Pakamac

In Tronto Canada one of the shops inside one of the large hotels near the CN tower sold plastic macs does anybody know anything about it.

Comments by Alan on 24th April 2013   

Hi again Roger. Not being a tv addict I guess I missed lots of these clips. But have since seen quiet a few of them. MrMcrain does a slendid selection of vid clips of ladies in plastic and pvc macs. I enjoy watching them over and over again. That goes for any plastic clad females. There are a few sites here in the web that offer the same but most are paysites which is a shame, but there are a few isolated ones where girls can still be seen wearing Pakamacs or near equivalents. I still think pvc-u-like are as near as you will get to the real thing.

Hi Alan the Hi Dee Hi was wet in the ballroom I think Alfe wife in till death do us part wore a plastic mac once.

Roger when l read your comment if l remember rightly and l usually do where macs are concerned Mildred did wear a shiny black pvc mac in one episide but l can not honestly remember which one. L think you will find that at around that time quiet a few of the ladies in the sitcoms wore a plastic mac at some point as they were popular then.Another was HiDeHi episode called something like rain off day in the Ballroom. several of the stars in that wore plastic macs in that. worth a look.

does any body remember if there was a episode of George and Mildred were Mildred wore a mac?

sadly women do not seem to like wearing plastic macs the old story you can take a horse to water but you can not make it drink.

Comments by Gareth on 8th April 2013   

Thanks Rob get in touch maybe if my wife sees your wife wearing a plastic she will want one I live in hope.

We may well do Gareth. We visited Betws y coed when we were courting and I’m sure that at the time the shop by the station sold Pakamacs. We also camped at Beddgelert several years later and had one of the wettest holidays I can remember. As if to illustrate my point about just what a friendly combination camping and rainwear is, I remember the lady in the campsite shop made a lovely comment about us not bringing good weather but being well prepared when she saw us in our plastic macs. We certainly needed them!

Rob I live in Wales I hope you both vist Wales soon .

These memories certainly make me feel nostalgic for simpler times. I grew up in the late 70s and early 80s when every downpour seemed to be greeted by an absolute rainbow of rainwear, in particularly orange and blue cagoules, bright Dunlop wellies, and lots and lots of transparent plastic macs in different colours. My mother worked in a C&A store and they seemed particularly eager to keep the women of Britain dry. Like many people I look back on rainy holidays in this country with real affection and Wales certainly features quite a bit! We all seem very fond of our Pakamacs so perhaps we never really lost that carefree feeling. And they clearly inspire a lot of affection in others too; I am pretty sure that my wife and I could wander around all year in our overcoats and nobody would say a word but as soon as we put on our plastic macs and go out in wet weather we get lots of lovely comments from complete strangers, complimenting us for being prepared for bad weather or ready for the rain, and asking us where we buy our rainwear; mine is from Go Travel and my wife has several St. Bernard and Primark plastic macs. Somehow wearing a Pakamac seems to break down social inhibitions in the same way that campers speak to one another on a camp site. In our case our camping holidays usually coincide with plenty of opportunities to make good use of our wellingtons, Pakamacs, and brollies so we really do have a sociable time! The best example I can give is a visit to an open garden last summer when, as she was about to go out in an absolute downpour, my wife put on her rainwear and put up her transparent dome umbrella and the lady guide, smiling, said ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong type of clothing‘; it’s true and she seemed genuinely happy to see us enjoying the garden regardless of the weather. I could give many other examples and if 2012 is anything to go by we should be in for lots more. We are also, apparently, using public transport and holidaying at home much more, so perhaps the climate (economic and meteorological) is just about right for the humble Pakamac to make a comeback; after all wellies and see through brollies seem pretty fashionable. I was also interested to read that lots of husbands enjoy seeing their partners in rainwear and while I don’t consciously wish for rain I am always pleased when I hear that ‘heavy rain’ is forecast because it invariably means that my wife will say ’I’ll need my plastic mac today’ and needless to say I don’t discourage her. I’m no internet expert but a little research suggests that there are no high street stores currently selling plastic macs. I did find a few ‘specialist’ shops selling, amongst other things, rainwear but I'm not sure how many ladies will be inclined to buy from them; not least because I know my wife wouldn’t spend well over £20 on a plastic mac. So if I owned the Pakamac brand, and presumably someone does, I would seriously think about re-launching it with those styles made popular by Pakamac and C&A in the eighties. Given our climate I am sure it wouldn’t take much for us to be happily packing, and unpacking, our plastic macs once again.

Comments by Beverley mr on 26th March 2013   

years ago in the happy days when plastic mackintoshes were common. I noted a woman wearing a blue plastic mackintosh with the hood up holding hand of a small boy wearing the same thing. Boy was only young guess about 8 even so he must have felt strange knowing her was wearing the same mackintosh as his mummy. I wonder if it lead to anything. Bev

Comments by BasilP on 22nd March 2013   

I remember the late 50's, when I was 10 years old, my mother took me into Woolworths to purchase me my first plastic mac, I remember at least four clothing racks full of plastic macs, only one rack contained men's macs, they were all black or grey in colour and felt, completely different to the womens macs, I tried on two of the macs, but didnt like them, as they were made from really harder plastic, so she chose a bright blue mac with a hood attached, it fit me very well, including the hood, she bought the mac and said, its for your holiday, my fetish for pvc macs was born, and I still have the fetish now that I am 68 years old.
I have been very lucky that my good wife of 47 years loves pvc and rubber items of clothing.
My father had a Pakamac which he seemed to be wearing most days including on our holidays, well they were always in Wales.

Comments by Beverley on 21st March 2013   

Hi Paul i always wear my mackintosh buttoned right to neck
and have by belt really tight. If hood is up i have it tied neatly Bev

Thanks for the info Rob hope you will both come to Wales.

Gareth mostly in Ireland I think. We visited many times and bought several because we really liked them, all plastic but slightly different styles. I call them Pakamacs but they are branded St. Bernard if that helps.

hi beverley
this site is a loveley find for me ,to be able to share my enjoyment of plastic macs. recently wore my
mac buttoned to the neck together with a rain bonnet and
and carried a see through umbrella to match on a shopping
trip arond town. such a thrill.

Hi Rob just as a matter of intrest were did your wife buy her mac it must be well over Twenty years since I saw a lady wearing a plastic mac she must really like it lucky man.

Comments by Beverley on 14th March 2013   

Hi Rob you are lucky to have a wife that wears a pakamac.
Not many people wish for rain but in your place i would.
So many men like women in macs. Also they are so often needed yet almost died out strange world. Bev

I came across your site by chance because I am interested in advertising but when I saw the Pakamac advert it reminded me that when I was a child Pakamac, like Hoover, was a widely used name, and I wondered what had happened to it. I hadn't realised it was so fondly remembered but having read many of the comments here I think I now understand why. Wearing a Pakamac clearly embodies those two essential British qualities of always being prepared and enjoying yourself whatever the weather! And perhaps we are nostalgic because, sadly, we seem to live in a far less practical world. But if it is any consolation there are still ladies wearing plastic macs, including my wife. Always prepared she never goes out without her plastic mac if rain is forecast and we have lost count of the number of ladies, often middle aged, who have stopped to ask where she bought it. There is clearly a demand for plastic macs and given our climate I am amazed they are not more readily available in the shops. I was also surprised to see how many ladies have said that their husbands enjoy seeing them in their rainwear. Perhaps this is also just an expression of a more chivalrous age; I have to confess I always want to hold my wife’s brolly for her when she goes out in the rain. With climate change who knows, perhaps the Pakamac with reign again. Or should that be rain?

Ken can"t agree more with you pity we have to result in this kind of thing to make anything happen, I honestly can not remember the last time I saw someone wearing a plastic mac outdoors. Its almost as if they have been banned. When I think back over the years when it rained the towns were awash with ladies especially clad in plastic macs, I find it very sad. Especially for people like us .I think we should also make a little better use of this site to give us all the chance to chat to like minded people either here or one to one,

Brilliant observation Ken. We'd be assured of shops full of them.

Pity someone could not get Pippa and Katie to wear a pac a mac then all the women in the UK would want one.

Hi again Janice. When I first discovered this site I thought yes great what a way to get to know people with the same or similar interests. But l like many others below seem reluctant to post the more personal stories relating to the gorgeous Pakamacs that once were available. However I have provided my phone number for anyone wishing to exchange emails or messenger names to chat more in depth about some of the experiences in the past. so I will always be happy to chat on a one to one basis about my life`s experiences in Pakamacs.

Alan you can tell us all your experinces on this page .

Hi Janice I was thinking the same. I looked the other day and I was suprised there had not been a message since Deccember. I too could talk all day about plastic macs and my true experiences. if you would like to hear some of my experiences I would sooner email you you can always leave your email address by texting me on 07503276676 and I will gladly tell you of some of my many many experiences.

Where is every body I love hearing your tales of plastic macs.

Happy new year to all pac a mac fans.

Hi, do any of you ladies still wear the accordian folded rainbonnet?fan of rainbonnets.rainhatc.Merry christmas.

Comments by Scotty on 20th December 2012   

Hi Rainhate

I love to see girls wearing rainmates too, especially the retro pleated fold up type. I was lucky to find a couple that were never used and are in great condition. I may be lucky to get my girlfriend to model them.

If you search the web for Rainbonnet you can find lots of good pictures.

Hi Rainhate

I have lots of rain bonnet photos send me an e-mail:

mac_kintosh91@hotmail.com

Comments by rainhatc on 18th December 2012   

does anybody have any photos of accordian folded rainbonnets im a huge rainbonnet fan.like to see the ladies wear them.thank you.rainhatc.

Comments by Scotty on 12th December 2012   

Hi Rainweargirl

Sounds like you found a great buy. I recently droped in to my local redcross shop however no luck on the mac front. If your wearing your pakamac over your nylon mac do you wear a rainbonnet as well.

Comments by Rainwear girl on 11th December 2012   

Lucky fined on Saturday in charity shop found lovely grey mackintosh looks good as new is nylon and polly etc but could pass as gaberdine so will call it my school mackintosh.
Have been out in it today nice and warm. If wearing in rain will wear plastic pakamac over it.

Anna merry Christmas to you and your son and all pac a mac fans.

Comments by Colin Porter on 5th December 2012   

Another way of mending plastic tears is to buy a length of colourless shower curtain (I have a shop which sells it by the yard or metre), cut it into strips and glue both sides of the tear to a strip.
It helps to tape the edges together first as I expect many of you do. Gaffer tape can also be used (and sewn into place if necessary) if the material is not transparent.

Hi Susan glad you were able to resurect your plastic mac with the Wilkos soft plastic glue I recommended. I keep a couple of tubes in now for every kind of plastic mishap.
I would recommend that every serious plastic lover keep a tube in for that heart sinking tear that appears almost without reason. Over the years I have gathered a number of remedial type repairs, Any one of you wanting more info can always email me, Alan

Yes he said he always liked macs from a early age the transparent ones he loved I have still got one somewere I will have to dig it out.

I have to thank you Alan for the Wilkos soft plastic glue tip. It worked a treat on a parted arm seen on my black plastic mac.

Hi Ann. I can assure you you hubby was far from being alone with his love of plastic macs, Years ago before our cyber world opened up I too thought I was strange and my wife thought that I was strange with this strong desire to want her to wear plastic macs as well as wearing them myself.
I have always accepted it as a extra gift that was given to me to be able to enjoy that sensual material.Did your late Husband have his liking from a early age ? or from the time you first knew him?

Comments by Scotty on 29th November 2012   

Hi Ann

Your late husband was a lucky man indeed. Did you have a favourite mac to wear which he liked and do you still have them. I do also enjoy seeing a girl in a nice mac. I used to think it was just me, however it seems as you say quite a few other men enjoy macs too. My preferance is the semi transparent retro type, with a belt just like the pakamac,coupled of course with a nice pleated polkadot rain bonnet to set it off.

Mylate husband used to like me wearing plastic macs I thought it was just his thing but there seems to me a large number of men think the same.

Hi BJ I have been to Australia I only had a small shower in Melbourne the rest of the country was red hot I did not think anybody would buy macs there but I did like Australia very much you could do with some of Welsh rain we get here.

I know in Australia you can still get nylon raincoats, full length, in good condition in charity and second hand shops. I have built up a collection of about a dozen that way.

I have two tips: one, always check the pockets. Nearly more often than not I've found a bonus concertina rain hat which was a vital accessory with those (usually hoodless) macs; and second, wash or at least warm rinse them before you wear. If you're sending them on as gifts or for somebody to model that's generally really appreciated and some of those shops are more conscientious about their stock being clean than others.

Hi Scotty i shall try that,thanks for your advice,Louise

Comments by Scotty on 2nd November 2012   

Hi Louise

As you will gather original Pakamacs are pretty rare to find these days. I have only seen a blue nylon mac recently in the original packaging. You might try posting on the Rainwear forum site as I gather Gary will be selling off some of his vintage collection of macs. If anything comes up will let you know.

Comments by louise on 31st October 2012   

hi just wondering if someone could help me get a leopard print pakamac from the late 50s/early 60s,your help would be very appreciated thanks

Susie how do I get to your plastic mac shop.

Comments by Colin Porter on 25th October 2012   

Hi Susie,

Apparently you have an artwork page. How do I find it please, assuming you don't mind it being available for viewing?

Comments by Gary on 25th October 2012   

Hi,

Just came across this site and thought our story would be of interest to all you Mac enthusiasts.

http://wheatleyplastics.co.uk/blog/celebrating-sixty-years-of-uk-manufacturing/

Comments by Gary on 25th October 2012   

Hi,

Just came across this site. I thought this may be of interest Link may be of interest. We are a plastic Injection Moulding company, based in Stockport. We manufacture plastic Injection Mouldings for Industry. Our founder, Mr Wheatley, started the business to help out an old friend who invented a new revolutionary Raincoat. Please read our story.... http://wheatleyplastics.co.uk/blog/celebrating-sixty-years-of-uk-manufacturing/

Anna thank you what will your son do when he leaves school.

Thank you Gareth. Yes i am of course. And whyever not?! LOL

Anna Its good to hear you are both well are you wearing your nylon mac as well.

Hello all

Just passed by as i do from time to time

To those who've enquired, my son is now 17, And yes he still wears his nylon pakamac and regulation school mac under it when needed. He's looking forward tp buying an anorak apparently but i suspect he'll be wearing his macs fpr a gppd while to come.

Xxx

Anna

Susie your artwork page is really good very clever and the plastic mac is heaven.

Does any one remember double breasted nylon macs a girl I dated in the sixties had one sadly she only put on when it was raining.

Comments by Cole Porter on 8th October 2012   

I believe Susie and Alan have retired to Spain of all places where they won't have much reason for wearing their macs.

Comments by alan on 6th October 2012   

Brian Thanks for that password. And yes you are right Susie is gorgeous, It does make you wonder why they have ceased to trade.I hope both her and Alan are ok.

Brian its great to hear your comments again you did say once you would tell us about someone called Isobel I agree with you I think we should hear from Anna.

Comments by Brian Humphries on 5th October 2012   

Thanks for your comment, Alan. The user name for Plastique Unique Gallery 2 is "muddy" and the password is "puddles". In viewing these galleries, you have shown that you are a rainwear enthusiast of real taste-a conoisseur and a real pundit. Isn't Susie fabulous? And so is her friend, Vicky. And you are so right about the pungent odour of some of the later styles of Pakamac-but they are STILL fantastic. I'm sure we will be exchanging more comments.
And, Anna, let's hear from you!! Your comments are brief but so meaningful and "spicy"! How are the battles going with your son and his nylon macs?
For the rest, best wishes to everyone, and happy macking!!

Comments by alan on 5th October 2012   

Brian re: Pakamac Sportsman. You are correct abouit the Tartan but that was the lining the outside was a quiet glossy beige colour and could possibly be worn out today without attracting too much attention. But like you yes its got to be the good old semitransparent black ones . Pakamacs did change towards the end as the last ones were actually made in china and besides the embossed texture they had an acrid odour which to me was totally unacceptable. Not the traditional Pakamac style and quality at all. Can anyone tell me how I can nowe get the password to Plastique Unique gallery 2 as they no longer trade but the site is still there for viewing.

Comments by Brian Humphries on 4th October 2012   

If I remember correctly, the "Sportsman" range of Pakamacs were characterised by check patterns and tartan patterns-very attractive, but give me the grey-black semi-transparent Pakamacs every time! A "Made in England" Pakamac turned up on e-bay recently, possibly a design from the late 60s, but certainly not a truly original from the 50s/early 60s. The pockets were not square, and the buttons were less elaborate, but nevertheless it finally changed hands for over £40.
Another stunning item on e-bay was a BHS lady's nylon mac, and this fetched a head-spinning £100+!! The demand is certainly there, and it simply beggars the imagination why such garments are not retailed and seen regularly on our streets these days. Things are not what they used to be. Get those violins and rose-coloured glasses out again....

Susie I have seen your new photos they are very good email me .

Comments by alan on 3rd October 2012   

I was quiet suprised to hear that several of you had heard of Rainstar Macs because I spent many many years and visits to many town in search of plastic macs. I was visiting a shop specialising in outdoor camping and equipment in Coventry when I came across the Rainstar plastic macs, They
were really nice macs, They only had a few left so I bought two in my size and I still have one of them. That would be around the late eighties. I have ask before on this site but has anyone at any time heard or seen the Pakamac
Sportsman range of vinyl macs or am I the only one now to
remember them. They were more expensive than the originals but really nice,I just wish I had preserved mine,

Comments by Brian Humphries on 2nd October 2012   

Yes, Rainstar macs, both plastic and nylon, were very good indeed, and they have been described as the successor to Pakamac. I have a grey Rainstar plastic mac and, although it is not see-through, I love wearing it very much. I bought it second hand from "Susie High", and I particularly loved Julia Moore's description of it as ideal for "splashing about" in the rain. She implies, of course, that we should enjoy our inclement weather rather than complain about it, and with Pakamacs we can do just that!!

Comments by Scotty on 29th September 2012   

Hi Susie

Its been a superb rainy year indeed. Have you many pakamacs in your collection and whats your favourite one. Have you any rain bonnets to accesorise. Need to promote macs to bring back into fashion..

Yes I have heard of Rainstar they changed my life for the better.

I remember Rainstar Alan. I've had many Rainstar nylon macs plus a polka dot plastic mac they made. I don't know if they were around while Pakamacs were still being produced. For me they appeared to take the place of Pakamacs and were themselves succeeded by Y.B. Wet macs.

Hi Susie. I read your comment with interest about being able to manage to buy a plastic Raincoat., But it was a shop going out of business, Well I had a very similar experience around 18 months ago when I read in a local newspaper of a local retail trading warehouse closing down,
I had never really taken much notice of this establishment in the past but I was passing it at the time and they had large cloasing down posters outside. I decided to stop and have a look. There was lots of stuff going really cheap. Most of Which I classed as rubbish, There were boxes of mixed clothing everywhere, When one caught my eye. I bent down to take closer look and could`nt believe it.,
It contained plastic raincoats after taking a closer look there were five ladies and two gents, mixed large and ex large. gents were greyish black whilst the ladies there was
a yellow one one pink two green and a natural one.
I ask the assistant how they were each and she said I could take the whole box for £4. sale done. whilst only two fit
me I considered it a great buy, the label reads RAINSTAR.
Has anyone else heard of that brand?

It's been over a year since I posted but what a perfect wet year it has been for my Pakamacs. I was even astounded to buy a yellow plastic mac in a high street shop. Sadly it was one going out of business. Best wishes to my mac wearing friends.

Susie its good to see on the web again email me.

Comments by Cole C Porter on 16th September 2012   

It's a triple mac day today in Blackpool.
Wore one mac to MacDonalds and heard an assistant shout for a mac to the kitchen.
On second thoughts I'd have preferred just to wear three macs.

