my mother she didn't have to worry about her headgear. Her hoods firmly resisting all attempts at being opened up to the storm.
I was glad of the extra protection the over trousers provided because I now realised that the Pakamac was never designed to cope with this level of storm unaided.
We were making steady if slow progress when she let out a squeal as the cross winds hit and blew us into the adjacent wall. We were unable to move for a good few seconds until the wind abated slightly. The sleet was now coming at us horizontally and she had to abandon her attempts at controlling her wayward coat skirt and instead concentrated on trying to almost completely close her hoods . I was having to use both hands to cover my face from what felt like red hot needles, while all the time being huddled closely by my dream woman.
We staggered across the road and up to my front door. Once inside we were able to speak normally for the first time. She undid both hoods to reveal a very attractive 40 something woman beneath. She thanked me for helping and said she found today to be totally exhilarating as she often did on days like this. I was about to explode!!
My mother appeared and helped her off with the rest of her outerwear to further reveal a very curvy figure sheathed in a heavy Fair Isle sweater and jeans.
My mother lead her into the living room and I could hear her ask
"Where did you get the fabulous padded coat, I need one of those..."
A whole new world had opened up to me that day.

I remember my next door neighbour taking me shopping on a rainy and blustery day with her wearing a lovely light blue pacamac and a folding rainmate.
I had a grey Pacamac without a hood, she produced a spare rainmate she had from her shopping bag and before I could protest tied it up. I was lucky I didn’t meet any of my friends, however really enjoyed our shopping trip.

My affinity to Pakamacs started-like many here-with my mother forcing me to wear one to school. My resistance proved futile and I wore it as a winter addition to my Primary School uniform from then on.
The first one was brown but not sure if it was a genuine Pakamac. I must have been about ten when I started noticing that it had a strange affect on me. My protestations became less over time and I started to enjoy the sensations it provoked.
Roll forward a few years to the late 70's and I was Pakamac-less, being a typical teenager I wouldn't be seen dead in one. Despite this I secretly loved the sight of one in public and by this time I knew exactly what the stirrings that resulted were all about.
Every town has it's windiest spot and ours was no exception. It had the added bonus of having a lollipop lady on duty three times a day. I was very lucky that I could observe all this from my bedroom window, heaven!
Every stormy, wet day I would watch as the lollipop lady would hang on against the often gale-force winds blasting around the corner, initially attired in a Pakamac and rainmate. This was long before they were kitted out in the heavy high vis raingear seen today. Needless to say the wind and rain usually won the day. The rainmate was usually the first casualty despite her desperate attempts to hold onto it. The Pakamac would billow, pulsate and flap all over the place. After a short time the torrential rain would make the raincoat slick and almost see through. I think the addition of a "storm" button would have been most welcome.
At some point this dedicated lady decided to upgrade to a hooded and belted Pakamac with pop studs instead of buttons and matching nylon over trousers. While the ability to draw the hood tight solved the rainmate problem it did however introduce another problem-the pop studs would be ripped open by an especially ferocious blast of icy wind. Fortunately the damage was limited by a combination of the tightly tied belt and the nylon over trousers.
On top of all this was the sight of hardy pedestrians trying to negotiate the corner. Some didn't seem to care about getting soaked but others did their very best to stay dry.
This is where destroyed umbrellas became of interest to me. The sight of a Pakamac'd lady battling her way around with an umbrella was very exciting indeed. The way the umbrella would bend and flap and then be torn away from it's spokes was a sight to behold. All at the same time as the accompanying Pakamac was straining in every direction and the wearer was often blown to a standstill or backwards by the force of the wind. Often walking backwards was the only option, which in turn reavealed the pained facial expressions as the realisation dawned that despite all her efforts and attire she was going to be soaked to the skin and chilled to the bone at the same time. Often at the start of a very uncomfortable journey. I often wished I could experience this extreme "Pakamac" experience but did not have access to one at that point. I didn't realise that was soon to change........

