Pakamac

Missed out tonight watching tv. looked out to see had been raining for sometime. Got into my plastic mackingtosh put hood up. hope to hear the rain pattering on my hood. only to find rain stopped. Was cool so had some time strolling in garden mackintosh on hood up. Bev

I have some twenty pac a macs. Two of which are Pakamacs, two from Chariot, a few others who's name escapes me, and four by Dunn &Co.

Susan your photos are fantastic the. transparent plastic macs are mind blowing.

Hello Susan, I have a pale blue translucent plastic mac, the label says it is a genuine Pakamac but made in Taiwan. Probably, production would have ceased in the Manchester/Chadderton by then and moved to countries where labour was cheaper.

Strangly my sightings of mackintosh wearing ladies seem to come in 2 3 in one day and always when least expected. Bev

How many of us out there actually own genuine Pakamacs? I have four in total amongst my larger collection of plastic macs and nylon macs. Three are plastic macs and one is a nylon mac.

There is just something extra thrilling about wearing a genuine Pakamac. I know it's all in the mind because I have different plastic macs and nylon macs which I much prefer, but knowing that the mac I'm wearing is a Pakamac, adds so much more to the experience.

Try me on here first, Ken. hughdavies957@yahoo.com

Hi Hugh you are quite right but to see ladies wearing nylon macs is heartwarming hopefully it will continue leave your mobile number be good to chat with a Mac lover.

Well Ken my hopes aren't that high for the return of the mack but as long as we have people like you and me who still enjoy them and can share our thoughts and experiences, I will be quite happy.

Hi. Hugh it was in Tesco superstore they came into the Cafe but not together hopefully macs will come back into fashion

And where might we see these magical women in in nylon mack's?

Rain has come bringing a miracle couple of youngish women in nylon macs one green the other a beautiful shade of Maroon happy days

I think we are all in despair, Beverly, with this most awful weather. Thank heavens for our lightweight mackintoshes; they are bearable after dark when it's cooler.

NOT GOOD MACKINTOSH WEATHER AT PRESENT. PUT MY ON WHEN SITTING IN GARDEN WHEN GETS COOL IN EVENING.

Mmmmmmmmm Beverly

So wonderful to see that nylon mackintoshes are back on the agenda.

Yes live in Bedford. got my nylon mackintosh on at the monent not as good as pakamac but nice rustle

Hi. David are you from Bedford?

I have found the aroma of plastic macs is only when they are new and sadly soon fades away.

For the first time in years, I am now the proud owner of a genuine men's black/grey Pakamac. It's been years since I last owned one and to be honest, after many fruitless bidding attempts on eBay, I thought that I was destined never to own a Pakamac again. It's not like I remember the ones I wore as a boy. It seems so much lighter than I recall. Certainly, a lot lighter than the many other plastic macs that I own, even the ones I have from the 1950s. I was surprised to find that it doesn't have a lovely vinyl aroma either. Maybe my nose is just too jaded from age.

Believe it or not, I'm saving putting it on for an occasion when I wear it for my boyfriend (you know who you are)!

I know that I am guilty of using the name pakamac as a generic word for some of my beloved foldaway raincoats, especially my vintage macs. However, I take exception when sellers use Pakamac to advertise their macs, plastic or nylon, when selling their goods. Often, I look at these macs and think straight away that it's not genuine. Genuine Pakamac mac adverts will take advantage of including a photo of the coat label.

Does anyone else have a view on use of the name?

Hello can anyone tell me where I can buy a plastic Mac like the original ones please regards

Hi all its been some time since l left a comment but l do read it regularly. I have followed all your comments on the different makes of plastic and nylon mackintoshes and would like to give you my input on my experiences in the 60s.
My interests were the plastic mackintoshes as opposed to the nylon which came later. Soon after starting work l travelled quiet frequently being a engineer. l was constantly on the look out for shops selling plastic Pakamacs or similar. Susan mentioned the rainstar which l think I may be able to enlighten you shortly but what l wanted to say that l went into a mens clothing shop in Leicester and it was kind of old fashioned with Mahogany counters and rows of drawers behind the counter. well a lady appeared smiling and ask what she could do for me. l hesitated then quickly asked her if they sold plastic raincoats. She said well we did but not sure if they had any left going to a large drawer and sorting through it she pulled out a plastic bag and looked at it and said we have this one it may be a little too big thought and undid it for me to try on.She held it open fr me slip my arms in and believe me it took my breath away it was gorgeous. Very well made and lovely soft shiny semi translucent plastic it was slightly too big but that did not matter I wanted it.She let me have it cheap so l was so pleased and when l got back to the van l studied it and was made by a company called Swallow. l have had so many different ones like Rainspel Aquaplast. getting back to your Rainstar l am fairly certain they were manufactured in Warwick by a plastics company that made many by products. l have been a staunch plastic mac lover since my schooldays and still enjoy them very much. anyone interested in chatting further can email me on alpha3x@hotmail.co.uk regards Alan

Hi Susan you describe Rainstar macs perfectly thin and flimsy so exciting why on earth don't women want to wear macs these days don't they realize how feminine and classy they look in a Mackintosh my wife had a pale blue one

It's interesting reading the comment here regarding the Rainstar nylon mac and how thin it could be. I was only just thinking about that myself but just what a difference that made to me when I wear one. I love it for it's thin feel that blows about and billows up so much, in the wind. For me it adds to the joy I feel wearing it when I'm out whether I'm wearing it over the smartest of skirt suits or relaxed over a chunky cardigan. I look down at the delightfully thin navy blue nylon material belted or unbelted and the distinctive pretty buttons and feel in heaven.

Well, Ken, I certainly stand corrected having read Susan's post. Perhaps I should seek them out.

Hi Susan you certainly know your macs I personally thought that the Rainstar. Nylon mac was so exciting Kendal made a good one as well things sadly have changed so quickly and for the worst and Hugh I. understand about the rustling I love t but

Ken, I'd love to know what happened to the Rainstar label. I used to buy loads of their nylon macs in the 1980s and 90s. I do remember that I also had a Rainstar polka dot, hooded, see through plastic mac. I remember the plastic packaging that they were all sold in, were very like the ones Pakamac sold their macs in. At the time, I thought Rainstar had come from Pakamac but maybe they just emulated the packaging and styles.

Rainstar macs slowly disappeared, replaced by the YB Wet label. I bought my last Rainstar from a small shop, which was closing down, in 2004. They seemed to have a good stock of them but the shop was gone 3 weeks later. The ladies YB Wet nylon macs were exactly the same as Rainstar down to the styling, hidden hoods, belts and buttons. Apart from the name, the packaging was exactly the same. Slowly, they changed the material to a slightly thicker nylon, which unfortunately creased more easily, they changed the button style but included a spare and the belt was better finished.

I don't know what happened to that label either. Those macs too disappeared from the shops that I frequented. I bought my last one, in a ladieswear shop in 2010.

Hi Hugh my ex wife had Rainstar and CA nylon macs and others I bought her Rainstar was a particularly exciting for me happy days pasted all to quickly

Don't know of their history, but I have owned one, perhaps two, in the past. Whilst all the features are there, the half moon pockets, and the nice buttons, but if memory serves, the nylon was a little thin, and lacked the noisy rustle that the Pakamac brand could boast. Try and get your hands on an old C&A mac, or Dunn&Co, a particular favourite of mine.