Comments by Beverley mr on 26th August 2012   

Can't make a link but have you all tried drive-in fashion british pathe not pakamac but nice hat and mackintosh.
Re mails from ladies sadly seems most of them have this odd idea that mackintoshes are for keeping out the rain.
And worst still they would rather get wet than wear one shame. Bev.

Where have all the ladies gone is it only men that make a comment come on ladies lets hear from you.

Ken, are you from Liverpool luke myself and f so which district and what is your particular interest.
Personally it navy blue nylon pakamac as were the standard school wear or nowdays the only real alternative is the nylon macs at Rainmac which are first class quality
Regards

Colin it was in Liverpool

Comments by Alan on 2nd August 2012   

Hi to you all again. This site seems to have gone very quiet. Well I found a new site which I thought some of you might find interesting, : experienceproject.com its a site where you just put in you interests and find other people who are interested in the same. It really is worth taking a look at. Not much happening on the Pakamac side at the moment.Anyone had any recent experiences in there macs?
Regards Alan

Hello Ken.

I've lived in N.London, Framwellgate Moor (Durham), Carrville (Durham) and now in Blackpool. Can't recall a Garmoyle Road.

Tip for mac mending: a piece of transparent shower curtain to patch over a tear and used with the soft plastic glue, some of which I've found in Maplins electronic store (at Blackpool.)

Recommend joining Rainwear Central, and yahoo groups for Rainwear Bound for anyone who hasn't done so yet.

Colin I think I know you did you use to come to Garmoyle Rd years ago.

Alan, thank you for that tip, I'll be there next week as I have a few repairs to do.
I can never really fathom out the stares. Are they admiring or what. Fortunately at my age I'm better able to ignore them now and will go out even when others are around

Lesley your feelings when you have a small tear in your plastic macs use to have the same effect on me, But after many atempts to repair torn or split plastic macs I tried every adhesive I could get my hands on but all said the same, Not suitable for soft plastics. But recently I came across some adhesive in Wilkos called soft plastic glue.
So I purchased a tube not having too much confidence in it, But to my suprise its brilliant. If you keep a disused mac to cut for patches you can repair any kind of rip before it goes too far,
Getting back to this recent weather its ideal for plastic mac wearers but like you say people stare.
I tend to go to areas where I know it will be quiet like a walk along the Canal towpath or the many walks around here in the countryside because you rarely meet anyone when its raining, So it gives me chance like you to enjoy the long shiny translucent plastic mac moving with every movement of my body,,I live in hopes that they will return one day. but I doubt it.

Anna how are you and your son

That's the thing Colin, plastic macs do tear easily, the more so if they have the plastic buttons. Those styles are my favourite. Personally, I think the ones in the eighties were the worst, extremely flimsy. They're much better now but my heart still sinks when I see even the smallest tear.

I must say, I'm loving this unpredictable weather, although my sympathy does go out to those who have been flooded out. I've been out so many times in my plastic macs recently and at least twice this week. The other day was so wet, I spent ages out in my long black plastic mac, buttoned up to the neck - a wonderful feeling. I've only just returned from a four hour walk in a knee length black plastic mac. It was fabulous being out in a plastic mac when it wasn't raining, looking well prepared for a downpour but the smile on my face must have betrayed how good I felt on the inside, just staring at the rippling smooth plastic. What a pity there was nobody else in theirs.

A while ago I proposed that this should be 'Pakamac Week'. Maybe 1012 could be considered the Year of the Pakamac. For me though, I've devoted most of my whole life and love to Pakamacs, they're going to have to bury me in one.

Comments by Colin on 10th July 2012   

In reply to Alan, I'd say plastic macs went out of favour because they tore and still do tear too easily, and so many people have cars now instead of walking to and from work or a standing at an open bus stop.

Comments by sepp uk on 10th July 2012   

Alan,Suzie- can you send please a mail to me
uki@tele2.at

Hi Katie. I was wondering if you eventually got fixed up with a retro raincoat that you wanted, Peter. I was in a shopping centre in town the other lunchtime when I saw exactly the same kind of thing, Youngsters walking down the main street obviousy in there lunchbreak from the colledge with there blazers ver there heads during a heavy shower, I too fail to understand what is or was wrong with the good old British Plastic mac. It was easy to carry and served a valuable purpose when needed, Not to mention the people with similar feelings about them like myself. Regards Alan

Hi Lesley

I dare say you and others reading this will think I have a strange sense of humour when I say I laughed this morning as I watched people out there in what can only be described as torrential rain

Three schoolgirls on their way to school.....must have left home just in blazers although it was raining ..walking up the road with their blazers on their heads...crazy or what!

And to think the way my mum made sure we wore sensible rainwear when we went to school

Is it that parents just don"t care or let the children do their own thing

Of course is there such a thing as a school mac now

We had regulation gaberdine macs....most were dark blue or black ...a few were green.light blue ...these for winter wear and for the summer showers...the old faithful plastic mac

But grown ups are no better....prefer to get wet rather to wear a sensible mac...not only the younger ones...the older generations seem to have discarded their rainwear

I do recall in some early episodes of "Last of the Summer Wine...Peter Sallis wore a black plastic mac but thinking it might be proving difficult to get plastic macs they kitted him out with a nylon one

I suppose I am a bit like Peter Sallis....irrespective of the weather...on many occasions dry he wears his nylon mac or carries it with him

On Saturday it was dry here but windy....what did I do...wore my brown nylon mac

I dare say some thought...Why a mac?....not raining or none expected

Just look at old Pathe Newsreel in black and white

All ages...young and old in macs

They were good days...not just for mackintoshes but life in general

Peter

I can't help but agree with you Peter. All this bad weather and nobody wearing a traditional style of folding mac (apart from me). Like you, I'm rarely without a folded nylon mac and will wear it no matter what the weather, like Peter Sallis in 'Last of the Summer Wine'. When it's wet though, it's usually by black plastic mac. What I don't understand is why people seem to stare, like I've just arrived from Mars!
I think we should introduce an 'International Pakamac Week' when we wear our pakamacs everyday. I'd suggest it is around St Swithin's Day (15th July) to encourage a further 40 days of rain.

May I ask a question to all mac enthusiasts out there...

Does no one listen to or watch weather forecasts

The reason I ask is that it was broadcast that heavy showers would hit the London area on Wednesday but I sat at my window watching the rain and hail which was like a torrent and saw some very wet individuals out in it

Now for me old habits die hard...as kids(1950s) the plastic mac was always put in the school bag...."Just in case it rained" was Mum"s advisory comment

So irrespective of the weather forecast my lightweight mac is carried and the amount of times I have had the last laugh on those who ended up with a wet experience

Why is it that we have turned into an anti mac society...seems it is the trendy thing to wear as little as possible and get wet

So much am I attracted to mackintoshes I wear them indoors as well as outside

Sadly my ex wife never accepted this innocent passion of mine so the only time I could wear them indoors when she was out....

Now on my own I do my own thing.....Mac wearing indoors as well as outdoors

A well kept secret to be shared with fellow mackintosh enthusiasts

Katie I will look up the sites what model car do you have and please save the last dance for me.

Comments by Beverley Mr on 20th May 2012   

Nice one in Torquay last week, wet day. Had on my turquiose nylon mackintosh from rainmac had it on all day.
When putting it back on in cafe a lady asked me where i got it and said what a nice colout for holiday.Pleased to tell her.

Comments by Scotty on 20th May 2012   

Hi Katie, just read your posts and that your into retro clothing and attend events such as Goodwood.

Whilst I don’t wear vintage clothing myself, I do have affection for vintage sports cars (and rainwear) and do like the Goodwood event. Especially when everyone makes an effort to dress in vintage attire. I did see a video clip of last year’s show and noticed a lack of period plastic rainwear being worn when raining, which was disappointing. I do agree with you that a nice plastic raincoat, matched up with belt and rain scarf or folding rainmate worn over vintage clothing setts the look off so well when raining, it’s just very retro chic indeed.

Well to get to the point, I may be able to help. I have a retro ladies Almar plastic raincoat size small 8-10. Semi-transparent white with matching tie belt and headscarf, has side pockets and 4 plastic buttons, complete with box. I think early 60s however looks vintage style. It’s been worn a couple of times by my ex-girlfriend, who looked great in it. It can launder easily.

If your interested drop me an e-mail and I can ping some photos to you and we can take it from there.

Happy to help
Scotty

I go to events mostly in Kent, so Darling Buds, Paddock Wood Hop Farm, Camber - and Goodwood too. We used to go to Biggin Hill every year, but it finished. Anywhere we can display the car really - and dress up of course! Have a look at their websites if you fancy going to one.

Dances, not so many now because they're in the evening and I don't really have anyone to look after my daughter at the mo.

Katie

Katie were and when are your dances and events details please.

Thanks again both for your replies - you've been really helpful. I think I know what you mean by translucent buttons, that seems familiar to me! I will have to ask pvc you like if they have anything like that, I'll see if they have the natural colour material too - I think I'd prefer this because it will go with any outfit. I'll keep you informed how I get on.

I think raincoats can be very stylish Lesley, especially if they have a belt. This is helped by the clothes underneath of course. Anyway, if you collect vintage clothes you don't really want them getting wet. We went to Goodwood a few years back and got soaked. I was wearing a little fur jacket too - not a good look lol.

Take care
Katie

Katie, I think both buttons are representative of the era but I particularly remember plastic macs, whatever the colour, with the contrasting white or clear buttons. Yes, the 'natural' colour wasn't exactly white, translucent really, colourless. Quite distinctive really.
It's a pleasure to hear from someone who appreciates the look of a plastic mac then it's teamed with an outfit. For me, they were/are extremely fashionable garments.

Katie. Natural is vinyl without any specific colouring.
The best way to describe it is Milky but translucent.
You had me thinking for a moment bout the buttons but after
going into deep thought about it , I remembered that on quite a few of the colours the buttons were actualy transparent without colour that seemed to match most colours. Some colours appeared more shiny than others.
I am pleased you were impressed with Pvc-u-like,. On the very early ones I seemed to remember the buttonholes were
stitched. They did vary as time moved on and the material varied. My mobile No is in a previous message here if you
want to text me with any more questions you may have,

Hi Alan/Lesley, thanks so much for your quick and helpful responses. I've just had a look at the pvc u like site, and yes they do look fab don't they! I love the matching bonnets too. They mention they can do either black or white buttons - are both correct for the period do you know?

Oh, what do you guys mean by 'natural' is that just plain see through white?

Thanks
Katie

You described the plastic macs from the 50s exactly as I remember. I particularly remember the natural coloured ones which pvc-u-like emulates so well these days. The only thing I might add would be the optional tie belt and a matching plastic rain head square with a long drape.

Hi Katie. I think I can help you a little on some of those points you asked about.
Firstly they definately had a collar and not a hood.
Buttons usualy five. definately not poppers don`t think they were around then, Side vent pockets. there were many colours but I think if I remember correctly there seem to
be more Natural coloured ones but yellows blues pinks there seemed a wide selection of colours available.
length was about 150mm/6" below the knee. material was semitransparent but did seem to vary from colour to colour.
thickness was around 200 microns, I would suggest if you wanted a custom made one to contact pvc-u-like.com and they will be able to help you and make one for you too.hope you find my info useful.
regards Alan

Hiya, I'm hoping someone can please give me some advice on retro raincoats.

I'm into vintage clothing(1950s)and attend various 1950s themed events/dances. I would like to buy a plastic raincoat to wear over my dresses/suits, but having more or less given up on finding an original I have decided to buy a modern reproduction. I know what kind of cut/style I'm looking for, however I'm a bit stuck on some of the finer details. If anyone knows about ladies raincoats from the 1950s, maybe you could please answer the following questions for me.

Did they have a hood or collar, or both?

Did they have buttons or poppers, or both?

Was the plastic thick or thin?

Was the plastic shiny or not shiny?

Were they really see through (clear) or just semi see through?

What were the popular colours?

I'd be grateful if someone could help me out on this one, obviously I want to try and get the look correct.

If any of you happen to have a ladies vintage raincoat from this period(size 10)that you want to sell, I'd be interested.

Thanks guys
Katie

It does feel good to be complemented when you're wearing a mac Peter. I definitely had none from my second wife when I wore a plastic or nylon mac, unlike my first (late) wife who, despite not liking them herself, could always see her way to leave a complement. As I did myself about her rubberised mackintoshes when she wore them.
Subsequent partners have been a real breath of fresh air when we have been together, both of us happily wearing plastic macs and enjoying them.
I think an appreciation of pakamacs is something I've found with many older ladies through the conversations I've had over the years with complete strangers, while buying macs (usually nylon).

I was a regular visitor to Advert Museum.reading of many mackintosh "enthusiasts" recollections of how the attraction to mackintoshes started for them but just recently with committments it has not been possible

So can anyone remember a year like this(2012) when the weather has been sheer heaven for mackintosh wearing..

Since early April there has been few days when my mackintoshes have not had an outing

My trusted Trenchcoat purchased from ebay....labelled Marks and Spencer...and what a joy when two individuals said to me..."You look smart"

I got to thinking I wonder if they were thinking....Wish I had a mac like that but sadly in todays society people seem to worry what others might say if they see them in a sensible mac and to think back to the 1950s-1970s everyone wore a mac regardless of the weather

My other mac is a lightweight nylon one...also purchased from ebay

At this point I have a confession to make....I have an attraction to macs designed for ladies...(the fairer sex) and these I wear indoors

Do I feel it is strange...not one bit

It is harmless fun...giving pleasure

Macs of all descriptions have been an attraction to me for many years....My ex wife made it abundantly clear she didnot understand thus my mac wearing was restricted to outdoors only

sadly my ex wife was not a mac wearing lady even outdoors

Can always dream of her wearing a gorgeous mac

We all dream...it keeps us going

Lesley If I had married some one who wore rubber macs I would have stayed with her I love plastic and rubber and PVC macs Women went from rubber to plastic macs anyway.

Comments by tanja on 24th April 2012    

hey guys

it is so true that macs or trench coats are sooo in!

anyhow, i bought mine recently from a coats by candy

thought i’d share with you the source; http://www.facebook.com/coatsbycandy

hope you can find a mac coat / trench coat for yourself too.

enjoy

tanja

It intrigues me what caused me to have an instant attraction to wearing plastic macs but like it has been said, I just enjoy wearing them. Yes, they have been an incredibly big part of my life for as long as I can remember and continue to be so. They have in fact been involved with some life changing events for me and I wouldn't want it to be any different.
Thinking positively, I would hazard to guess that anyone wearing them now is possibly going to be more of a fan of them than years ago when they were worn casually.
My first wife wasn't a fan but she used to wear rubber lined raincoats when I'd be in one of my many black plastic macs. One difference was that I'd carry a plastic mac where ever I went, whatever the weather. I needed only the flimsiest of excuses to put one on. She knew about my attraction to the garment and couldn't understand it. She certainly couldn't understand why I'd buy more plastic macs when we were shopping, even when I was wearing one that was almost new.

go onto youtube and type in wet in the ballroom. its and old
Hi-de-hi episode. just few translucent plastic macs to see thats all but i liked it.

Thanks Taffmac for your response. glad you enjoyed reading about my early experiences regarding Pakamacs. Its not until you get to where we are that you start to reflect on
the past. I think there must be others now who like myself realise what an important part the plastic macs were and still are in my life, I don`t even try these days to understand why its had such a strong influence on my life.
But the feelings are still as strong as the first time I realised how it affected me. you can always leave me your email address if you would like to chat more, or even text it to me on 07789778804 and that goes for any genuine plastic lover who would like to communicate more.

Hello Alan,

What a fantastic experience that must have been in 1967. Thank you very much for sharing that with us. It must have been 1967 or 1968 when my first serious girlfriend and I spent a few days in Torquay and I remember walking back to where we were staying when it started to rain. We passed the Woolworth store and I offered to buy my girlfriend a plastic mac but she declined. What a disappointment ! I really envy your experience and I would love to hear more of your plastic mac experiences.

Many Thanks,
Taffmac

Anna get in touch I have a lot to tell you .

Anna Its good to hear from you are still wearing your nylon mac.

Hello gareth yes important well thanks. Thank you for asking

Alan If you do write that book I would love to read it you are very lucky your wife understands your love of plastic macs not very many do regards.

Hi Gareth. Glad you enjoyed reading my early experiences.
They are memories that I treasure. I think I could write a book on my experiences through life revolved around plastic macs, Which have always played a very important part in my life right from my school days, perhaps we should chat more . thanks for your comments,

Alan well done I really enjoyed reading your comments the best for a long time thank you.

Comments by Alan on 30th March 2012   

I read with interest all your comments on Butlins and Lesleys comments on 1967 must have been a fantastic year,
Well I can confirm it was,I went to Butlins in Skegness with my girlfriend,She had a cheap plastic mac which she had from her schooldays but torn under one arm,
On the first morning we decided to walk into Skegness and it was a wet drizzly day so my girlfriend donned her mac.
I had an old umbrella of hers , Has we walked towards the Clock tower My umbrella fell to pieces,
The drizzle started to wet my jumper I was wearing. I had planned to try a get a mac without being too obvious about its effects on me, When my G/F suggested I get myseelf a plastic mac, Can`t remember my reply but the excitement was incredible, We continued up the High street, When she suddenly stopped saying look therev in front of us was a shop with a window sticker saying PAKAMAC STOCKISTS. so in we went,I was very excited at this stage but trying to act matter of fact, There was a rack with a few macs on to try on in there for size I soon found my size. Then we bought one which was still packed in its original packing.
My G/F insisted I put it on there and then which of course I was longing for. Well I had only had a cheap one from woolworths before so you can imagine how this genuine Pakamac felt. It was heaven .. My umbrella went in the first litter bin in sight. I actually paid 15/- for it.
Walking back to Butlins was a different world for me.
As we went into the camp there were a couple of Red coats flitting about in plastic macs which at that time I thought were longer and more translucent than these pics here.
We had booked two single chalets because things were different then. but by the time I had got back you can imagine how I felt, So i chalet surficed and it was the first intimate time with my girlfriend so the memories are unforgetable. But it was not until about 3 years into marriage I confessed about the effects plastic had on me but she had wondered why I treasured them so much.

Anna were are you are you well

Comments by Beverley mr on 21st March 2012   

Had outing to nt house n garden on Tues.Dry with sunny spells. Had on my turquiose nylon pu mackintosh whole time.
One of lady attendance in house ask me if it was raining.
When i said no she said o you are just prepared.
Must have been one of these strange people that think nice mackintoshes are for keeping out the rain. Bev.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to be when I left school but I know now what I should have been.

http://www.butlinsmemories.com/filey/photos1964/id002.htm

Comments by Colin (Cole C) Porter on 18th March 2012   

Thanks for the Butlins photo Regenhoedge, and in reply to Lesley there's lots of such photos if you search enough.
One method is to input various terms for rainwear on Google Images, then click on one of the headings at the top of the screen which then reveals a window for Translate.
You can then choose a language to view in, copy and paste it into where you had put your original heading and then you can find quite a few variations.
I'm gradually compiling a lot of such photos on my Yahoo group, Rainwear Bound.

Fabulous Butlins photo. I remember the number of plastic macs for sale in Skegness in 1974, 1967 must have been amazing.
I hadn't seen that photo before. I wonder how many other plastic mac photos there are out there which are not easily found through a google search.

And here is another nice Pakamac photo:
http://www.imagebam.com/image/ea781c180267716

Hi Colin

On the following link you can see a photo from 1967 of a female Butlins Redcoat dressed in a translucent plastic mac.
http://www.butlinsmemories.com/skegness/photos1967/id007.htm

Comments by Colin Porter on 14th March 2012   

Hi Plasticjiffymac.
I expect you've been inundated with requests for the British Pathe 'Holiday Washout' Please add my name to the queue for you to email them. Brish Pathe seemed uncooperative when I tried to download it.
Another memory has surfaced. The women Redcoats ar Butlins with their red jackets, white sunray pleated skirts (which I've always though looked great on any reasonable woman) and then their white translucent plastic macs over the top of their uniform on a wet day. Wonderful sight!