Thanks for the link Mr Doudy. Here's the link to the one I mentioned:-
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/3de24fffbbdd1a5e.html
If you keep scrolling through the small images on the right you'll see five more images with the lady in question. The photographer seems to have been especially fixated on her for some unknown reason :)
I'm sure she was glad of the below the knee protection that day! You can see how strong the wind is by the way the that her raincoat billows between each button hole.
It's a shame that Google don't maintain the Life collection any more. I've been told that the one's still available are only a fraction of what was once accessible.
Here's another one for you :-
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/eb8a1e8f55d08df6.html
Again if you scroll along the small images you will see two more with this well dressed lady in them. She's easily the best prepared of all the people shown in the blizzard but even this proves inadequate once the blizzard gets to work on her raincoat. No below the knee protection in this case :(
I have many more links like this from internet searches which I hope to post soon.

Google the "Museum of Design in Plastics" website. The site has a great picture of a 5-button navy blue nylon Pakamac. I have owned four nylon Pakamacs in the past of which I still have two, but they are all 4-button macs. I must admit I would have preferred 5-buttons for the extra knee coverage they give. In my teens in the 1950s Pakamacs were plastic then, and my mum always insisted I wear one "in case of rain". She would buy them almost ankle length to allow for growth, a fact for which I was teased by other boys but I didn't mind as I loved the full length coverage it provided and, when in short trousers or shorts, the feel of the plastic sliding over my knees.

Hi I've been following this forum for a long time but never posted. Like many others here I find the image of a mature woman wrapped in a Pakamac very stimulating. I'm particularly partial to them battling high winds and rain with their Pakamacs pulsating and skirt blowing open as they struggle along. Umbrella's being destroyed in the wind is another favourite of mine.
I have found images from the US of a woman fighting a blizzard, circa 1960, wearing a nylon raincoat-maybe a Pakamac- and matching headscarf. Her raincoat has what I can only assume is an extra "storm" button below the knee to prevent the skirt blowing open and revealing her vulnerable winter coat beneath. Did the UK Pakamac ever have this fifth button?

Oh Vivienne! Oh Vivienne! So many of us would like to contact Susie Boult, as she was such a dynamic waterproof personality. All I that I can tell you is that she is somewhere in Spain. We all miss Plastique Unique, her Galleries, and her beautiful presence. If any of us can be of any help in your project, please contact us, as we all have our memories and recollections.

Hello, I'm posting on here because I am trying to get hold of Susie Boult and was wondering if anybody had any ideas on how to contact her. I am an artist and am interested to start a project based around Susie and her rainmacs - I would ideally like to interview her if possible. If anyone has any links, please email me! Many thanks.

Although Pakamacs, and their equivalents, can be rolled up to a beautiful and sexy small size, I prefer to wear mine as smooth and silky as possible. For this reason, I always keep at least one male mac hanging in the warm living room, to smooth out any creases. I also think that plastic macs should be given a chance to "breathe". They are beautiful waterproof gems which should be treated with care and respect. Best waterproof wishes to everyone. Brian

In the first COVID-19 lockdown of 2020, to pass the time, I set myself the task of looking through old UK newspaper archives for articles and old advertisements regarding Pakamacs and raincoats. I couldn’t help but notice their popularity at one time and then the slow decline. The wearing of a plastic mac, particularly by men, must have and still probably is, much maligned by articles, particularly cinema reviews, by the constant references to sleaze and the audience of the men of “the plastic mac brigade”. It must have contributed significantly to their decline.
Well, not with me. I’m proud to identify myself as one of the plastic mac brigade.

Thank you Brian for the endorsement regarding my photos and videos. Fortunately, so many of them now are of genuine Pakamacs rather than substitutes.

Interesting what you said, Mr Doudy, about you rather liking the more drab looking macs. I’m just the same. Since the beginning of 2020, I’ve been buying lots of men’s nylon Pakamacs, because I’ve found that I much prefer to wear them when I go out, even when I’m wearing the most feminine of my outfits. I much prefer the navy blues and gunmetal greys of men’s nylon Pakamacs than the greens, whites and pinks of my ladies nylon macs. Consequently, I’ve been selling off my more brightly coloured ladies macs to make room for the men’s macs. I have to admit though, that I change the buttons on the men’s nylon macs, to ones that are more feminine.

Anyone who has read some of my recent comments here, may recall me saying how I’ve been buying many men’s genuine Pakamac plastic raincoats over the last three years. They look awful but heavens, I adore them. These are exactly the reason why I developed my interest in macs, some 57 years ago in my very early teens. The black colour is so dowdy and simply exquisite.

