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We know that several different types of rainwear were worn in England. We note oilskins, mcintoshes, raincoats, anoraks, and ponchos. A reader tells us about a rain garnent we have not noted before, the Barbour, described as the British country gentleman's waterproof. The classic gaberdine overcoat when assisted by an umbrella could double as both cold weather and rainwear. we do not see the raincoats like American boys wore. Quite a few boys wore gaberdine overcoats. School dress was more formal in Britain than America, especially by the 1930s when we see fewer American boys wearing suits to school. Some boys were able to make do without rainwear by using an umbrella.
The most common rain gear for British boys is the anorak. An anorak is a waterproof jacket (waist length) with a hood and drawstrings at the waist and cuffs. Originally, the anorak was developed by the Caribou Inuit who needed clothing that would protect them from wind chill and wetness while hunting and kayaking. This kind of garment was originally made from caribou or seal and had to be regularly coated with fish oil to keep its water resistance.
Modern anoraks are made from coated nylon, or breathable waterproof cloth. Here we see a modern British anorak (figure 1).
The term anorak and parka are now often used interchangeably in Britain. (The term 'anorak' is not commonly used in America.). When first introduced, the term anorak and parka was used somewhat differently and the the distinction continues to some exrtent. An anorak is a waterproof jacket with a hood and drawstrings at the waist and cuffs designed primarily as rainwear. A parka is a linger, heavier garment. In can double as rainwear, but primarily is a cold weather garment. It is knee-length cold-weather jacket or coat. It is often stuffed with down or very warm synthetic fiber for insulation. It commonly had a fur- or faux-fur lined hood revealing its origins. The original anorak was a kind of pull-over jacket without a zipper, button or frogged opening, but this distinction has largely been lost. Many garments now have full-length front opening and are described as anoraks. The British anorak and parka have thus evolved from their traditional forms into a number of different designs using modern materials, notably the Fishtail and Snorkel parkas and the Cagoule, a form of lightweight anorak.
A British reader tells us, "The Barbour is the British country gentleman's waterproof, favoured by young and old. It is a waxed garment, amd pretty well 100 percent waterproof. It crackels a bit when wearing in cold wearther, but it keeps one warm, as well as dry. They have small sizes for 'boys', but my daughter wore one for horse riding."
A cagoule can be rolled up into a very compact package and carried in a bag or pocket. It was was invented by Noel Bibby of Peter Storm Ltd. (early-1960s). It has an integral hood, elasticated or drawstring cuffs, and a few poppers or a short zip at the neck. It does not open fully at the front and must be pulled on over the head. In some versions, when rolled up, the hood or front pocket cleverly doubles as a bag into which the rest of the coat is pushed. It became very popular in the United Kingdom during the 1970s. The foldable cagoule is also referred to as a Pack-a-Mac (or pacamac, etc.). It was a useful garment to be carried by children involved in outdoor activities because it was light and easy tio carry. And in England the weather can change very quickly. If it was shorter, the cagoule might be considered a light anorak.
For a period in the middle decades of the 20th century, the gaberdine school raincoat formed a distinctive part of British schoolboy clothing. It was of woollen or cotton gaberdine, a close twill-weave fabric with a smooth finish. The raincoat was frequently worn not only for school, but also as general boy-swear. Interestingly, the gaberdine raincoat is the one major element of British school uniform (other than black leather lace-up shoes) which is not derived from some form of sportswear--not surprisingly since topcoats are not typically worn for games! At some schools the gaberdine raincoat was compulsory, some schools even specified the brand. Boys had different opinions about the coats. Some have complained that they were "utterly useless for repelling more than a minute or so of the gentlest rain". Others thought them quite serviceable. While opinions vary, quite a number of HBC readers from England still remember the gaberdine raincoats that they wore as boys.
A British reader tells us, "In the 1950's there was a pacamac which was a lightweight plastic. It was a long plastic coat and had two large pockets . It was fastened with large plastic buttons and it had a distictive smell. It was easy to fold up and put in a bag or your jacket pocket." I am not entirely sure as to just general category this should be included.
A British reader writes, "We use the term anorak more often than parka for any knee-length or hip-length lined jacket, although the original term was for the pull over the head waterproof for hikers."
Some boys were able to make do without rainwear by using an umbrella.
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