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 13th March 2012   

IT IS WONDERFUL BEYOND ALL BELIEF TO SEE THE COMMENTS AND ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED HERE-I HAVE HAD TO WRITE THESE WORDS IN CAPITALS AS IT IS ALL SO EXCITING!!!
Due to business in other sectors, I have not added any comments for some time. I have been engaged in "flickr" photos, adding some favourite images of my own, as well as commenting on others. I do eventually want to start taking pictures of myself, all macked-up in grey-black see-through plastic macs, and adding them to flickr. I hope some of you will do the same.
On e-bay, a male plastic mac, grey, glossy, in the best Pakamac traditions, has been advertised, and a session of healthy bidding has raised the price to over £50!! It makes me wonder how much a genuine Pakamac of the 50s/60s would fetch at auction.
I hope to be adding regular comments to this wonderful site once again once again. I remember those days when I thought I was the only plastic/nylon/rubber mac enthusiast that ever existed. I could not have been more wrong. This an amazing site with FABULOUS contributors. There is hope for humanity yet!

There are some fabulous memories of pakamacs being recorded here. How sad I feel at my age to only now discover a community of guys who share my love of plastic macs. I love nylon macs too.
I've not heard of the 'Swallow' brand of plastic mac. It sounds like a fabulous mac. Thank you for sharing that memory Alan. The way you described it, the thrill of the purchase, brought back so many of my own memories.

Comments by Beverley Mr on 12th March 2012   

Hi Jiffy and all. Nice to see some new postings.
I have down loaded several vids and pix from pathe do not know how to get rid of yellow captions. Nice to have some if you would like to pass them on. Bev

Just found this thread on pakamacs what a great thrill, im in my 50s now and remeber being aroused by the girls at school in thier blue nylon pakamacs,
Then in the mid 70s I worked at Butlins and see throug hplastic mac were very popular and lead to quite a few expereinces, happy days.
I recently acquired a black pakamac and its lovely my ambition is to meet someone who loves the same and take some photos

Hello all, I have read the comments here for a while now and thought is was about time I added at least one myself.

I have always loved plastic macs, especially Genuine Plastic Pakamacs,I have quite a collection which, and as I work from home, I manage to wear at leat one almost every day. I just love them to bits.

I also love the Pathe film clip of the Holiday Washout, so have managed to download and convert it to an mpg file that should play on any computer without the yellow copyright notice. If anyone would like a copy I could e-mail it on request.

I do hope that this is of some interest to at least someone here and I look forward to hearing more on this site.
Very best wishes to you all.

The more of these comments I read the more it reminds me of myself when young. Has the name above (Pakamac) did rule our world of plastic macs. I can name several other brands which some were not in the Pakamac class but in saying that I managed to pick one up from a clothes shop. The lady fetched it from a rear stockroom and as she undid it on the counter it had tissue between its layers, it was very well packed, As she unfolded it when I saw the material my heart missed a beat. it was fantastic. The seams were all reinforced and double welded, inc the button holes, It was very well made indeed, As I slipped it on I can`t describe how it felt.The best way to describe it was a luxury Pakamac. But it was made by Swallow! It gave me so much pleasure and lasted for years.I could name quiet a few different brands over the years. I was always on the lookout for them. I still keep my eye out now but the chances of finding anything nice now are very slim. Except at my only supplier now Pvc- u-like.

This is a really interesting collection of comments and I'm loving to be able to contribute. Like Taffmac, I always remembered the ladies who were regular wearers of pakamacs in my area. To be honest, I think I can remember just about every one today albeit many decades later. It always seemed to rain in the 50s and 60s and so I was regularly out in my black plastic mac, usually for school. The only change now is that I don't wait for rain anymore. The trouble is, I seem to be the only one in my area, wherever that happens to be.
I suspect that plastic macs fell out of favour as the quality declined. My memories of some of the 70s plastic macs were of ripped pockets and ripped button holes!

Comments by Beverley mr on 9th March 2012   

Paul and all. I have nylon mackintoshes i have had one on to go out every day since oct regardless of weather.
Have a navy one i wear a lot when at or near home. Sonetimes red one when out on my own. Have a shiny pvc only wear that when on group nature walks or if raining.
Like paul when hols or away from home sometimes wear plastic mackintosh or my turquoise nylon.
wear a mackintosh most of time in doors as house coat.
Had day trip to London on tues spoted just a few quite nice nylon or satin shiny mackintoshes worn my ladies but very few and no seethrues. I had on my navy nylon from home kept on all day even in museum i went to.

I like many of the readers and contributors to this site have a passion for nylon macs and would welcome turning the clock back 20 years to when they were more plentiful
However being aged 49 and wearing a nylon rainmac whenever the weather requires it I have noticed that women often look and given an approving smile....is this a smile of approval based on common sense for wearing a mac, any thoughts ?

Hello Beverley and Lesley,

Like Beverley, I can remember the plastic macs of the 1950's and 1960's, I am 63 now. As a young boy, a favourite pastime of mine would be recounting the number of women who lived in my street who I new owned a plastic mac and it was most of them. One woman who lived next door for a while wore a semi-see-through plastic mac embossed with a floral design, rather like a shower curtain material. See-theough plastic macs virtually disappeared in the 1960's as nylon macs became more popular but they then became fashionable again from about 1975/1976 to about 1983 and then seemed to totally disappear from the high street around 1990.

Lesley, you asked "where are all the guys wearing their macs today ?". I get great pleasure from wearing my see-through plastic jackets and macs whenever I go on holidays or a day out away from my home town where I would be ridiculed if I was seen wearing one in public, unfortunate, but that's how it is. I have worn my rainwear in the Lake District, Blackpool, Cornwall, Scilly Isles, Scotland, West Wales, Ireland and Nice in France and really enjoyed it.

As for the history of the foldaway mac, I am sure there is a lot of interest and I would love to have met anyone who had worked in the Pakamac factory and to have asked then about their work, the styles and whether there was any memorabillia in existence such as advertising or brochures. Interestingly, there are a few people on Friends Reunited who worked for Pakamac in the 1970's but I wouldn't dare to contact any of them.

I hope that this is of some interest to you.

I think Beverley that my personal recollections are slightly different to yours. I'm about 10 years younger than yourself and so I probably didn't appreciate the periods in the 50s and 60s when plastic macs were plentiful. However, as I recall, in the places I lived they were still quite plentiful in the late 60s but perhaps not as popular as in earlier times.
Even in the mid seventies they were available. I remember working then, in an east England coastal tourist resort and the shops were full of them - heaven. In my experience after that, they were more of a convenience item aimed at tourists.
Just as well I liked nylon macs as they were still plentiful in the 90s. I liked the fashion for black PU macs in the 90s.
What about information on labels/manyfacturers other than Pakamac?

Anna are you well and wearing your nylon mac around town.

Comments by Beverley mr on 2nd March 2012   

Hi Lesley and all. I am interested in history of plastic macs
in fact mackintoshes of all kinds.
I am 68 so have happy memorys of when mackintoshes were in fashion. I can recall lots of them in the 1950s and early 60s. seemes most young women had one. Loved them but not that keen because they were so plentyfull.
Then shock think it was about 1966 no warning just gone without a trace. Not to bad because replaced to a large extent by shiny pvc mackintoshes. Then 1977 happy times pvc continued but also shiny seetrues came back. Then about 1993 total wipe out plastic and pvs just gone from the face of the earth. Bev

Correct me if I'm wrong please but this collection of information and comments is possibly the only source of information on the history of plastic macs and nylon macs. Obviously the slant is on the Pakamac but other manufacturers have been referred to. There seems to be no definitive history of the much maligned foldaway mac, that I can find anyway. Or am I the only one interested?

This site claims that the earliest appearence of plastic macs in the cinema was in 1929 and in the 1933 version of King Kong, Fay Wray is briefly seen wearing a see-through plastic mac on board a ship.

http://www.lakelandelements.com/books0.htm

Comments by beverley mr on 23rd February 2012   

Hi Taff Cole and all. Found the 1938 Plastic mackinttosh right at end then nice cape to finish.
Till few years back i though plastic rainwear did not come out till 1950s seems not.
Few days back i was watching vid from by world at war collection. 1945 men being met by their women at the docks.
Short shot of woman giving great cuddle to her man. She was wearing what looked to be a plastic mackintosh,what a welcome for the lucky chap. Well worth fighting a war for.

Comments by Cole C Porter on 21st February 2012   

You're on the ball again Taffmac.

As for my books, I'm just an ordinary, run of the mill, common or garden genius who wishes he really was a genius.

Hello Cole,

It seems that plastic macs were around in the 1930's as this clip from 1938 shows. Get ready to hit the pause button at 1 min, 18 seconds. It's very short.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/open-golf-championships-1/query/open+golf+1938

If I'm a genius what are you ?? With those marvelous illustrated rainwear books you have produced !

Comments by Cole c porter on 19th February 2012   

Taffmac, you're a genius to find the Croagh Patrick clip. It's 1962 and if you browse down the accompanying clips there's also one for 1949 - with plastic macs. Hardly aware they existed in those days.

Those mac clips at Pathe are fabulous. The ladies are exactly as I remember and the memories are wonderful. I've read a lot of complaints here about the lack of ladies wearing them now and for me, I'm happier to see the older pics with the styles then, rather than images of macs with modern styles.
Where are the guys these days wearing macs? Maybe it's an age thing but I'm never ever without a nylon mac and regularly out in my black plastic pakamac when the weather demands. Like many here, I'm not averse to relaxing at home in a plastic mac either. Something I've shared with my wives when I was married.

Hello Beverley,

If you have plenty of time and patience you can type "rain" into the British Pathe search and there are lots of clips with plastic rainwear but you may have to watch several minutes of reel just to see a second or two where there is anything of interest. Also, the quality is not very good but I love it.

Comments by Beverley mr on 18th February 2012   

Taffmac, found clip big thanks.
Guess there must be lots of nice mackintosh seens on pathe but as most have not got mackintosh or plastic in the title hard to track down. Bev

I think I may have found your Croagh Patrick film on British Pathe. Try copying and pasting the following into your browser. Hope it works

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/croagh-patrick-pilgrimage-1/query/croagh+patrick

Comments by Beverley mr on 17th February 2012   

Hi cole and all.Its many years ago but think i saw at least one of progs you mention. Lovely filming of woman clambering over rocks wear plastic mackintoshes.
Also many years ago film connected with virgin mary at knock
Recall large que of people waiting in the rain to see this miracle site. Have looked up knock but can't get any info.
Site says about miracles from time past. Thing i watched was a thing about what appeared to be inmage of jesus or mary on a glass panel in private house. Was explained by fact that new lamp outside house was the sauce but still people qued to see it lot of them in plastic mackintoshes

Comments by Cole C Porter on 16th February 2012   

catching up on the Pakamac site again reminds me of two short TV programmes years ago, in Ireland. One was of people climbing Mount St Patrick (Creogh patrick I think it's called) and the other one was of pilgrims going to an island of the Irish coast where they were apparently required to walk round bare footed I believe, apart from all the other religious devotions.
There were some young women wearing plastic macs in both of those.
The British Pathe news clip was from an era when plastic was the latest scientific high tec wonder material and plastic macs were the latest fashion - for those who could afford it. Fashion was not cheap in those days.
Try club doctissimo for more rainwear photos. It's slow to download unless my computer is slow, and it's worth saving whichever page you're on when you finish a session in your favourites so you don't have to start at the beginning all over again.

Comments by Beverley mr on 13th February 2012   

Do not like to be a sceptic but odd that none of the posters that appear to be women offer their e mail
Bev

Reading about all the various kinds of Pakamacs below I was curious to know if anyone of you can remember The Pakamac sportsman!. I had one in about 1963 Because the outfitters had sold out of the ordinary ones at that time I was impatient and bought one of these. It cost slightly more than the ordinary semi transparent one, It was beige in colour with a tartan printed inside, The outside was a very nice shiny beige solid pvc. and it had a belt, I think they were manufactured aimed at the slightly better off.It was very nice to wear, Can anyone out there remember them? it was well before the Nylon of which I never likeds much.

Comments by Beverley mr on 5th February 2012   

Thanks to Taffmac now found the right video. Happy days 1963
For us pakamac lovers it was like 1913 living our happy days enjoying watching and wearing our pakamacs not knowing that we were doomed.Not as bad as today though at least there was the shiny pvc and still some gabardines.Then the plastic come back in 1977. Happy days again. Till 1993 then total doom. Spotting even a modestly attraction mackintosh of anykind is a red letter day.Just do not understand it.
Bev

Those Pathe clips are simply wonderful, the styles and macs are fabulous. It has been a chance remark about my 'look', namely that all that was missing was a Pakamac, which has renewed my curiosity and what a wonderful fortnight it has been exploring this site and the links. I'm almost sad to be going home today where I won't be able to see them. At least I'll be able to wear my own macs and maybe look at getting web access. I'll definitely be ordering some more plastic macs. Seeing what the weather is like today, I'm upset that I won't have a plastic mac to wear in the snow. At least I've been able to buy some plastic rain hoods to put on.

What an inspiring holiday this has been and thanks to everyone here. I really hope I can find some friends, in the future, who share my interest. Bye.

Hello Beverley.

The link to the clip that I posted was "Wimbledon Finals - Men's Final - Technicolor 1963". It is obvious from the clip that, by then, plastic macs were on the decline with the introduction of nylon macs. It was a sad period fot me when my sister dumped her pale blue translucent plastic mac for a nylon "mac ?".

Taffmac

Comments by Beverley Mr on 2nd February 2012   

Taffmac big thanks found some nice shots at wimbledon.
Not sure if i have got the best.
Which year is the best one.
Bev

Hi Beverley,

I think you'll enjoy this from about 2 minutes into the clip

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/wimbledon-finals-mens-final-technicolor/query/tennis+rain

Taffmac

Comments by Beverley Mr on 30th January 2012   

Hi Taffmac thanks very much for the clips.
Bit of a chalenge to count ones at popes blessing.
Have you looked at ones on u tube nice few there.wonder if his holyness got excited at all the mackintoshes and forgot he lines Bev

Comments by Gareth on 30th January 2012   

Suzi If you do not mind getting hot and sticky in a plastic you must be a very rare lady most women do not like that and say they cling you sound to good to be true.

Oops ! Let's try that again, this time with the link

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/holiday-washout/query/holiday+rain

Taffmac

Here's a nice clip from British Pathe. Unfortunately, the interest for Pakamac enthusiasts is only about 4 or 5 seconds long but you can slow it down using the pause/start function. The scene you want starts about 15 seconds into the clip.

Regards,
Taffmac.

Hello Beverley,

Yes, it is my favourite British Pathe clip but see how many plastic macs you can spot in this clip. I hope the link works.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/popes-easter-blessing-2/query/easter+1959

There are some more worth watching, I'll try to find them.

Regards, Taffmac

Comments by Scotty on 27th January 2012   

Hi Suzy
I hope you do get a chance to wear your much loved
raincoats. I am sure you may get some second glances however no one will really bother you. If you enjoy retro clothes a mac will set the look off so well. Here is me telling a girl who studied fashion how to accessorise..
I have just noticed a new modern retro rainbonnet on the web, think it's been designed by a Glasgow girl. It is very nice if you get a chance to check it out she has called it Bubble Betty. Would love to keep in touch with you as you seem to have the same likes as me. Enjoy your holiday.

To answer your question Scotty, I think my favourite material has to be plastic. Probably, because of the vast variety of styles of plastic mac and what can be created with the material. Also, I didn't mind getting all hot and sticky in one!
When I look at old photos, I'm sad about missing so many mac styles that were regretably not around when I was studying fashion and that I wasn't 'into' macs then.
I'm visiting relatives in the north of England and unfortunately I'm going home soon where I don't have internet access. I'll miss reading this but I'm definitely going to give my macs an airing. No more 'ramblers' fashion for me.

Comments by Beverley Mr on 26th January 2012   

mackintoshes in film etc. Found a few more nice ones on pathe. Many years ago could be 20 or more i watched a doco on tv was about a surposed miracle in ireland at a place called knock or could be nock. Lots of people queing to see the site think it was in a private house. Thing was lots of que were women wearing plastic mackinoshes. Have tried many times to trace film. No videos then. So guess not much hope of tracing it.Do not even know which channel.
Bev

Comments by Beverley Mr on 26th January 2012   

I always wear a mackintosh when mailing on this or other mackintosh pages. Have on a green nylon calf length with hood up at present. Bev

Anna I am sure you look divine in your navy blue mac what about that coffee.

Hi Taffmac big thanks for link to clip its lovely.Wish it was longer.You say its your favourite does that me you have more. I have seen all the ones on u tube.Bev

Hello Bev,

I saw the program on BBC2 this evening too. There is a slightly longer clip on the British Pathe site. Try using the following link to see the full clip. It's one of my favourites.

http://backup.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=48177&title=BEAUTY+IN+PLASTIC

Taffmac

Comments by Scotty on 25th January 2012   

Hi Suzy
The humble pakamac was really popular and sold thousands
PVC and nylon. I believe a company purchased
the name and tried to reintroduce it without success.
Probably due to breathable rainwear fabrics being made.
It's understandable that you don't wear them now as they
are not in fashion. I am in my early fifties so I may be
Around the same age as your ex. What material do you like the best
Nylon or PVC. It may be man thing but I prefer the PVC.. I bet you guessed that one easily. Are you having a good holiday? Anywhere nice.

Just found i can get back to prog on pc. I am slowly getting into new world. Bev

Hi Alan and all. Tried to copy n paste address for rainmac but can,t do it. If you type in rainmac all one word should take you to it. If not i can paste it on e mail.
I am on masher8@btinternet.com

Another subject at 1830 bbc 2 there is prog about rainways.
In it tonight was short but lovley film clip of a woman in a plastic mackintosh from old days. Sadly did not have it recording so must now keep sharp look out for a repeat. Bev

Hi Beverley. Thanks for your response,
Whats the full address of rainmacbev because I can`t seem to find it.Getting back to plastic macs being available I am not aware now of any retail outlet that sells them. So mail order is the only alternative, Regarding pvc-u-like I
Have know Gary and Julie almost since they first started and as I am only about an hour away I am allowed to collect
my orders and often purchase more after seeing them on the
shelves. I am sure you are aware that they don`t last forever they either tear or they become what I call dead thats when they lose all the aroma and sheen that matters,
Anyway like has been said many times before there is nothing like that new raincoat has you slip it on for the first time with its wonderful aroma and feel.

Hi Alan have seen pvc u like. Have you seen rainmac Bev

Hi everyone. I have just come across this site because I was looking for a BBC broadcast sometime ago called the Pakamac years and ended up here. What a pleasent site to get like minded peoples experiences. I have been a staunch Plastic Pakamac fan since I was at school and have continued that desire to wear them ever since. I was a plastic pakamac fan because Nylon did not arrive properly until early 60s.though genuine Pakamacs are no longer available the nearest I can get to them is from A company called pvc-u-like.com take look. I could go on for ever talking about pakamacs so anyone interested in chatting let me know. Thanks.

Comments by Beverley Male on 23rd January 2012   

why do some men like mackintoshes thats a big queston.
I have loved wearing them and seeing ladies wearing them since i was a boy. Now 68 started with love of pakamacs then when they sadly died out moved on to new type plastic and pvc. Now alas they have gone to. So just enjoy what few i see of any sort of mackintosh. Got some nice nylon ones place one pvc from rainmac i go out in those. Got plastic mackintoshes and rubber for in house. Love idea of someone making me wear a mackintosh. Guess thats a left over from school when most kids had to be forced to wear their mackintoshes. Liked to hear from anyone that was or is made to wear a mackintosh. Only true stories. Please Bev

Comments by Gareth on 23rd January 2012   

Hello Anna thats good to hear when I am in the capital I would love you both to have a coffee with me.