Like yourself, Mr Doudy, I am never without a mac, either on or rolled up in my bag. Plastic for heavy rain and cold, nylon for cloudy days and light rain. I absolutely relish being Mrs Frumpy.

Thank you Brian for your informative comments explaining the different rainproofing qualities of nylon and plastic. As well as my nylon Pakamac which was given me by my aunt who had found it hanging in her hall when she moved to the town of Deal in Kent in in the late 1980s, I found two further almost identical nylon macs for only £2 each as well as a plastic Pakamac in a charity shop in a charity shop there. The labels inside the nylon macs were "Skyways" and "Carrimac" (I love the names given to these macs, dont you?).
It has to be admitted that these nylon Pakamac type macs, with their plain 4-buttons to the collar design are a bit drab but I rather like that. That, and my habit when I first retired many years ago, uncertain how far my pension would stretch, of buying cheap charity-shop clothes for everyday wear and reverting to my old school custom of wearing a nylon or plastic mac when raining to conserve my smarter rainwear for "best", prompted a "sympathetic" e-mail from a friend headed "Mr Doudy" (he meant "dowdy" but spelling was not his strong point). I decided this would be a good username to adopt when posting on websites such as the present one!

Mr Doudy, they are all good, but different. Plastic macs, completely waterproof, but tend to overheat. Nylon macs more breathable but, as you say, more showerproof than completely waterproof. But I love the way nylon macs blow up, inflate, in the wind. Although I am an advocate of Stay-Dry nylon macs, my very favourite nylon mac is an Adrina, purchased from C&A in 1973. The shoulders are puffed out with inside mesh, and vented at the back, and the whole blows up in no time. Anyone else interested in this aspect of Pakamac wearing should consult Susan's videos and pictures-she does it beautifully. Hope all our regulars and visitors are OK!

Yesterday was one of those days when it might tip down at any moment so I folded up my nylon Pakamac in my shopping bag just in case. Leaving the shops to catch my bus home it did indeed tip down so I put on my nylon Pakamac fully buttoned up. Though it kept me dry for the short walk home from the bus I got the feeling it wouldn't have withstood a long downpour without letting the rain through. I remember the plastic Pakamacs I wore as a teenage boy would withstand any downpour. What are others' views/experiences of nylon versus plastic Pakamacs?

Where is everybody? I think I am going to kick off a new Pakamac topic vey soon, to get the ball rolling again. Get ready.......

Sue, a million apologies, but my e-mail facilities are not working anywhere near full efficiency. I crave your patience as I attempt to sort everything out. In the meantime, please feel free to text me, assuming you have retained my mobile number.

I have set up an album in Flickr with some pics of my rolled up macs. I couldn’t find the exact photo you referred to, it may me stored on another computer. However, I took some new photos of that men’s shiny plastic mac this morning for you.

What’s obvious from the album is the now dominance of men’s plastic macs and nylon macs in my collection. In fact, men’s macs have become my absolute favourite and almost the only macs I wear these days.
I do hope you reply to my email that I sent yesterday. I have sent more than one recently and have had no reply from you.

Lovely remarks from Hugh and Sue, two stalwarts of this site. And, Hugh, your rubber macs could be very exciting. Please feel free to contact me any time at humphries138@btinternet.com. Sue, I remember your picture of the rolled-up glossy male see-through plastic mac, one of the most alluring pakamac pictures EVER. I hope you will make it available again. Best wishes to all of you.

Interesting this conversation about Pakamac collections. I’ve been contributing to this site for well over 10 years, when I already had a large collection of traditional rain macs. However, it was only in 2018 that I started my collection of Genuine Pakamacs.

The plastic Pakamacs are certainly of variable robustness but the nylon Pakamacs are wonderfully made and well finished.

Wonderful. Along with my many nylon macks, I also have two rubber mackintoshes. Perhaps we could exchange email addresses?

hughdavies39@yahoo.com

Plastic, PVC, polythene, nylon, poly-urethane(although some of these are unstable), rubber, even some proofed cotton-the whole bloomin' lot!

So Brian, I trust you too have in vested well. What is your preferred fabric?

Hugh, good on yer!