Hah, LOL

No just the son, I still have my navy blue one safe and sound!!

Comments by Gareth on 21st January 2012   

Hi Anna did you find any macs for your self in your Mums attic or has your son been just the lucky one .

Scotty, I still have the folding style macs that were bought for me but I don't know if they are genuine pakamacs. Until I read this, I didn't know that pakamac was a make. I thought it was just the word to describe the type of mac that folded up and could be carried in my bag. I'm in my thirties, my ex was much older which might explain his interest. I don't remember the macs that I grew to love being popular and it's probably for a similar reason that I didn't continue to wear them. When I return from my holiday, I must check them out. My ex bought me both plastic and nylon macs.

Comments by Scotty on 19th January 2012   

Hi Suzi, yes the fold up clear plastic rain hoods were called rain mates up here in Scotland. Do you still wear them and do you have any pakamac raincoats.
Your ex-husband was indeed a lucky fella and takes an interest in his mac interest.
I did confide in my ex wife and let her know of my love of plastic macs, this was possibly because I did wear a pakamac raincoat when younger as part of my school uniform and I loved it, however like you she thought they were frumpy too, so she never really took an active interest or indulged me. It would be nice to have a walk in the rain with a girl in hand both wearing macs, there is something magical when the rain is beating off a mac and you are perfectly dry. Oh to dream.

Comments by Gareth on 19th January 2012   

Hi Janice your late husband sounds very self centered If you had been my my wife I would have treated you with respect If you were wearing a mac or not maybe you will find someone else.

Hello Suzy well my husband never took no notice of anything I was wearing all he ever wanted was his food golf and football I did not know some men are turned on by macs.

Well Scotty, if my assumption that a Rainmate is a plastic rain hood, then you sound just like my ex. He was indeed putty in my hands.
If a lady loves their hubby, then this harmless indulgence can be really rewarding. I've just discovered this blog. I didn't realise there were still men out there interested in the subject of pakamacs.

Comments by Scotty on 17th January 2012   

Suzy
You are spot on with your comments that we men
enjoy you girls wearing macs. I can say this for me that
I would be putty in your hands if you would model a mac and perhaps a matching rainmate. Sheer heaven!

Well Janice, my ex-husband just like the men here, loved his pakamacs and was forever buying me them. Once I agreed to wear them for him, I started to enjoy them too. I was really reluctant at first, I thought they were really frumpy but after a while I learned to love them too. I think it may have been his reaction to me in one!

I must start wearing them again.

Comments by Gareth on 16th January 2012   

Hi Anna and a happy new year to you to yes that was a bit of luck that will keep him going for a bit If you find any that will fit me let me know please.

Hello Gareth

Yes, we had a stroke of good luck, when my mother was sorting through some stuff in her house, and we managed to find a few of my younger brother's old school macs in the attic. She'd forgotten they were there, but they fit perfectly, and had been well stored (no dampness or bugs) so are in immaculate condition. So one young man is now the proud new ownr of a lined gaberdene mackintosh, plus 2 pakamacs, one in navy and one beige

Thank you for enquiring, and Happy New Year

Anna

Comments by Gareth on 12th January 2012   

Anna did your sister ever help you find a shop that sold nylon macs.

Comments by Gareth on 9th January 2012   

Shona can you email me to tell me what happened to our mutual friend please.

I nerver knew so many men liked macs my late husband did not care what I was wearing as long as he had his golf why do they excite some men ?

Hi Anna great to hear from you have you got your son a new mac yet I just seen some for £12.99 in a loacal market seems to be of good quality happy new year.

Hello Gareth

Yes I'm still here and keeping well

I would like to wish all pac a mac fans a merry Christmas.

Hi Peter I got from the fashion centre in Llandudno Its a rainy days mac they were just makeing them for ladies but are trying a few for men try a market trader or a shop selling for both sexes they are very smart and the price is right . Also Its a bit soon but I would like to wish all mac lovers a very merry xmas and keep the comments comeing.

Hi Gareth

Perhaps you could tell me who is selling nylon macs at that price..I was looking at one on a site...just umder £40.00

After months of looking today I found a place that sells gents nylon macs He had about a dozen brand new macs for £9.99 each I bought a grey one.

Anna are you well you have gone silent email me to tell me you are well.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 7th November 2011   

So wonderful to hear that Shona has married, and I hope her partner enjoys Pakamacs and other rainwear as much as she does. Many congratulations!!

I have good new too, in that Susan Mackintosh has announced, in another internet location, that WE are an item. You can imagine how pleased and excited I am at this, and Sue, it is an absolute honour to be so close to you. We have both loved nylon and plastic Pakamacs all our lives, from schooldays onwards, we have both been involved with other rainwear enthusiasts, but we feel that we have now found the ultimate and lasting relationship, and it is an absolute joy to both of us.

Susan, I have almost finalised my latest letter, and I hope to "post" it later this week. Mmmmm, there's something for you to look forward to. In the meantime, happy macking, and that goes for all of you

Shona congratulations I heard you got married all the very best to you both.

Thank you Peter for the info but I will buy a new from rainmac.

Hi Gareth

Just found a gents nylon mac on ebay...not sure if it is your size...colour

If it helps the ebay no is 310350240624

Thanks Peter I had a email from rainmac all the gents nylon macs in the sale have gone .

Hi Gareth

As regards Rainmac...I am sure their shop is open to the general public...it was in 2009 as I actually visited there too dry on various macs before I decided

Indeed if you are able too visit them you will be spoilt for choice and the customer service is second to none

Hope this helps

Hi Peter I do not live in Belgium I was just in europe for a break thanks for the info I have seen the site its just I like to go in a shop and try it on before I buy.

Hi Gareth...haven"t been this site for a few weeks so apologies for delay in helping you out with your quest for a supplier of mens nylons macs

One such supplier is RAINMAC situated here in the UK...I see you live in Belguim..I feel sure they deliver outside the UK but underestandably postage charges may be high

The price I think was and still is £39.00 for the nylon mac but they are as far as I am concerned good quality compared with the more "flimsy" ones that used to be available

Look at the RAINMAC site...see what you think...Good Luck!

Comments by Gareth on 12th October 2011   

Are there any menswear shops that sell nylon macs I am in Belgium at the moment and no joy here Anna whats your sister say.

Anna get in touch with me personally I want to ask you something

Gareth - I've just seen your email, so it seems I need to go bak to the drawing board

Regards

Anna

Gareth, I'll see what I can find out, and speak to my sister soon. She doesnt live in Shrewsnury itself, but travels there 3 or 4 times a year from her rural home. She mentioned a traditional outfitters there that sells them, but of course, she could be mistaken

Anna

Comments by Gareth on 6th October 2011   

Thank you John Paul I did ring that shop they have not sold them for a long time I did ring a few others in North Wales but the same tale no demand so lets hope your sister knows of one Anna no pressure

Comments by Gareth on 5th October 2011   

Anna will you email me please when your sister tells which shop sells gents macs or they will be all gone and thank you John Paul I will ring that shop Its wonderfull how when you buy a mac they fold it up so neat I could nerver do it as good.

Commiserations John-Paul. If it's not too obvious, set up a search on Ebay for 'pakamac' and have it regularly email you with updates. It might be a good time of year to look on Ebay, what with Xmas approaching.

Anna and Gareth .... I live in Shrewsbury and I really cannot think of an outfitter that might sell you Nylon macs.Your sister, Anna, might have been thinking of Halon which is a very traditional Gents Outfitters but I am almost 100% certain they do not sell Nylon macs anymore - I guess a phone call to Halon would sort it out ? 01743 344804.
In the mean time I have had a total disaster!!.
I have had my lap-top stolen and in my lap-top bag was my wonderful black plastic Genuine Pakamac!!. The great irony is that I had been wearing it - and parading down the Kings Road in an unexpected downpour - with a whole raft of "looks" and quizical stares....
I got to The Bluebird Cafe ( my destination), and had taken off the wet mac and hastily folded away into my lap-top bag. The thief lifted my bag off the back of the chair I had momentarly vacated... nobody noticed or saw who the theif was. The Police were called, details taken. Bizarely the(young) Officer insisted upon puting "pac-a-mac" type raincoat - despite the fact that I had clearly said PAKAMAC!!.
So NO lap-top ( which fortunatly I only really use as an access tool) BUT my beloved Plastic Pakamac too!!. I am bereft!!.
If anyone out there has one they could spare - or see's one PLEASE contact me.
I need a LARGE, SMOOTH black/dark grey PLASTIC "Genuine Pakamac". I really hope somebody can help!!.
I've set up a hotmail account for contact - so, if you can help, PLEASE contact me on blackplastic@hotmail.com. I cant tell you how much I miss it!!.

Comments by Gareth on 4th October 2011   

Hello Sarah the shop is called Clares and is on Mostyn St It is very good it has ladieswear and menswear a very nice restaurant I have had many a nice meal there its also got a floor that sells kitchen things and suitcases the nylon macs are Rainy Days let me know how you get on I thought the Lilac colour mac was really nice there details are on the web look forward to hearing from you.

Gareth.Please can you give us the details of the shop in Llandudno that sold the nylon macs.I might like to go and pay them a visit. I wonder if you went into the shop and what it was like.

Thanks

Comments by Gareth on 2nd October 2011   

Hi Anna I do not live to far from Shrewsbury I have never heard that I did get a showerproof one from there navy blue in colour about five years ago i hope you will let me know what you get there is a shop in Llandudno i was there Friday It had plenty of ladies nylon macs in a range of colours but nothing for men I like to try something on before I purchase It thats why I not keen to buy on line keep me informed please .

Gareth - My pleasure. I need to find an alternative supplier though, I like to keep one in reserve in case of damage or loss. My son would prefer something more modern, but he needs something smart and traditional in my opinion. I'm told by my sister that there's an outfitters in Shrewsbury that sells them, so I may take my son there when I visit her soon

Comments by Gareth on 1st October 2011   

Hello Anna thank you for the info I have been and bought one a long time ago from there the shop on Duke St you mean is it I had forgotten all about it I do not come down to the capital very much the army and navy stores used to sell them too but they seem to have gone a bit to hot for macs this week the mac from Calders was grey in coulor I supose they have gone as well thanks for your help

Hello Gareth

I got the mac in an outfitters in Cardiff called Calders, but I was in there the other day, and they seem to be having a little bit of a clearance sale, and wasnt able to see any. I asked whether they had any so I could reply to your post, but the shop assistant didnt think so, saying they didnt have much demand for them anymore.

Previously, I got one in Millets, but this too is no longer an option looking around the shop there.

Sorry if this isnt much help

Anna

Comments by Gareth on 29th September 2011   

Anna your son sounds very smart in his mac i need a new one can you tell me where you purchased it and do you recomend them I could do with your advice.

Hello Anna you are amazing getting your son to wear a mac he sounds a fine young man maybe you could use your skill to get more women in the UK to wear a pac a mac.

Hello Gareth

No new mac, no. But he still wears the one I got him earlier this year. Navy blue, below knee length

Anna have you got your son a new nylon mac for winter.

Brian your comments are great I bet you could write a book on pac a macs If you ever do I would love to read it.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 7th September 2011   

Alpha, "good on yer" for mentioning Chadderton, Oldham, the true home of the British Pakamac! Another stimulus for my schoolday waterproof experiences to come "flooding" back(forgive the pun!) As I have mentioned before, schooldays were both Pakamac days and formative days-where my waterproof madness started.
I remember Hazel, the blonde bombshell of our 1962/3 fifth form. She owned a grey-black semi-transparent plastic Pakamac, which I spotted folded up on top of her domestic science basket. But-TARNATION!!-I ever actually saw her wearing it!! Probably just as well, though, as I may not have been able to "hold back"! The apposite words for Hazel were "corrrrr!!!" and "WOW!!!"-even Pamela Anderson had nothing on Hazel(although I would love to see Pamela mackintoshed.)
But, on a much gentler note, there was Joy, who joined our third form, when I was in the fifth form. She lost no time at all in displaying HER grey-black see-through plastic Pakamac whenever it was raining, and it certainly made lunchtimes more interesting, as she walked home in the same direction as myself! But, believe it or not, I met Joy again, a few years ago, in a completely different context-and, apart from middle-aged weight increase, she had hardly changed at all. In particular, that long sweep of the hair was still there. We spoke, and I was almost tempted to ask if she still had her plastic mac, or what she had done with it. Joy had married, and so we couldn't take things further, but it has led me to think that it should be possible to harmonise a romantic attachment with a waterproof one.
Susan and I have been sharing some wonderful correspondence, with this in mind, and, Susan, I am almost ready to e-mail my latest message. Susan writes beautifully, vividly and excitingly, and has a tremendous knowledge and experience of the Pakamac scene as it has evolved over the years.
I have had some wonderful rainwear sightings over the last few days, with all wearers being older women. Outside our local Sainsbury's, was a navy blue nylon mac, hood up, with a slightly gathered smock-like effect at the back. But, an even more exciting sight awaited me as I went in-a nylon mac, light sage green in colour, normal Pakamac length, slightly see-through, and, as if this were not enough, a pair of olive green rubber boots too. Susan and I have been discussing purchasing rubber macs, and Weathervain do a heavy latex rubber mac, in this olive-green colour.
And, also in Sainsbury's, one of the staff was sporting a hip-length navy nylon jacket with black quilted lining, obviously an occupational garment.
The Pakamac, and simliar garments, are not dead, and whenever they appear on e-bay, it is encouraging to see healthy bidding, and an even more healthy interest and enthusiasm.
I'd better go now! Till next time...

Further on the New York/London link regarding nylon. I've heard this before and also heard that it is disputed. Have a look at the Etymology paragraph on the Wikipedia entry for Nylon.

It's lovely to read the contribution from Alpha and I for one am looking forward to the next entry. Tell all Alpha.

I remember those shop stickers even in the 80s, one in particular in the window of an exclusive ladies outfitters that catered for the more discerning lady. I think that says something about the popularity of the Pakamac even then!

Comments by Alpha on 27th August 2011   

Only just found this site, very interesting reading, I like many of you have been a staunch lover of pakamacs since a very early age,Whilst at High School in the late 50s I just loved rainy days and used to get sent out of class on purpose so I could head straight for the cloakrooms a as soon as I entered the aroma of wet plastic macs hit me,
Coming from a poor family I never had one but I got great pleasure from seeing others and having contact with there macs. Also seeing the girls the other end of the school leaving on a rainy day, Like many of you I thought I was alone with this strange feeling.
But once I started work I soon owned several macs of my own, I can even now remember the stickers in shop windows
STOCKIST OF PAKAMAC THE GENUINE PLASTIC RAINCOAT, (D`ont take a chance take a PAKAMAC!!) I soon built up a collectiion of my own. Then around the middle to late 60s Pakamac then based at Chadderton in Lancashire started to produce lots of different types of mac ie: the sportsman which was a beige mac with a printed inside the pvc was a tartan pattern, they were a little more expensive but nice to wear, Then came the introduction of Nylon derived from
New York/ LONdon, i was never a great lover of nylon and still love the smell and feel of vinyl macs, I could go on for ever telling stories of my life with plastic but await any welcome feedback.

David get to the back of the queue my name is down first.

Comments by David on 25th August 2011   

Wish i could meet the mature lady that loves mackintoshes
I am 68 live bedford england loves rainwear all my life both wearing and seeing ladies in.

I think the marks and spencer nylon macs had plastic buttons Brian do you have a warehouse to keep all your macs by the way Brian you nerver did tell us about Isobel.

I too have heard about M&S selling nylon macs but I don't remember them. They must have done so because absolutely every department store sold them. If my memory serves me well, the likes of BHS and the COOP sold them under their own label whereas lots of others sold the genuine Pakamac, especially the small local stores. C&A of course was a fabulous source but always a different style. Call me old fashioned, but I generally preferred the traditional style of nylon and plastic mac, so the C&A continental style macs didn't always appeal to me. The 'own label' nylon macs elsewhere used to be slightly different too, in some way, from the Pakamac or Rainstar style of nylon mac and again, for me, weren't quite as appealing. I liked the House of Fraser for their range of nylon macs, lots of styles that appealed to me in a large range of colours.

As I look back, what I find incredible, is that they appealed to ladies of all ages whether they were well off or not. For me, I still love to wear an expensive skirt suit under a nylon mac. I love the look. Of course they were cheap enough to be a staple for the less well off or as rain protection for a precious wool coat. Again, a look I still love.

Even as they started to disappear from regular sight, I loved to visit and buy from the shops that continued to stock Rainstar nylon macs, the likes of John Lewis, Joplings and a number of ladies clothes shops well into the nineties and even early 2000's. Rainstar nylon macs became my favourite, so I loved it that I knew exactly where to go for the macs I loved, even when Rainstar seemed to morph into YB Wet.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 23rd August 2011   

Although I do not personally remember Marks and Spencers retailing nylon macs, John Paul referred to them in an e-mail he once posted to me, so perhaps he can shed some light on these.
Admirer of M&S though I am(I think their prepacked sandwiches are delicious!), I have always found them slightly disappointing when it comes to interesting rainwear. However in the mid 1980s, there was a range of plastic macs which was very appealing. Generously oversized, the basic colurs were emerald green, deep pink, black and deep metallic blue-in fact, the other colours were slightly metallic too. They had a faint all-over star-like pattern, which added to the appeal. The blue was especially attractive, and I remember seeing a girl wearing one and going into the former "American Food Factory"(YUK!!!) in New Street, Birmingham. Her taste in rainwear was exquisite, which is more than can be said for her choice of eating venue!! These macs do occasionally turn up on e-bay and it is worth keeping an eye open for them.
More recently, M&S sold a quilted mac, beige outer shell with a beautifully delicate pink-orange sheen-possibly one of their "Per Una" styles. Not really a Pakamac type item, but it does deserve a mention here. I saw a lady wearing one, in her seventies perhaps, and she looked ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, a reminder that attractive rainwear is for everyone, male or female, any age.
And, Gareth, I have read about your dating girls in nylon macs-YOU LUCKY SO-AND-SO!!! And, yes, like you, I wish we could go back in time, to those irreplaceable items of the fities and sixties, but holding on to the waterproof experiences we have accumulated over the intervening years(if that makes sense!)

Does anybody rember the nylon macs Marks and Spencers used to sell once.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 22nd August 2011   

In a website like this, one must occasionally be allowed a post that "shocks" everyone(in the nicest possible way, of course!), so here is mine: To date I have 795 macs, waterproofs etc, of various types, filling my wardrobes and cupboards. Can anyone exceed this number? Well, I know Susie Boult, of Plastique Unique, can as she claims to have 1500 items. As long as my accumulation is less than her's I don't feel as "guilty"!
The point is that, as well as being a rainwear enthusiast, I am one of those people that has to go for everything in a really big way(and that goes for my other interests too!) But, then again, one has to be allowed at least one mad interest in our lives-the ability to go 99% insane, as a safeguard against going "the whole hog". Agreed?

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 22nd August 2011   

Another assemblage of interesting comments, and I am particularly interested in the comments as to when nylon macs first appeared on the streets.
But before anything, can I recommend the Stay Dry nylon macs yet again, comfortable, relaxing, exciting, beautifully rustly(the mac swishes at your every move!), and light as a feather. They are beautifully ventilated and incredibly breathable, lovely to wear indoors or out. They swish and fill with air, which ventilates the mac even more. When I wear one, I just don't want to take it off(I am wearing one now), and they bring back wonderful memories of nylon macs I have seen in the past. I have no fewer than 25 of these beautiful macs already and I know I will be buying more. I simply love them. They are lovely, incredibly lovely, macs. When I am out, I can wear one of these macs for the whole afternoon without overheating, which would be impossible with any of my plastic macs. I remember Gore-Tex were very proud of the high transpiration rate of their waterproofs. Well, I would imagine that Stay Dry nylon macs and capes exceed even those in that respect.
Their semi-transparent plastic macs are lovely too, and, again, are so comfortable to wear. For me, in so many ways, Stay Dry are the true successor to Pakamac-practical, inexpensive and, again, lovely to wear. I just cannot praise them enough. And what sensible trade names Pakamac and Stay Dry are-smart, concise and yet telling you all you want to know. And, while I am thinking about it, full marks to everyone here for spelling P-A-K-A-M-A-C correctly, unlike some of the weird versions on e-bay! This is a real connoisseur's website with some wonderfully interesting and exciting contributors.
The first nylon macs that I remember seeing on the streets were in 1965, but, as Gareth says, they had been around for a couple of years previously. I can recall a Pakamac advert in 1962 which listed both plastic Pakamacs and Bri-Nylon(as it was called then)Pakamacs.
I remember seeing a girl, in 1965, wearing a fairly short, unbelted nylon mac in light blue, fairly tight-fitting, allowing one to see the mac pulsating with her every move. And, later on in the same year, at a university interview, a group of us were taken round the Nottingham University campus, and one of the girls, beautifully dressed in a light blue 2-piece jacket and skirt, was carrying a handbag, and a rolled up nylon mackintosh. Her mac was brown with a hint of grey, recalling the colour of the later plastic Pakamacs. and also appeared to be almost see-through. I wished it would rain so I could see her wearing it but no such luck!! Why does it never rain when you want it to?!
Talking about university and college interviews, and student days in general, why doesn't one of them offer a degree course in "rainwear", with a Ph D follow up? I imagine there would be several likely candidates from our regulars on this site!
This brown/grey colour was very fetching, rivalling navy blue. I recall Norma, a secretary at one of my career-realated interviews. Before I saw her mackintoshed she was a beautifully attractive young lady. When I saw her in her brown-grey nylon mac, she was a VIBRANT SEX BOMB(!!!,with the wind filling and inflating her mac beautifully.
The first schoolgirl I saw, wearing a navy blue nylon mac, was in the summer of the next year, 1966. She was about 12 or 13, and her mac was always neatly buttoned and beautifully smart, conforming to the ideals of our good friend Anna!
At the school I attended, girl’s nylon macs made their first appearance in 1967, mostly in navy, although I can recall a particularly fetching one in sage green. At first, these macs were somewhat sparse, and didn't really start taking off until 1968. By that time, I was in my student period, and this merits a further contribution, which I have yet to compile. However, I feel I must post this now as I have not contributed to this site for some time. Hope you enjoy this, and that it sparks off more feedback!! To be continued........

Comments by Scotty on 22nd August 2011   

Susan

I think you are right that the rainbonnet is getting scarcer and scarcer. I do remember my Aunt having the nylon covered rainbonnet, think it was a blue colour. I do love the 50/60 raincoats also. I have a semi clear Almar raincoat with matching rain scarf,think its late 60/70's era. I did notice that Plastique unique sell a 50's type of raincoat, dont think it has a matchimg rainbonnet. These macs are also getting harder and harder to find, good for you that you still have a couple in your collection. Like you I do also favour the polkadot rainbonnet also. Love the retro look.

Scotty

I have lots of rain bonnets. That includes different folding ones and accordian style ones. If I find different styles or labels, I like to buy a few, some for wearing and some to be kept pristine in their packaging, for the time when they disappear as I'm sure they ultimately will.

As to my favourites, it would have to be polka dot ones, whatever the colour to match my mac. The polka dot ones on coloured plastic might just be my favourite. I also have some that feel a very old fashioned/mature lady style, in plastic with a nylon net lining.

I particularly love the older macs though when they came with a matching rain bonnet. I still have a few of those and I love them. Very 1950s/60s.

Comments by Scotty on 18th August 2011   

Hi Susan

Thats great that you prefer to wear the retro look fold up accordian rain bonnet or rainmate as I remember them. I have a couple that I collected, however, I dont wear them myself as prefer to see females wearing them. Think they are really nice and practical. My favourite is a small semi transparent fold up polkadot pattern one in black, have a few plain ones also. have you got many in your collection and one that you like to wear.

Anna I hope your son gets good grades today may be you will buy him a new pac a mac if he does.

Hi Susie

Sorry I can"t help you with when the plastic mac first came onto the scene but whoever decided that a thing like plastic could be used in the manufacturing of a mac

Well I dare there are a lot of people over the years have said THANK YOU

Not only the practical side of it...a fold up mac that can be carried on every journey but for those that wearing a plastic mac has other reasons

My first memories...1952...the year I started school....kitted out with the first school gaberdine mac for the winter and a plastic mac from Woolworths for the Summer showers and we always took them with us on our holidays....a week away in a caravan...but saying that we all looked forward to that week or if we were very lucky two weeks away from home

Plastic macs for me had another meaning and my introduction of my attraction to macs designed for the fairer sex....

The fairer sex...we don"t see ladies labelled as the "fairer sex" anymore

And now nearly sixty years on that attraction too macs...not only plastic grows stronger and this includes those macs designed for ladies

I keep thinking I have so many macs...not going too buy another one but then I look on sites like ebay....I see a mac...reasonably priced and temptation gets the better of me

I bid for it...I suppose it is the thrill/buzz one gets when they try on a new mac

As regards wearing ladies macs outside....I have done it with a dark blue hooded nylon mac as the colour does not draw attention...it buttons the ladies way but how many people...with their busy lifestyle are going too notice that

Heavy rain expected here in the South East later on...looks like a day for mac wearing....My kind of day!!!!!!!!!!!

Pamela and Shona Its good to hear you friends again.

Does anyone know when plastic macs first made an appearance? The 'lakelandelements' film list dates one of the earliest appearances in the cinema as being in a 1929 film. I would assume that people were wearing them a little earlier than that but perhaps not much earlier.

It was interesting what Peter and Gareth said about nylon macs and when they started to appear. I think my memories of seeing other people in macs, whether nylon or plastic, are from 1965 onwards as I headed towards my teens. At some point I remember seeing a broadcast of 'All Our Yesterdays' with Brian Inglis with an article on fashion towards the end of WWII. It particularly looked at materials that were developed as part of the war effort and showed a lady in a foldaway nylon mac.

Yes Scotty, I do wear folding plastic rain bonnets. I love them and they are still relatively easy to find in chemists.

Comments by Scotty on 15th August 2011   

Hi Susan

Noticed your comments regarding mac, rainbonnet and boots, sounds very stylish and retro. Do you wear the fold up rainbonnets, all the girls during highschool used to wear them, alas they seem not to be used. I gave a folding bonnet to a girlfriend who said she would use it, hope she does as she may restart a new trend

1963 was a good year for nylon macs all the girls seemed to have one I dated many them and took them to the cinema for about three hours of necking in the back seats anybody got a time machine I could loan .

Comments by PETER on 13th August 2011   

As promised how many fellow mac wearers did I see on my walk into town this morning...sadly but no real surprise very few...just the odd polyester cotton mac that seems to be the fashion with the younger set now...although I am more for the plastic,PVC and nylon macs I do find these do look good and knowing the possibility that macs will not completely vanish from the streets all the time the odd few do wear them

Comments by PETER on 13th August 2011   

In response to Susan"s comments...as always interesting ..as regards the fashion of rainwear these days.some pseudo mountain rescue look...reading this as well as having too accept it ..it really depresses me and a way out of that depression...Slip on one of my macs and think back to yesteryears...Everyone from infants to adults wore a mac should the weather call for it

Sadly too wear a plastic mac OR to be seen in one these days ...Not fashionable...isn"t seen to be cool

To many a plastic mac or any kind of mac is considered as boring thus the end result... the lack of sightings of people in them

Susan"s mention of "even on a good day it can be rolled up in a bag in readiness for a shower"

Thank you for that Susan...reminds me of my mum(bless her!)...always made sure we had our plastic mac with us as we headed off to school....no wonder I still do the same now..and I think back to what Mum told us...Mother knows best

I must admit I have on many occasions had the last laugh whilst out being the only one dry...looking smug whilst others...bedraggled...cold ..wet and looking throughly stupid

Like me Susan you wear your mac at the first opportunity

Why should it rain before one wears a mac

I dare say on the three occasions Susan went out sensibly dressed not one person took any notice but possibly a few admiring glances how nice she looked

I know she would have got one from me...I would be the one wearing a plastic mac or nylon mac

Comments by PETER on 13th August 2011   

Hi Gareth


Yes I think it was the early 1960s that nylon macs first came onto the High Street...I am thinking when I first saw them and bought my first nylon mac

1964...I was 17 years old...amazing how things stick in your mind...just browsing in our local C&A and there on individual hangers....nylon macs...all styles...a variation of colours..and that was only those designed for us men folk......and relatively cheap although I can"t recall the actual price...must have been cheap as I wasn"t earning much money being a hard working shop worker...in a greengrocers

I tried it on...looked in the mirror in the store....I was hooked if that is the right word...took it off...and took it to the paying area...how the shop assistant laid it out and took care to fold it up before putting it in a bag

Got home and no one there so took it out of the bag and tried it on.....

The end result....now 50 years on...my love of not only nylon macs but all types of macs is part of my life

It is dry here this morning but so cloudy so my brown nylon mac is going too get an outing....I will be looking for any others who have decided ..Why should a mac just be worn when it rains

I know this is another debatable subject as Susan has commented on....looks like I will adding something to her interesting comment when I return from my mac wearing expedition

I will add a comment on how many mac wearers I see later on

Although it's August, where I am there's been at least 48 hours of constant rain and it's still raining now on the third day. Why is it that the fashion for rainwear these days seems to be some pseudo mountain rescue look. Modern fabrics may well have been researched and developed scientifically over the years to work but also a price tag reflecting that.

The thing about a long plastic mac though is that it is relatively cheap, it keeps you dry if worn over boots and with a plastic rain bonnet it looks fabulous. Even on a good day it can be carried rolled up in a bag in readiness for a shower. Obviously I prefer to be wearing mine. Best of all maybe, is that I can have loads and choose one that best suits my outfit rather than the same old rain coat/jacket that has to be teamed with everything else and worn because it is too bulky!

A pakamac doesn't have to be 'fashionable', despite me thinking they are, but surely it is a staple. I've been out in mine, with the boots and rain bonnet down to my supermarket and the high street on over three seperate occasions in the last two days, 100 percent dry, feeling so good about myself and the way I look.

Does anybody know when nylon macs first came out when I just left school in 1962 I had a part time job serving petrol in a garage one day a Vauxhall Cresta drove in a women jumped out wearing a nylon mac that is the first time I saw a nylon mac.

Yes Peter I read that article the mac is back I also had my hopes up maybe one day macs will make a comeback but I will be in my dotage by then.

Comments by PETER on 27th July 2011   

Hi Gareth

Yes you are so right

I remember a few years ago a High Street store in their Spring collection included a plastic mac designed for the fashion conscious trendsetters

A friend told me about them and I just had too have a look and there displayed in the shop window was this "model" in a plastic mac...looked really nice but I can"t recall seeing any young ladies actually wearing them so obviously it never appealed to youngsters

I also recall an article in a national tabloid headed "The mac is back"...not so much plastic macs but macs designed for ladies...dead fashionable....but did that article really catch ladies eyes...sadly not

So a negative outlook for us mac enthusiasts but just a good job there are websites still being able too supply us with them

If some female fashion icon or someone always in the press were to start wearing plastic macs maybe half the females in the UK would wear them well live in hope.

Comments by PETER on 26th July 2011   

Hi Susan

Now I know one shouldn"t mention a lady"s age but I assume you are in the same generation/era as me

ME...remembering the 1950s and 1960s with affection for obvious reasons you remembering those wonderful days

I suppose the 1970s had a positive side for me with wearing macs at my leisure until I got married in 1974

I made a good choice in 1974 when I decided too get married but sadly like many wives,partners my new wife didnot understand/accept my passion for macs so for 25 (long) years I had too "survive" with wearing macs when she was out

25 years as anyone will tell you is a lifelong when you are restricted from doing what you enjoy doing...in my case wearing macs

We split up in 1999...just happened and 12 years on we are good friends....it is a funny old situation!

So in 1999 I thought has the attraction of wearing macs gone...was the appeal gone....so I remember ordering a ladies nylon mac out of a mail order catalogue...I still have it now...and I tried it on

The wonderful feeling ...I just didnot want too take it off,...I knew then seeing I was planning to be on my own with no plans are getting into anymore relations at that time I started looking at other macs on offer in these catalogues and yes there was a lot of offer

Of course in 1999 I had no computer thus relying on catalogues

But joining the computer age in 2003 it opened up a whole new world for me with easy access too buying more macs and more so making new friends and meeting a few

Happy days

I too remember seaside towns Peter, but on the east coast of England, where the shops had loads of plastic and nylon macs on display. They were hanging outside, in the windows, on rails inside. It was absolute heaven. The English Lake District was similar. That was at a time though when most towns had specialist rainwear shops just full of the most beautiful nylon macs and plastic macs.
You're correct I think, we will never see those days again but I will continue to publicly lament the loss.

Comments by PETER on 24th July 2011   

Hi Susan

Indeed this History World site really does get some interesting contributions all relating to one thing...Rainwear

I was looking at the galleries on the Plastic Unique site and as they say many of the macs being worn in the photos are no longer available and too think in the 1950s and 1960s you could buy these macs anywhere

And the very mention of the 1950s and this is when it all started for me...the attraction to macs.....like many wearing them even indoors is not just natural but a way of life and good too know we can relay our thoughts too others who read our comments

My plans for the afternoon...a bit of tidying in the garden then back indoors ...a bath...then an evening in one of my nylon macs...maybe too bed in it as well

A wonderful end to a satisfying day

When it comes to my colour preference for a plastic mac then I have to say I love them in every colour and I try to have one of each in my collection. I like to be able to team one up with the outfit I'm wearing. I have to agree with Brian (yes Peter, I know you like them too) about black or grey Pakamacs. They are indeed something very special. I bought a grey 'Genuine 1950s' plastic mac from Plastique Unique a while back and I was overjoyed to see how much it resembled a Pakamac. Even the aroma was different to that of more modern plastic macs. It made me feel, and still continues to, extra tingly when I put it on. I also have a thing for, what pvc-u-like describe as, a natural colour plastic mac. These remind me very much of the macs worn by ladies in the 1950s. Yes Brian, a lot of my macs are the 1950s style from pvc-u-like. Yes I do have some plastic macs in blue. I love pink too, and purple, and yellow and so on.

When it comes to a nylon mac, again although I have and love them in every colour, for me it has to be navy blue.

I'm loving the contributions here.

Comments by PETER on 23rd July 2011   

I am going too kill two birds with one stone (as they say) with responses to two comments

Hi Gareth

No fear of my sister reading the comments....she has no computer...lives in the dark ages but if I wasn"t such a gentleman I would say "Best place for her"

Hi Brian

I think I gave you the wrong impression as regards the "boring" black and dark grey plastic macs

I suppose I have too admit I do love bright colours and I suppose this was one of the attraction to ladies macs and still is

As regards the dark colours I have a black PVC mac and a unisex double breasted plastic/pvc mac in dark blue which I do find a joy too wear...also a dark blue ankle length plastic mac so contradicting myself with my admission to "boring" dark colours

Isn"t it strange how many of these comments turn back to our schooldays and recollections...I suppose our introduction to plastic macs with memories that stay with us

Good too see the Plastique Unique have reopened...must take a look at what they have on offer

They must feel there is a market out there with profitable returns

As i said in my previous comment..I live in my own little dreamworld...well several little dreamworlds...one being that a High Street store decides too include Plastic macs in their Spring collection...keep them simple....keep them at an attractive and sensible price and too see a young lady walking out of the store in a Plastic mac

Oh dear...I have just came out of my dreamworld into the world of reality...don"t like it

Dreamworld here I come again!

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 22nd July 2011   

Lovely remarks, Peter, and very interesting. But I cannot agree that grey and black plastic macs are boring, In fact, I am wearing one now. Some of my most intense waterproof experiences have happened whilst wearing or observing these beautiful macs, and I know John Paul will bear me out on this point. He models these macs really beautifully.
Susan, too, looks fabulous wearing grey-black see-through macs, except that her's are more modern styles, probably from PVC-U-Like or PVC Rainwear, their sister company. I love the way she makes her macs fill with air, and blow up like balloons. She certainly knows how to turn me on, and it will be wonderful when we get round to dating regularly.
At my junior school, when plastic macs for boys made their first appearance, I remember looking at one hung up in the cloakroom, semi-transparent, buttons outwards, the tag in the collar clearly visible, and seeing the word "Pakamac" for the very first time. And that word, which we are celebrating in these posts, has dominated my life ever since. When I started buying and wearing plastic macs regularly, I just kept repeating the word "Pakamac" over and over again.
These basic grey-black see-through plastic Pakamacs were styled for girls too, and this masculine colour made them look sexier than ever, especially when their macs were wet.
I do have a liking for sky blue see-through macs too, reminding me of Elizabeth. But I am hoping that Susan, too, will spring a pleasant surprise on me by strutting her stuff whilst waterproofed in this colour.
Finally, Plastique Unique rainwear have re-opened their retail outlet for a short time, before the owners, Susie and Alan, move to Spain. Their Sandy macs are well worth a try, black, swishy, see-through, slightly oversized and beautifully rumpled(assuming, of course, that they still have some in stock.)
Despite the scarcity of interesting rainwear currently on our streets, the macs are available, and it is down to us to beat the fashion promoters at their own game, and show the general public what plastic macs are all about. Full marks to John Paul and his friends at the recent Elton John gig. Perhaps Susan and myself should have joined you!!
More articles are in the pipeline...many more. Keep on enjoying and loveing your macs, both indoors and out.

Peter if your sister ever reads your comments you will be in hot water.

Comments by PETER on 21st July 2011   

Brian"s latest comments says it all

We fantasise and hope...sometimes wishing we could turn the clock back to the days when not only plastic macs but all styles of macs were sold in so many stores and no matter what the weather mac wearing was commonplace

Think of a visit to the coast..like many who spent a week or fortnight away from home...no foreign travel in our childhood days...so it was always a holiday on the South Coast and it was common practice too buy presents too take home...so into a gift shop and there in full view...on hangers were plastic macs

And on shelves would be plastic macs packed in polythene bags with the size on it and if designed for a man or lady

Ladies macs in wonderful attractive colours whereas the macs designed for the boys and men were always a boring grey or black

But what a thrill when I was asked..."Did I want another plastic mac" or if my sister was asked...the thought of seeing her in her new plastic mac and knowing I would possibly be wearing it at home if I was on my own

Yes...I do find macs designed for ladies attractive

On a trip to Malta in 2009 I was quite surprised too find plastic macs for sale...dead cheap and not really made too last but at least they were on sale in case of the unexpected showers and yes we got a few of them

Oh for the day when a high street store takes a gamble and takes some plastic macs in stock selling them at a sensible price

Who knows...young ladies might take a liking too them and start buying them...others see a friend in one and she buys one...thus the reintroduction of plastic macs

I know I am living in a dreamworld but let"s face it...how many of us think back from time to time at happy times including seeing ladies of all ages in all types of macs

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 20th July 2011   

Yet more interesting comments from Peter and Gareth.
Someone once made the remark that the first exciting macs were rubber, then plastic took over, with these giving place to nylon. Now, according to this person, all we seem to get these days are wet T-shirts!
But do we even get those? Like so many of our regular correspondents, I have never known such a dearth of exciting rainwear in the best Pakamac traditions.
I do, however, have a liking for those bell-shaped glass-clear umbrellas, with borders of varying colours. One can always imagine that, were see-through macs available in the stores, the girls with the umbrellas would be wearing these macs too. One can but fantasise...and hope...

Comments by PETER on 18th July 2011   

So Anna makes her son wear a mac...maybe he could possibly rebel against her but on the other hand he may appreciate the fact that he feels she cares about him spending money on a sensible mac for him

There is always the chance a child will rebel against parents even if they have had everything they have asked for

Of course schools are too blame for the lack of rainwear being worn to and from school

Think back to the 1950s and into the 1960s...part of the school uniform in many schools was the gaberdine mac but now do we see a child in anything like a regulation school mac...or are there any stores stock a regulation school mac

Even into the 1980s a private school near me made sure the pupils wore a mac...every mac on every pupil was the same

Sadly not now so the children go to school in flimsy jackets and schools are afraid too make it a rule that all children wear the same style of coat

The rule of mac wearing taught us discipline...not only at home where mum would insist we wear our macs to school but at school where...if you arrived without it questions would be asked and at playtime no mac...then you stayed inside

No wonder children are running riot...they please themselves and they are the generations that one day will make decisions as regards the running of the country

Of course there is the possibility of Anna"s son getting bullied at school...it just doesn"t take the wearing of a mac too get bullied at school as many will recall

If you didn"t fit in....I recall anyone with ginger hair...fat people.....those wearing glasses...all prime targets for the school bully

Anna is a caring parent...proud of her son"s appearance irrespective of possible disapproval from fellow pupils at his school...pity more parents don"t follow in Anna"s footsteps and let their children know until they get to a certain age they listen to mum for words of wisdom

I know I am living in my own little dreamworld but must admit the discipline we experienced as children...taught good behaviour...we worked for our pocket money....just letting us know that we respected those around us and I for one must admit it made me into a better person

And yes...the insistance by mum for me too wear my mac ....the end result was my attraction to macs all those years ago and remaining with me nearly sixty years on

Anna I admire the fact you send your son to Church but I think you go to far when you tell him how to wear his mac he is a young man now he may rebel against you and other boys could bully him if they knew his Mother made him wear his mac just let grow into a man and what about your self do you like wearing a nylon mac or are you attracted to men wearing a mac do not worry I sure your son will be fine.

Comments by PETER on 11th July 2011   

Hi Brian

Glad you found my comments interesting

Most of the memories of many rainwear "enthusiasts" reflect on our childhood days...our first attraction too macs...maybe just one type/style or like me....a lover of all types/styles of macs and this has remained with me for many years thus my collection of all types/styles of macs

A quick insight in how it all started with me....Plastic macs and school(gaberdine) macs...not so much mine but my sisters and this attraction too ladies macs has..like my wide choice of macs has stayed with me for many years

My sister then on leaving school would buy fashionable macs for the "younger set" of that era(late 1950s/early 1960s),being Plastic,PVC even trendy Trenchcoats thus my attraction too these

Incidentally I found nylon macs by visiting our local C & A store long ago...all on hangers..I was hooked and bought one

So what is my attraction and I dare say others reading this...our attraction to macs designed for ladies and as you rightly say...too see a lady in one of those macs on PPVC-u-Like and similar sites

I suppose I have a mac for all occasions

A nylon mac for slightly cooler weather or the likelihood of showers...if not wearing it I carry it with me

A plastic mac for long walks in the countryside or along the seafront

I did with some time ago with a fellow mac enthusiast...we took his dog for a walk...both in plastic macs

A Trenchcoat for the cooler,wetter days of Winter...not only for the comfort and satifaction but it does look smart

As regards my collection of "ladies"macs...odd as it may sound I get a lot of enjoyment/satisfaction wearing these indoors....sometimes thinking of going out in one but they look so feminine and a lot of them would draw the attention of passers by with the colour

Your planned meeting with Susan,,,hope it goes well

I have met a few fellow mac enthusiasts and became "attached" too one such person..sadly the "relationship" ended when "she" got into financial difficulties and was forced too sell up and move...too far for me too visit but life moves on

My advice...from personal experience is if anyone thinks about finding a mackintosh partner go for it...you won"t regret it

Oh for sites like this where we can be open in our memories of our introduction to rainwear...and know those reading any comments will appreciate the "thrill" of wearing a mac or seeing,possibly sharing the company of a fellow mac enthusiast

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 10th July 2011   

Peter's comments are really interesting. As I have mentioned before, some of my own most vivid rainwear memories date back to schooldays. Not only is this period of life an extremely formative one, but the fifties and sixties saw the "golden era" of Pakamacs, of which we may never see the like again. Having said this, I really wish some of PVC-U-Like's excellent styles would hit the streets.
One warm showery afternoon in May 1969, I was visiting my old school whilst studying at "uni". Because of the rain, girl's navy nylon schoolmacs swished, rustled, pulsated, shimmered and glistened everywhere. But amidst all of these, one girl was wearing an unbuttoned semi-transparent sky blue plastic mac, and, somehow, her mac was even more exciting(and, knowing my love of girl's nylon macs, that is really saying something!) She made me think of Elizabeth, a girl friend from 1965, who wore a simliar plastic mac. When I saw her wearing this mac, wet from a shower, we "fell in love" straightaway.
When one is a rainwear enthusiast, the rules of love, romance and (especially) sex, change completely. Susan and I are exchanging some beautiful, if rather naughty(!), correspondence, and we are becoming very close, and we are acknowledging that an intimate relationship may be possible.
I may mention that Susan has written a wonderful story about girl's navy nylon schoolmacs, and has posted it in "Lakeland Elements", and IT IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING RAINWEAR FEATURES I HAVE EVER READ!! I JUST CANNOT EMPHASISE THIS ENOUGH. IT IS PURELY AND SIMPLY SOME OF THE FINEST RAINWEAR WRITING EVER. It will be a wonderful inspiration to us when we start meeting, whether we wear nylon macs or plastic macs, and Susan, I am in the process of finalising my latest letter, and I hope to send it this week.
Sometimes I do feel the need to "space out" my enthusiasm-whether it is maturity or "senility", I am not quite certain!-but Susan is wonderfully understanding in this respect, and I hope we can make some real progress. I also hope some more of our regular contributors find understanding and sympathetic partners with whom to share their interest, and a blog site like this provides a perfect opportunity.
In the meantime, LOVE your Pakamacs....Long live Pakamacs...

Comments by PETER on 7th July 2011   

Hi Anna

As you rightly say the tendacies towards obedience was greater in the good old days

Indeed those three words *Good Old Days" really brings back fond memories too me and I dare say many in my age group

Your mention of your son"s mac being buttoned to the neck and a question is raised here

Were we being disciplined too harshly or being disciplined at all in our schooldays or was it simply commonsense and/
or looked smart that a mac be buttoned to the neck and belted

I went to mixed schools...primary school(5-11) and secondary school(11-15) and it was expected too see all school macs belted and the girls with their macs buttoned to the neck and hoods up

At secondary school it was a bit more "liberated" with mac wearing but girls seemed too wear their school macs but being permitted not too have the hood up unless it rained

No...you are not being too strict and it is a great pity that more parents do not advice their children not only on the wearing of sensible macs but on life in general

Thank you Peter, yes the tendency towards obedience was greater in the good old days, these days, there are so many distractions for children, it becomes harder to maintain good order. But I guess that's another conversation entirely

My son needs far more persuasion than I would like, but its wworth it at the end of the day, if I know he's wearing his mackintosh how I like it - buttoned to the neck, and when he's wearing his gaberdine mac, belted tight

It's good to talk; I do wonder if I'm not too strict, but there's nothing as practical that I'd want him to wear, to be honest

Anna

Comments by PETER on 7th July 2011   

Hi Anna

Although many years ago I can"t recall my mum ever having to be a "persauvive beast" when it came too persuading me too carry a mac or wear it should the need be

I just followed mum"s advice and I think in those days it was commonsense with most people...if it was raining they wore a mac irrespective of age or were always prepared

I suppose even then there were those who hated wearing macs....Gaberdine(school) macs come too mind...part of the school uniform in my schools....many have admitted these coats were even "loved" or "loathed"

With me I loved my school mac...not just for schoolwear but also when out playing in the not so nice weather

The only time mum had to be "persauvive" was getting me too eat my vegetables....mainly cabbage...but that is another story

By the way...mum won the battle of the cabbage eating

Looks like another mac wearing day today....my kind of weather

Peter - Thank you for your nice comments. I quite agree with your sentiments. Children were always required to carry a mac in their bag, and my son is no different. Yes he does object, but we mothers can be quite persuasive beasts, dont you know?

Comments by PETER on 5th July 2011   

Hi Anna

How reassuring too know there are parents like yourself...although sadly not many...that make sure their children are prepared for the unexpected weather we do experience here regularly in the UK

This does take me back to my childhood days....a long time ago I must admit...Mum always made sure we carried our macs in our school bag in case of the sudden shower and even now when I go out I always carry a lightweight mac with me

Of course in those days...(the 1950s) plastic macs were to be found in so many shops but now it is getting so difficult too find anyone who stocks them on the High Street thus the convenience of the internet

May I ask you...does your son object too wearing a mac or even carrying one with him

So sad that other parents don"t think like you and follow in your footsteps as regards their children be dressed in a sensible mac

Susan - Your comments about the pakamac are spot on, shame they weren't more universally worn, particularly amongst the younger generation

I ensure my son takes his to school , either worn or in his bag ready for the rain

Anna

Comments by PETER on 5th July 2011   

Thanks for that Susan

Although the attraction to rainwear(irrespective what style/material) is nothing new to us males it does make one wonder how we disclosed our thoughts before computers

Did we all think we were the only one attracted to mackintoshes until we got a computer and a whole new world opened up for us

And buying rainwear...my preference is macs designed for ladies(strange as it may sound) but although I used too look at them in stores like C&A(sadly now just a memory) I never bought one...I suppose being younger then...thirty years younger I was a bit self conscious

But now we are spoilt...just sit in the comfort of your armchair and look at what is on offer..see something you fancy and purchase it...no questions asked

I think now...if I had someone with me I would buy a ladies mac even if I had too convince the shop assistant it was for a ladyfriend

But until that happens I will continue too look at websites...ebay...Susie High(another good site for plastic macs)

With so many macs do I need another one?.....it has to be YES!

I agree with you 100 percent Peter. A Pakamac is good for any weather. I too always take a lightweight one with me, where ever I go. I don't have to wait for rain to wear it. They give superb protection from a cool sea breeze or even a strong gale. Even in the sunniest weather it's a comfort just to have one rolled up but in the coldest winter, I'm never cold in mine. Of course I simply put one on because I adore the way they look on me.

You should count yourself lucky, in my experience, to be able to share your enthusiasm with other enthusiasts. I've loved reading your contributions here.

Another interesting comment from Susan

I don"t think it is an aversion just to pakamacs but rainwear in general

Embarrassed to be seen in a mac...Yes!

Frightened in case someone sees them in a mac...Yes!

Are they boring....Yes!

And another topic comes too light here..Why should it rain before anyone wears a mac

A friend of mac...a keen cyclist as well as a mac enthusiast pedalled to his local Chemist and took his nylon mac with him.....On his way to the Chemist it started raining...he went into the Chemist with his mac on and the lady assistant remarked on his mac but said "you can always take it off if it stops raining"

I for one don"t have too wait for the rain before I wear my mac.....even last Saturday I decided on a walk to our local shopping centre...no rain but I wore my brown nylon mac

I wasn"t aware of anyone looking at me and wondering why I had a mac on even if it was dry

I wear my mac for enjoyment and comfort

I recently bought a unisex Plastic/PVC mac and visited a fellow mac enthusiast...we took his dog for a walk and it was a dream too walk along accompanied by a guy in a plastic mac

We saw joggers...other dog walkers but not one remarked on our macs and we both felt it was the ideal outerwear...no one was at all suspicious there was a couple of mac enthusiasts

Sadly the next few days are a bit too warm for mac wearing outdoors but old habits die hard...Irrespective of the weather forecast I carry my lightweight mac with me

I think Peter is entirely correct but I think the aversion to Pakamacs extands to the now older generation too. Maybe they were derided for wearing a plastic mac or just want to fit in with the younger generation. Seeing the adverts for rainwear in the 40s, 50s 60s was possibly something that people of my generation would rebel against. I have experienced that myself, but it didn't put me off. I personally embrace my love of Pakamacs but I think others of my age are either frightened, embarrased or just too boring.

Comments by Peter on 21st June 2011   

In response to Susan"s question...is there no interest

My personal opinion is...particularly with the younger generation it isn"t "cool" (if that is the right word) to be seen in a mac...irrespective what kind of mac it is

I have been a mac "enthusiast" for more years than I care too admit to and like many others have noticed the decline in those who wear macs and the amount of stores selling them

Me...I regularly wear my mac irrespective if it is raining or not...Why should it have too rain before we wear something that gives us undescribable pleasure

Like many others I say good job we have sites like ebay and yes there are bargains to be had

My latest purchase was a nylon mac(Trenchcoat style) oin Salmon Pink...price £1.99...the pstage cost more than the mac...the label was C & A...and that brings back fond memories too many who bought macs from them...all individually on hangers

There are many who see someone in a mac and inwardly think they would love too wear one but so afraid what others might say

Me...I have worn macs too long now too worry what others say or even think

I drove miles and miles today in the rain and didn't see another person in a pakamac. Is there no interest?

Shona how did the cruise go get in touch please old rascal

If all Mothers were like Anna we could put the Great back into Britain.

I can't help but agree with John-Paul. Where have all those Pakamacs that were sold gone? Good for you and your companions to have worn plastic pakamacs in public. Sometimes I feel that I am the only one going out in one albeit more often than not a nylon one, since my plastic macs are quite precious.
Judging by the bids I see for various mac items on ebay, there must still be a healthy demand for them but I think people will actually have put them on in public to generate a revival.
Wear your Pakamac with pride.

Public Pakamac Pleasures!. Last Sunday there was an open air
Concert by Elton John here in Shrewsbury.... and it poured with rain all day... SO... WHAT to wear ? I hear you all ask...
The answer, of course, as one of my "Genuine Plastic Pakamacs"... with two others lent to my Concert going friends.
Now its a long time since I wore a Pakamac "in public".. usually slipped on for relativly isolated country walks .. but on this occasion my confidence was considerably boosted by my two plastic mac wearing companions.
What was absolutly fascinating was the reactions we got... a LOT of curious staring but by the end of the evening ( and it did actually stop raining, we had been asked about our Pakamacs by twelve people!! "Where did you get them" being the most common question, then a few "Oh I used to have one just like that's". It was a fascinating experiance.Three chaps felt the need to touch them... with the jolly line "Oh I havnt seen one of these for years" as the justification!.
So the moral of this tale is WEAR YOUR PLASTIC MACS OUT!! WEAR THEM WITH PRIDE !!..... and the wish would be... WHY doesnt some manufacturer reintroduce these splendid mackintoshes!!. THe experience also raises the age old question .. WHERE have ALL the THOUSANDS of PLASTIC PAKAMACS that were made GONE??

Anna its good to hear you and your son wearing your macs to Church I just got back from the USA macs are thin on the ground there you sound a wonderful lady keep up the good work.

Well the weather in the Uk has been absolutely awful today, wet and windy, but mild. But perfect pakamac wearing weather, although my son probably didnt agree. He wore his to church and back, and was bone dry at the end of the walk both ways. Not something you could say if he'd been wearing an anorak or cagoule, I daresay

your on Brian, next time I leave sunny Australia for Old Blightey, I will come to Wiggan.
If you love the place enough to run this site, then it will be worth a look.
Cheers
Norman

Comments by Brian on 3rd June 2011    

Thanks for your comment Norman. Glad we clarified things by email. If you visit Wigan I'll buy you a pint.

I would just like to thank the administrator of HistoryWorld for clearing up a matter regarding this site.
I will no longer be posting here for various reasons,one being that this is a very public forum and this should be kept in mind when leaving Email adresses and so on.
Brian you are all right by me and all is forgiven. keep up the good work with HistoryWorld.

Comments by Brian on 1st June 2011   

Message for Norman: I couldn't add your message for various reasons including swearing. Feel free to email me to clarify your post, brian@wiganworld.co.uk, thanks.

Comments by PETER on 17th May 2011   

I think the availability of nylon macs here in the UK is getting somewhat worrying

A lady on ebay...trades as Susie High regularly had a wide variety of nylon macs for sale but recently her stock has vanished...now all she seems too have on offer is Plastic and PVC

But I must admit there are still a few come up on ebay like the red Trenchcoat style nylon mac I got for £1.99

I think the rainydays Macs were about 12 Pounds (Sorry no pounds symbol on my keyboard). They come in grey and blue only. I was just supprised that you could get a Mac like that straight out of the packet still. Most of my stuff has been used because of the total unervalability of new Macs in Australia. And even Vintage Macs are getting harder to find.
No chance of buying a Mac on the High Street here.

Comments by PETER on 16th May 2011   

There is a shop in Midhurst.West Sussex called Rainmac who do some nice nylon macs but they don"t come cheap...I think they are about £39.00 each although you are paying for a thicker quality nylon mac

Are there any shop on the high street that sells nylon macs or have you got to buy online .

Comments by PETER on 16th May 2011   

Indeed there are some bargains on ebay...I was lucky enough too win a gorgeous Trench style nylon mac in red...price £1.99

Just in case anyone is interested, there's a large 100% nylon mac on e-bay starting at 99p!

Just incase anybody is interested I discovered a shop on EBay called tshirts4fans.I found them under the listings for kalgool.
I purchased two long raincoats (Knee Length) from them in the Pakamac style.
The add said they were Polyester, but too my surprise when I got them they were Nylon.
The manufacturer is Rainydays and I got a blue one and a Grey one.
So have a look and tell me what you think. Like I said, they were a lot better than I thought they would be and isn't it nice pulling a traditional nylon mac straight out of the packaging for the first time.
I have no idea how waterproof they are, but they look and feel grrrrrrrrrreat. (O:

thank you Anna sounds like very good advice.

hello gareth - A good dose of sensible traditional discipline usually helps

Comments by PETER on 9th May 2011   

On reading Brian"s comments as regards nylon macs...I have been a nylon mac enthusiast for many years and know the thrill one can achieve wearing one but how many times do we see anyone else in a nylon mac?

On Sunday with nothing planned I thought a walk into town just to browse...no plans too buy

No rain but quite a cooling wind so I thought the ideal opportunity too wear my nylon mac

In front of me was a lady in a.....red nylon mac...a lady in her early 60"s and indeed it was a joy too see someone else in a nylon mac

Too many mac enthusiasts and there are a lot out there nylon macs are the bottom of the popularity list but for me the rustle....the feel of it..just the thought of wearing it whatever the weather is a must for me

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 3rd May 2011   

Some more wonderful news. I have ordered two more male navy nylon macs, fully styled, which will be ideal for outdoor macking this summer. The retailer describes them as "very rustly when worn", so you can imagine my excitement. I hope they will inspire me to write many more contributions to this wonderful website. Thanks to Susan's persuasive enthusiasm, I am loving male nylon macs as much as I do male plastic Pakamacs. Indeed, I am wearing one of my beloved Stay Dry mackintoshes as I write this, all lightweight, swishy and rustly.
Susan, I am in the process of writing another e mail which I hope to despatch within the next few days. It would be really lovely to go mackintosh-shopping together at Weathervain, sometime, but do I wear a plastic mac or a nylon mac when we meet? Something for you to think about before I contact you again!
Thank heavens for this wonderful website and the ability to share so many waterproof thoughts, emotions and experiences. There are some really fantastic people here, all united by the basic Pakamac idea. I never thought those sessions in the boy's school cloakroom, trying on as many boy's plastic macs as possible, would lead to anything as lovely and lasting as this......

Anna you must be a great Mother how do you get him to wear it if he dislikes so much email me and tell me how please Gareth.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 29th April 2011   

Two more brands of nylon mac are worthy of note, both retailed by Rackham’s, Birmingham(now House of Fraser) in the 70s and 80s. I do hope you are reading this, Susan, as our mutual love of plastic and nylon macs is growing with every e-mail. Thank you for every one of them and I will be responding to your latest message as soon as I have finished this one(Yes, I did receive it!)
“Stourmac” of Queenborough, in Kent, were particularly beautiful. I remember going into Rackham’s girl’s schoolwear department, and seeing an array of smooth, lustrous, lightweight, girl’s nylon mackintoshes in both navy and brown. However, the way in which the fluorescent lighting impinged on the brown macs made them appear greyish, and almost plastic-like, and, for a moment, I thought they were genuine Pakamacs. These Stourmacs were lovely, and had a shiny cire inner proofing. One or two girls provocatively wore their nylon macs inside out with this shiny proofing facing outwards, unbuttoned, of course. They were also beautifully rustly and pulsated with many folds when the girls walked along wearing their nylon macs. The macs also appeared in a golden-brown colour, again designed for girl’s school uniforms. However, there were adult’s sizes too, and these have been known to turn up on e-bay. I vividly remember seeing a young lady, in her thirties perhaps, wearing a navy nylon mackintosh, glistening in the sun. What identified it as a Stourmac was the very wide sexy collar, and, indeed, these macs bore that mark of real quality in the best Pakamac traditions. And they rolled up to a really small size
And then there was “Graham” of Manchester, although I only ever saw these in girl’s sizes. There was a lovely range of colours-navy(of course!), dark green, brown, beige and grey. Unlike Stourmacs, these were hooded(and both brands were belted). It was whilst dealing with these Graham macs that one of the lady sales staff twigged on to my interest in rainwear-and she accepted it without question. She would have been a marvellous with whom to share my interest, but-yes, you’ve guessed it!-she was MARRIED!!

Anna nice to hear that he is a lucky boy.

Gareth - Yes we do, invaluable at this time of the year when a sudden downpour can suddenly appear. He doesnt like wearing it at all but its a very practical coat, and keeps him dry when needed

Comments by PETER on 28th April 2011   

I have just discovered this site by sheer accident and reading many of the comments it really brings back wonderful memories of days gone by when everyone...from adults to little ones wore macs

I have been a mac enthusiast for many years...my preference like many is macs designed for ladies

Nylon macs for me are the tops although I suppose I am an all rounder when it comes to macs loving all kinds

Do any others ever wear them indoors..I am lucky...on my own since 1999 after 25 years of marriage I wear them all day every day unless I have to go out then as soon as I get home off with my gent"s mac and on with my ladies ones

Anna are you and your son still wearing your macs.

Comments by Colin Porter on 17th April 2011    

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ColesRainwearandRestrictionStories/?yguid=368168091
In reply to Susan and anyone else trying to find my Yahoo groups, have a go at pasting the addresses below into your browser.
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Rainwear-bound/?yguid=368168091

Hey Collin
Tried to find your site on Yahoo Groups but came up with nothing.....Any suggestions ???
Pouring with rain today so I wore my PVC Pakamac in to shore and then around for the day.Not a drop of rain on my clothes. This raincoat is brillian.
Having said that I do prefer the look and feel of the nylon version better, but I like to stay as dry as possible when I can. PAKAMAC=Brilliant (O:

Comments by Colin Porter on 11th April 2011   

Since no one else appears to have started a Pakamac group I've started a Yahoo group called Rainwear-bound and although it's going to be more extensive than just Pakamacs and rainwear perhaps it'll provide a launch point for the rainwear afficianados on this website.

Comments by kulshan on 7th April 2011   

Lost track of this forum for a while and discovered it again! OMG somebody else has a nad-tex clear raincoat. I managed to get one of these on ebay and wish I had more of them. Sexy they are! Smooth crackling material that begs to be worn. I've recently also discovered one and two piece transparent suits that are designed as wet suits for kart racing. They work for all purposes indoors or out. I've used them on motorcycle as they show off whatever sports gear you have on underneath. My first attraction was a Sears "esti-glass" packamac type raincoat back in the fifties that I wore to school on rainy days. Later came the frosty clear cheerleader style rain jackets that were worn for EVERYTHING..biking, hiking, skiing, sports events, you name it. Now..how can we get that tradition started once again?

I see men's styles (not my interest) had their own names too. There's been a navy nylon mac on ebay in the style named Ainsdale.

I have been watched the contributions to this site over the past few weeks and it's good to see there is other likewised nylon mac people. Keep it up. In addition has anyone looked at the Rainmac site as they have updated their nylon mac range with a shorty version and when I phoned to ascertain if this could be purchased in a men style I was advised that it was something which they were considering.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 29th March 2011   

Again, an urgent message to Susan-could you please re-submit your latest e-mail, as it "disappeared" as soon as I tried to open it! Many thanks in anticipation!
And-for all of our Pakamac enthusiasts-isn't it wonderful that the weather is improving and temperatures are rising! Soon our Pakamacs will be adorning the streets again! My next detailed contribution will probably be concerned with two more variations on our favourite theme. In the meantime, keep wearing them and loving them...

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 28th March 2011   

Rainstar macs were indeed lovely, as Gareth and Susan(my terrific contact!)have implied. I remember seeing a girl wearing a light orange-beige nylon one in 1992, and I just had to have one. It certainly lived up to expectations. And, yes, they made lovely plastic macs too, some of the lady's macs being see-through. Their male plastic macs were shiny grey, but unlike Pakamacs, were not see-through, However, they were very practical and exciting to wear, and do turn up occasionally on e-bay. I have one, from this source, beautifully "worn in" from many downpours, with the seller descrbing at as "lovely for splashing around in the rain"-a beautifully exciting selling point!
Another lovely brand of plastic and nylon macs was "Nad-Tex", which again occasionally turn up on e-bay. Their semi-trans plastic macs are always described as "sexy" and INDEED THEY ARE!! The macs are somewhat stiffer, and less supple than many others, and more stubborn to roll up, but they more than compensate for this by being so "noisy" and crackly to wear. These plastic macs are lovely to wear, fairly breathable and comfortable and, of course, fully waterproof, and generously hooded-ideal for enjoying the downpours, and for indoor pleasure and recreation too.
So, STAY-DRY and NAD-TEX, two more variations on the inexhaustible PAKAMAC theme, so beloved of Susan and myself. We have both been sharing really intimate thoughts and emotions about plastic macs, through personal e-mails, and we hope to take all of this much further. So, Susan, if you are reading this, I am assembling another message, which I hope to finalise and send in the next day or two. I could write about plastic macs for ever....

Pamela have you survied the harsh winter in your plastic mac hope you are well.

I can't understand why the Rainstar nylon mac disappeared. They were sold, in my experience, in some fairly large stores, like John Lewis for example. They certainly seemed to sell quickly in the 1990s. One of my favourite shops sold them but 'overnight' they disappeared, to be replaced with the YB Wet label. The nylon macs were exactly the same, the packaging was the same (except for the logo). In both cases the pakaging was very similar to the Pakamac packaging, that I recall from the 70s/80s.

What happened to the Rain Star nylon macs why did they stop and do any ladies still wear them.

I hope you received my message Brian, last night. I'm afraid it was quite garbled, as I wrote it rather quickly and on rereading it this morning it didn't make much sense to me.
I hope we can exchange more messages regarding our love of foldaway raincoats and Pakamacs.

Comments by BRAIN HUMPHRIES on 16th March 2011   

Another lovely contribution from Susan-you are really stealing the show! Like you, I remember when see-through rainwear-both jackets and macs--hit the streets in the mid-late seventies. Like you, I tried the jackets first, but then found the full-length macs more appealing. The first time I saw a girl wearing an emerald-green full length mac, casually, I nearly went out of my mind with excitement, and I could not wait to buy some of these items for myself. And inside the collar, beneath the hood, was a tag bearing our favourite word-"PAKAMAC"-that absolue guarantee that these were simply the finest and most beautiful garments of their kind. C & A and Debenham's, however, did run them very close, and, in particular, I have a beautiful semi-transparent, emerald-green, draw-string C & A mac that gives me great pleasure when I wear it indoors.
Do try and overcome your apprehension of used items, especially when some of these are so interesting and unusual. Don't deny yourself these added pleasures, especially when their condition is frequently very good. One of my most beautiful plastic mackintoshes was acquired second-hand, grey with a slight hint of blue, and very slightly see-through. It rolls up beautifully to Pakamac size. This is a plastic mackintosh that I do want to wear out of doors, in the rain.
At this moment, I am wearing one of my plastic cagoules again, grey-black semi trans(the original Pakamac colour), all zipped up, and I feel as good as I look!! Although I was going to order more this evening, I may change to plastic over-trousers to wear with them, and be completely waterproofed. I will let you know the outcome. For now, the very best waterproof wishes to you and everyone.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 16th March 2011   

Susan, I feel you may have sent me a personal e-mail, but my e-mail facility is doing STRANGE THINGS, and it appears to have disappeared without my seeing it!! If this is the case, please, PLEASE keep sending it until I receive it and answer it, as its contents may be very important to both of us. Thank heaven for this website!!
At this moment, Susan, I am wearing one of those lovely PVC-U-LIKE see-through plastic cagoules, in grey-black, all zipped up, and it feels ABSOLUTELY LOVELY, just like a short zip-up plastic mac. I may be ordering more of these plastic cagoules this evening.
So, Susan, please let's hear from you. In the meantime, best wishes to the rest of you. Wear and enjoy your Pakamacs....

I couldn't agree more with what you say about waterproof words, they are lovely to both say and write, repeatedly.
Yes, "Pakamac" did indeed mean quality so sadly missed. At least some delightful items appear on ebay. Sadly, for me that is, I'm only tempted when the item is sold as 'unworn'. I can just imagine though, what a delight that cape must be to wear.
No I haven't tried the zip-up plastic cagoules. I remember a style of plastic cagoule was everywhere in the late 1970s, I didn't have any probably because there was also a resurgance with plastic macs, even buttoning ones which were my absolute priority. I have always adored the lightweight foldaway mac, the style that Pakamac embodied, and been drawn to them for as long as I had the power of concious thought.
A search in youtube for pakamac also works, as it does in google videos or bing videos.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 15th March 2011   

Susan, it is lovely to hear from you again. Like you, I was completely unaware that Pakamac manufactured nylon capes as well as nylon mackintoshes, but, with the name "Pakamac" goes quality. Their grey-black, semi-transparent, lightweight, swishy plastic mackintoshes(aren't long, waterproof words lovely!) were simply the best EVER, and, although the field has been somewhat more competitive in nylon mackintoshes, I am sure you can bid for that cape with the utmost confidence. GO FOR IT!! and then tell us all what it is like to wear.
I have been extremely lucky with my bids on e-bay recently, and amongst other items, I am awaiting another glistening, crisp, navy nylon mackintosh from Susie High. I am really looking forward to wearing it.
Also, Susan, you mentioned having purchased items from PVC-U-Like, in particular those lovely macs, in the style of the 1950s, and which are so reminiscent of genuine Pakamacs. I couldn't agree more. I have one of these in natural semi-trans, but, later in the year perhaps, I hope to be acquiring the semi-trans black and the semi-trans baby blue too-just right for my more feminine moods! In fact, on You Tube(plastic macs), the semi-trans black is beautifully modelled by an attractive young lady(possibly a cross-dresser? Does it matter?!). It is a breezy day, and the wind fills her mac and blows it up beautifully. She models nylon macs too in the same manner-similar to the Asian girl I have mentioned previously.
And have you tried their zip-up plastic waterproof cagoules too? I am wearing one at this very moment, natural semi-trans, and the feeling is incredible-garments like these take your mind off the rain completely. The plastic is beautifully soft and almost rubbery, and the length is very generous, almost as long as a short mackintosh. They are hooded too, and they will please Peter in this respect!
Where Isobel and Ansley are concerned, Gareth, I could write a book filled with fantasies about them wearing plastic, nylon and rubber mackintoshes. There are no two people I would more like to see all macked up. But I won't say too much at this moment-other duties call! More will be revealed, little by little, in the fullness of time. In the meantime,I am so taken up with these plastic cagoules......

I was surprised to see that somebody has a 1960s Pakamac nylon cape for sale currently, on ebay. I seem to recall some queries last year and I for one didn't know that they produced capes. It's a pity the seller doesn't say what ladies name they were sold under, if they were at all, like the macs were.

Once again great comments from Brian I drove through Birmingham last year Brian and nerver saw one plastic mac call me a nosey old devil but please tell us more about Isobel and Ansley.

Comments by Peter20 on 10th March 2011   

I hate wearing gray plastic raincoats for men, they are not equipped with hood.
Now I have bought several seethru raincoats for ladies in various colors like seethru green, blue and colorless crystal clear with hood. I am enjoying them really very much
and I don't look sissy at all!

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 5th March 2011   

There are some wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL people who are posting comments on this site. Thank you, Susan and Norman, for your contributions today. Whether you are male, female, or cross-dresser, what the blazes does it matter? With our love of rainwear, centering on the original Pakamac prototype, we have something that many others haven't, as I ONCE wrote in a letter to Julie at PVC-U LIKE. Could it be that our opposite numbers are jealous?
Returning to your comments, Susan, I have bought some of the "fifties" macs from Plastique Unique too, and they are breathtaking. I was lucky enough to secure three of the male ones, grey and beautifully see-through, rolling up to Pakamac size. It is these, more than any other macs, that I want to wear with John-Paul, when walking in green suburban Birmingham, in gentle showers and sunny intervals. I have mentioned Isobel, who lives with her close friend, Ansley. If only we could form a mackintosh-loving foursome! Time alone will tell.

Good for you Susan.....I think this is a good forum for people that are into mac's and if you are trans gender or not should be irrelavent. We all need to be who we want to be in this life, without fear or care of what others may think. There problem not ours.
If we had a web site that we could put some pictures up on I think that would be fun. Ning does free sites for people if they want to set one up.
As long as there is no porn you can post pictures and add forums to your hearts content.
I wouldn't have any problem with posting a few pictures, it could be fun (O:

I didn't buy the 'Sandy' style from Plastique Unique, in my many purchases from there, but did buy some of their genuine 1950s plastic macs. They were exactly as Susie described them on the site and so like what I remembered plastic Pakamacs were like. They had to be from the 50s, so different from the more modern ones. Having said that, I love the 1950s style ones that pvc-u-like sell. Not a million miles away from Pakamacs.
I hope you get back in touch with your friend Brian. I think more of us should be showing ourselves to the world. Our love for pakamacs is no different from the love expressed by people with a love for other things, we are just in the minority. I'm sure that we will always be the butt of derision but we have to stand up to intolerance just like other minorities. I'm sure that our 'community' has the same spectrum, good or bad, of people in any other 'community', but I for one am not skulking around in the shadows.
Before anyone asks, my name does not reflect my birth gender, just the way I live openly now.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 28th February 2011   

It is great to hear from you again, Gareth, and thank you for your encouraging remarks. It is a pity that, by and large, women do not share our love of plastic macs. I would love to have macked Isobel up in a see-through mackintosh, but there we are. But on the other hand, I am looking forward to meeting John-Paul properly, and really sharing our love of plastic macs as never before. As I have said before, John-Paul has some really fabulous semi-transparent plastic mackintoshes in the best Pakamac traditions, and it will be a pleasure to wear them with him. In particular, one of his images contains several of his plastic macs, all beautifully rolled up, just waiting to be worn and enjoyed.
I have been corresponding with John-Paul, sharing some of my Pakamac experiences, and I fear I may have been a little too explicit in my descriptions. So if you are reading this, John, please accept my apologies, and do contact me again to reassure me that things are OK. John's see-through macs are simply out of this world, and it is all too easy to get carried away when writing.
Coming back to your remarks, Gareth, yes, I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE plastic macs-indeed, I cannot tell you how much I love plastic macs-in fact I am wearing one at this very moment. Is it enthusiasm, fetishism, or downright perversion? Whatever it is, I am just past caring as I love plastic macs so much. And nylon macs. And rubber ones too, although they are SO damned expensive.
I love plastic macs and there will be many more comments to come. I hope all the rest of you are enjoying your macs too....

Brian It is a great pity all the women in the UK do not share your love of wearing plastic macs if you ask a lady to wear lacy underwear or high heels you are Jack the lad ask her to wear a plastic mac at best you will be Kinky at worst a pervert not very fair is it.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 25th February 2011   

"Plastique Unique" retailed some beautiful black see-through plastic macs, in the best "Pakamac" tradition. They were maanufactured by "Go", and were given the name "Sandy" by Susie and Alan Boult, the proprietors. Although they fastened on the male side, they were suitable for ladies too. Unlike original Pakamacs, which were smooth and sleek, these macs were deliciously rumpled and somewhat oversized, making for a good air circulation inside the macs, and making them very breathable. They roll up beautifully to that irresistible Pakamac size. One lovely feature about these macs was the low-down pockets, which made it easy for the wearer to "hug" the mac around the body. They are beautifully rustly and noisy too. Someone contacted me personally by e-mail(who reads this blog regularly, but is not an active contributor, who has worn them and compares them unfavourably to Pakamacs, but I disagree. They are lovely macs to wear,especially for long walks in showery weather and are yet another variation on the Pakamac theme.
If anyone has worn one of these macs, I would be very interested to know what they thought of them. In the meantime, LOVE your Pakamacs, and savour to the full that ecstatic Pakamac experience...

Well done John you have frightend Kim away.

Kim, I'd love to hear more about your nylon mac for UK holidays....how old where you, did you like wearing it etc etc. I was loved wearing a nylon mac when I was younger but was always torn between the pleasure of wearing it and what others thought.....shame looking back !!!

Pamela be my valentine.

Tom,
I think I've worked that one out thanks! Pity!

Kim just because someone gives a girls name it does not always follow they are female.

I found this site, quite by accident.
I was a little surprised, to note that a 'mother' was being "questioned" about her decision on the choice of clothing for her son, accepted,not the usual attire that we see in our communities in the so called modern world, but then, isn't it the case that "anything goes today"?

I too, have a son, be he younger than Anna's and although I have not ever put my son in a nylon mac, I can agree that allowing our kids to "do or wear, as they please" also has ramifications.
I do feel therefore, it is Anna's choice and only time will tell, if her decision was right, or otherwise.

Personally, I was too young when nylon pakamacs were first worn by everyone (mid 60's) and my school didnt have the strict dress code of the once girls high school. However, when in my late teens (unusually)I was brought a nylon navy blue mac for the many UK holidays our family enjoyed thought the 80's.

There doesnt seem to be many girls contributing to this blog!
Shona, Pat? Susan?

Anna, at least, as you say, you do at least wear a mac yourself and as such, not asking anyone do do something your not prepared to do yourself.

Kim

Comments by Brian Humphries on 11th February 2011   

Anna, I am with you all the way. You have captured the hearts of so many of us by your gentle, but firm, insistence on your son wearing nylon macs. We all hope that he comes to appreciate and love them as we do. Although I regard myself primarily as a plastic mac enthusiast(grey-black, semi-trans, lightweight, rustly), thanks to your inspiration I have been wearing my Stay-Dry navy nylon mackintoshes more and more, both for outdoor convenience and for indoor pleasure and excitement. Stay-Dry also retail black nylon mackintoshes and they are lovely too.
Some time ago, I saw a lovely Asian girl in a navy nylon mac. She was quite tall, wore glasses, and these seemed to enhance the appeal of her mackintosh beautifully. It was raining at the time, and I briefly glimpsed the logo-either Peter Storm or Milletts. The next time I saw her, wearing her mac, the sun was shining and it was breezy. The wind filled her mac and blew it up beautifully. It pulsated in ever-changing patterns and folds, and she looked like a shimmering navy blue jewel as she walked down the road.
Naturally, I wanted one of these macs for myself, but when I investigated these at the normal retail outlets, I simultaneously discovered the Sty-Dry Rainwear website and it was a revelation. From a point of view of both price and convenience, their nylon and plastic macs are true successors to Pakamacs, and I hope as many contributors to this site as possible will give them a try. Their navy nylon macs are BEAUTIFUL BEYOND ALL BELIEF. Light, rustly, breathable-lovely, comfortable and relaxing to wear-rolling up to that lovely, sexy, Pakamac size. All the excitement of plastic macs but without the disadvantage of overheating(always a problem with impermeable vinyl).
I have over 20 of these lovely macs already, and I know I will be buying more-it is so lovely to have so many of them. And, before anyone asks, no, I do not have shares in Stay-Dry. I love nylon and plastic macs so much that I want friends and adherents of this site to enjoy this excitement with me-THE PAKAMAC EXPERIENCE. So thank you again, Anna, with implicit thanks to the unknown Asian girl, for your inspiration.
In the meantime, LOVE YOUR PAKAMACS...REALLY LOVE THEM..

Anna you said in your comments before you had no time for your sons protestations that what is the problem he does not want to wear it leave him alone and make me wear mine I have not got a stock Fetish but then why are we all so keen on pac a macs

Anna I think in some ways you are correct.
The big thing here is that he is your Son, so if you think it is sensible for him to wear a Pakamac, or a trench coat, or even a garbage bag to keep the rain off, I think that is entirely up to you. Your his Mother and you raise him the way you see fit.
This is not child abuse guy's, Anna is just doing what she thinks is correct....If it was up to me, I wouldn't care what my Kid wore, but I respect Annas right to raise her child anyway she likes.
I wore socks every day to school, but I don't have a sock fetish. So why would her boy have a raincoat fetish ??? Doesn't make sense that because he has to wear a Pakamac then that is the road to disaster. Maybe Anna is correct and it will put some sensible values into him that will help him as he get's older.
And on the flip side, if he feels embarised by being forced to do things he doesn't like, then he will be 18 in no time and able to do what the hell he want's anyway.
Hang in there Anna.

Tom - I'm afraid I don't agree at all. Children are conditioned to be allowed to wear what they want, and it's pure nonsense. Whyever shouldnt my son wear a pakamac? And yes, I wear one too, so I'm not asking him to wear anything I'd refuse to wear myself

Well John if you were wearing a Nylon Raincoat in a suit or walking your dog I am sure you would get a smile from me as well (O:

Something else to be considered in that as I often wear a Rainmac navy blue nylon mac either over casual clothes when walking the dog or over a suit for work, I regularily get a smile from passing women which I can't put my finger on why but I would it's probably be on a frequency of every other time I wear it .....any thoughts. Is it just because then think I'm being sensible, not worried about what I wear or like macs ?

Anna do you wear macs yourself you seem obsessed with your son wearing a nylon mac give him a break or he could get a fetish for them Gareth was right not something you would wish on anyone.

Thank you John, you speak a great deal of sense. Its a shame more mothers didnt bring back the pakamac, it would save lots of anguish while trying to compete with the Joneses. My son looks very smart in his, and with it being below knee length affords him protection from inclement weather

I wear a full length nylon raincoat when the weather is bad.
I live on a yacht and have to get to shore in some pretty wild weather....Nobody and I mean Nobody would ever think it was sissy looking to wear a mac. Infact one of the guys who works for me has asked if I can get him one.
They can be very smart and go well with anything I need to wear (Including a suit and tie).
I really couldn't give a damn if people didn't like me wearing a raincoat or not. I guess it all comes down to the fact I think they are practical, smart and not to mention a little on the sexy side.
So not much point talking to me about mac's being nerdy or making a person look like a Jessy....I think they look great and I always have.

I agree, there is no harm in wearing a traditional nylon mac> I may have objected a bit when I was younger but looking back it never did me any harm. The other thing about a nylon mac as opposed to plastic, it can be worn as an every day coat as it looks smart which is something sadly lost with most of the children of today

For me its the most practical coat a child can wear to keep them dry. Nothing wrong with traditional clothing, in my opinion

Anna why do you want your son dressed in a nylon mac it has been more of a curse than a blessing for me there has been inmense pleasure but most has been frustrasion and made to feel foolish not what I would wish on anyone.

LOL I bet they would Gareth (O:

Norman It is what other people think George Clooney or Brad Pitt would not be so popular with women If the were wearing Pac a Macs.

Thank you Anna I will think about posting some stories.
Now Gareth if you think wearing a plastic or nylon mac makes you look like a Jessie that is a shame.......It isn't hard to wear a Mac and still keep your street cred.

People who see men wearing plastic macs think they are a bit of a Jesse as much as I love mine I only wear it away from friends or family John Wayne did not wear a plastic mac I love to see women wearing them but sadly that is very rare these days are there any pac a mac lovers in the WI Pamela?.

Norman, my son got his first nylon pakamac when he was 6 and still wears one today at 16, a shame more mothers didnt do the same if you ask me. Would love to hear more about your recollections.

Not really sure anybody on this site apart from you would be interested in what I have to say really.
Your the first response back to anything I have written.
The one thing I will say is that apart from the rainwear cafe I haven't seen much on line that connects with our passion for rainwear. Mostly it is Women that seem to be into Pakamacs and the like in a big way. Not so much the guys.....I can remember my first experience with a Raincoat (Pakamac I would say) from before I went to school. I must have been around 4 Years old....The whole thing built up from there.
The thing is now I realize their are more people out there with the same thoughts and desires as myself, so that is a good thing not to feel I am the only one.

Well Norman , it would be really nice to hear some of them - I'm sure that those memories will resonate with lots of us Pakamac wearers. And I so agree with you - its GREAT to be in touch - and communicate, with like-minded people. So get typing Norman and lets all enjoy those memories!.

It is nice to be in communication with like minded people and reading your post bought me back to my own childhood experiences in the 60's and 70's.

Well Norman.... I've been called many things in my life time... but Pakamac Hero has got to be the BEST!!. Thank you

Comments by Brian Humphries on 25th January 2011   

I know John-Paul very well and it is a wonderful pleasure and privilege to have him as a contributor to this site. John-Paul is a Pakamac expert, authority and connoisseur, and what he doesn't know about Pakamacs either does not exist or isn't worth knowing.
I had the good fortune to buy an original male grey semi-transparent plastic Pakamac from John-Paul some time ago, and what a beautiful plastic mac it is. Things developed from there. I have some wonderful images of John-Paul wearing some of his beautiful plastic mackintoshes, and they are thrilling beyond all description. Like Pamela and Susie, we are planning to meet regularly to enjoy our plastic macs together, and we can hardly wait for the spring and summer and the lovely showery Pakamac weather-and we will be keeping our plastic macs on in between the showers!
I know John-Paul will become a regular contributor to this site, and will provide some interesting waterproof anecdotes. Perhaps we will acquire the original Pakamac patent and persuade a manufacturer to start fashioning them again. Food for thought!!
In the meantime, LOVE YOUR PAKAMACS-REALLY LOVE THEM!!!

Very interested to hear your comments John-Paul. I can relate to some of the stories you told about growing up in England....Your my new pakamac hero (O:

It seems a chunk of my comments got left off at the begining. I wrote that it was interesting the way that "Pakamac" became/has become a generic term for a great variety of rainwear - rather like "hoover" has.
Arriving in the U.K. in the early 60's I was struck by 1. how cold it was. and 2 How wet it was... closely followed by how near obsessed the English were to "wrap up/stay dry".
My two brothers and I were soon put under the Iron Fist of Mrs Hillier as our "Nanny" and it was she who decided that her shiverring brood should be immidiatly clad in Plastic.
My eldest brother was awarded the pleasure of a "Genuine Pakamac" whilst we two younger siblings got - as I subsequently wrote, "Made in Britian" macs. It was fascinating the way it was almost considered dangerous for us boys to venture out without our "Pakamacs" by Mrs Hillier. Thus I have memories of Sunday trips to the Science Museum armed with the enevitable rolled up plastic mac, the horror of a greasproof wrapped egg sandwiches ( "No point waisting money on stuff you dont know where its been made" and an orange.
One very memorable trip I remember very well was a car journey down to the Isle of White where a collegue of my father had rented a boat.We all set off in the car and once on the Ferry the need for us all to put on our Plastic macs became evident as it chucked it down... thus we arrived, Father, Mother, David, Paul and I all in our gleaming macs to be greeted by the welcome "Hey, Here are the Pakamacs of Putney" - much to all our mutual amusement. But we had become, indeed a Pakamac familly... a fact I deeply loved!.

Of course the differences between a "Genuine Pakamac" and other makes may have seen of little consequence to the un-initiated... but to the devotee, which I had become, they were grave and of considerable consequence. The black plastic macs Mrs Hillier bought us were "Made in Britian" brand and perfectly made, smooth black plastic, welded seams, patch pockets - but the "social" differences were immense. It may seem bizarre now to suggest that "Pakamacs" were "middle class" whereas our "Made in Britian" macs were decidedly "Working Class".The Woolworths macs were readily available at every Woolworths throughout the land... and the rails of gleaming macs became a real point of focus. In the Putney Woolwoths they were displayed to the right of the main door .... later moved to centre right back - you see, it was with that kind of obsessive interest they had become. In the Richmond Woolworths, centre right display..... it bacame a point of honour almost to locate the rails in any given Woolworths!.Even when going on trips around the U.K. I soon spotted the stall at the back on the right of Chester Indoor Market, in Blackpool two newsagents that held huge stocks of macs, in Nottingham the Ex-Army stores that had macs hanging on the walls.... it was, I realised becoming a true obsession. Meanwhile "Genuine Pakamacs", all tightly folded up in their plastic bags hung on a display in Dunns - and you couldnt really drift into Dunns ( as a 12 yr.old to "just look at the Pakamacs"). Of course who owned what and wore what was of great interest to me. Mr Scott our next door neighbour had a magnificent "Genuine Plastic Pakamac" a wonderful long black gleaming mac, deep collar, those distinctive "pear" shaped pockets delineated by the welded line.My eldest brothers "Pakamac" was slightly greyer and seemed less thick than Mr Scotts glorious mac.Paul and I had our Woolworths "Made in Britian" macs which somehow - and quite inexplicably seemed "embarrasing" and when the instruction when ever going out became "You boys take your Pakamacs - you never know" it was with with a strange mixture of guilt and mild shame that we stuffed our macs into our blazer pockets.Nevertheless, such is the Power of Plastic Raincoats ( to those who fall under their spell) that I only joined the Scouts because I read my friends list of Articles required for Camp... and spotted "pakamac or similar....
I started going to Fulham Football games ( only on wet Saturdays) because I knew I would be standing with a huge group of black plastic clad men.
I deliberatly made friends with Derek Holt because both he and his father seemed to have a very impressive array of plastic rainwear and I was determined to pull on Dereks black plastic over-trousers to complete my plastic get-up. ( I did).
At School ( a very large and new Comprehensive in Putney) the range of raincoats worn by us boys was of great interest.Was it really my imagination that the more academic boys wore "Pakamacs" whilst us dunder-heads had Woolworths/ British Home Stores/ Littlewoods "own-brand" plastic macs rolled up in our satchels ?.How very bizarre that I became so obsessed and so aware of stylistic differences.... I could spot a "Pakamac" instantly, I could(almost) even tell you its approx. year of manufacture - the grades of plastic changed...
The whole image of "Pakamac" was certainly geared towards the mature urban male - the adverts showing a flat capped chap wondering at the "strength of those seams" as his Mrs hopped over a gate. And thinking of those adverts, do any of you remember the little cartoon man that always appeared at the bottom of the ads - Pakamac Pete, his hand firmly stuffed into his mac pocket. I seem to recall you could send for brochures of the "New Ranges and Styles" - did any of you - and do any of you still have one?. The decline in the popularity of Plastic Macs seems partly to do with the lack of breathability.... you could get mighty hot and sweaty wearing your mac, but also by association. There developed an image of "a dirty old man" - the flasher, the fumbler... and "he" always wore a plastic mac. As a youth we were told there were "rude men" lurking on Wimbledon Common - and you'd know them because they always wore plastic macs. Parrot-Face Davies a"commedian" always wore one and he was essentially a fool - a man to be laughed at, thus, plastic mac = laughable idiot. Dudley Moore always wore a plastic mac for his Pete & Dud sketches and again the association was plastic mac = simple, to be laughed at.There is of course a Pete & Dud sketch which starts with Dud pulling on a line of plastic macs, pegged out to dry, he then proceeds to iron a plastic mac....
Plastic macs had become "jokes"/ something laughable, something to be mocked.
When strangeness or oddity needed to be shown a black plastic mac indicated that the wearer was a bit odd - Sting in "Brimstone & Treacle", Huwel Bennet in "Twisted Nerve" who puts on his plastic mac to murder his father!!.A film with a young Anthony Scherr playing a highly eccentric mathmatical genuis indicates his eccentricity by donning him a plastic mac.Early episodes of "Z Cars had "Fancy Smith (a young Brian Blessed) always shown off duty wearing a plastic mac - indicating his "simple" working class/lack of sophistication...
Its a fascinating History. ( well it is to me!!)hopefully I may have sparked off some interest and comments?

What a very exciting prospect a PAKAMAC SOCIETY is !. Somewhere a group of like minded lovers of all things Pakamac could share experiences, anecdotes, perhaps pictures. We could even form a nation wide hunt foir all those Pakamacs that must still be SOMEWHERE !!. If you think of the hundreds of thousands that were manufactured in the late 50's till early 70's there just HAS to be poor neglected, forgotten about Pakamacs that need liberating and loved!!. What can we do to actuslly achieve the noble aim of a Pakamac Society ? How do we go about it ?

Thank you very much Pamela.

I'd just like to thank everyone for the lovely comments and to wish you all (including the 'approver' of the messages) the best seasonal greetings. What a year it's been since I discovered this Pakamac page. For it to end with such an incredible arctic blast. The temperature of which shouts loud for me to wear a nylon Rainstar pakamac over a winter coat. I'm not yet an old lady but the look is so evocative of grannies in 1960s and 70s.
I hope everyone is wearing their Pakamacs.

Comments by Scotty on 17th December 2010   

Merry Christmas to you all who have posted, hope you have a great time over the holidays

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 16th December 2010   

I echo Gareth's wishes to all our waterproof enthusiasts for a Happy Christmas-and a hopefully showery New Year! Many apologies for not contributing to the site for some time, but I have been very busy. Many thanks for the several individual e-mails, including your's, Gareth. I will try and get round to dealing with them. Particularly warm wishes to our female Pakamac enthusiasts, especially Shona, possibly my favourite contributor of all.
Very best wishes to all,
Brian

Merry Chritmas Pamela and all other Pac a Mac fans.

Kareliz, good to catch up again.

Of course I absolutely agree about the Glad wrap ponchos, John McEnroe would call them 'the pits', they are useless and ugly. What stood oou about your last post was that you try to match your mac with your umbrella. As I said on this thread a while ago, the girls at school used to have blue raincoats and most had blue brollies and they looked marvellous. I can only imagine how you would look with bright red raincoat and umbrella - especially if you were wearing your rainhat as well. Do you go to the AFL football much? What team do you followe? You might have already told me on another form but I can't remember.

Hi Pam,

No I like nothing better than going for a walk in the rain and hearing it on my umbrella. It's not something I'm able to do much these days, for a start Australia has been in drought for the last few years, but I take the chance when it comes. When I was studying full time I would often walk around the campus in the rain, it was a great way of clearing my mind (and my head from that overheated second-hand library air) and relaxing and refreshing myself. I also love the intimacy and romance of sharing a brolly. If I do have a pet hate regarding umbrellas, it's the current seemingly legal requirement that they have to be black and anal and boring and depressing and who cares if they cost $2 and look like a piece of crap after a hundred yards - they comply with the dress code!

But I suppose all this talk of umbrellas is for another forum. Lately I have rediscovered the nylon mac, as I said, and I have four or five of them and wear them at concerts and sports events and in crowds generally. I was watching the Melbourne Cup on television last week and it was just ridiculous that all these women would spend more on their 'outfit' for the day than I paid for my car, maybe my last two cars, only for the weather to turn nasty and the only protective clothing they had was an oversized piece of sandwich cling-wrap with a hood. It looked absolutely ludicrous and wouldn't have survived more than five minutes of a steady downpour. I suppose it told the world that not only did they have this fabulous outfit and you could still all see it and be impressed, but they were so armpit-deep in money that it didn't really matter if the rain ruined it. If I had turned up amongst them wearing my red nylon mac and a rain hat, I'd have been laughed off the track. All so arbitrary!

You have hit on a pet hate of mine Kareliz, i.e. umbrellas. I hate them especially when I'm shopping. I really can't understand how they have come to replace the pakamac when the latter is so much more functional, attractive and leaves hands free to do what they better used for e.g. searching through rails of items rather than holding the handle of the accursed folded brolly!

As a schoolgirl in Australia the 60s and 70s I wore 'pakamacs' regularly, first red plastic then yellow, then at high school we were meant to wear royal blue outerwear but it wasn't rigidly enforced, mainly we used umbrellas walking to and from school. Nylon ws much more popular than plastic, it was 'cooler' in both senses of the word. These raincoats didn't often have hoods so especially at primary school most of us had those plastic rain hats that folded into pleats so you could keep them in your coat pocket. These macs and rain hats did a great job of keeping you dry - even some girls who rode their bike three or four miles every day. I lived close enough to school to walk or ride depending on how the weather was looking.

I've started buying and wearing nylon macs and rain bonnets again recently since more and more places such as sports stadiums are making nannyish rules about umbrellas, and at other places like outdoor concerts the expectation is you don't put up the brolly (same story of a small precentage of idiots ruining it for the rest of us). I have a dark blue one (just like school), a couple of vivid red ones to match my umbrella, including a 'genuine brand Pakamac, made in England' which I picked up for a whole 50 cents at an opp shop a few months ago, with a bonus accordion rainhat completely unused in the pocket, and a turquoise blue one (I couldn't resist the color). I love the way colored nylon looks so bright when it's wet, and this sort of rain wear looks so much better and keeps you dry so much better than those awful thin plastic ponchos that 'they' say are the only acceptable alternative when an umbrella is seen as inappropriate.

On the Welsh speaking TV a comedian sometimes comes on wearing a plastic mac and just tells corny jokes .

Just like some others here I also love to sleep in my plastic macs. I really miss Pakamacs.

Comments by Andrew on 19th October 2010   

I remember back in the early 50's in England when I was about ten years old. I'd been playing at a friend's house, and when it was time for me to go home it was pouring with rain. So my friend's mother made me wear his sister's plastic mac home. It was translucent, with a hood and a tie belt, and she insisted on putting up the hood and tying it on firmly under my chin with strict instructions that I wasn't to undo it until I got home. I then had to walk through the streets wearing what was obviously a girl's raincoat. Boy was I embarassed!

I have read the web page it is great but are you real Pamela I have never met a lady who really likes plastic macs not in North Wales the classic is do you want me or my mac or they are sweaty or cling I am now really confused after reading your comments I hope you will get in touch I would love to corrospond or talk to you just try and understand it all best wishes Gareth.

Comments by Colin Porter on 30th September 2010   

Since there seems to be a desire to set up a Pakamac society I suggest the easiest way would be to start one in Yahoo groups. I set up a group for myself there and found it a free, simple process where it's possiblee to submit pictures and send comments to other group members.

I've just returned from a shopping trip with my 16yo son, and as a result of him previously losing his navy blue nylon pakamac, I managed to find a new one for him in the local outfitter, much to his dismay.

It's of a slighlty longer length than his last one, about 3 or 4 inches below the knee, and buttons to the neck, in the traditional style. I also took the opportunity to buy a new school raincoat, double breasted with a belt.

I have no time whatsover with his protestations that he should be allowed to wear a football jacket of some description, but I dont allow that, he must wear his traditional mackintoshes for another couple of years.

I would be delighted to answer any questions, and in particular correspond with other like minded mothers.

Patricia

Shona, I wish I knew someone like you! My love of plastic macs goes back to my childhood although the last one I had was around 8 years ago.As you say, wearing a plastic mac is "electric" and I wish I had the courage to wear one again.Maybe I need a little encouragement. As for sleeping in your mac, a few years ago I had a nylon cagoule which had pvc lining which I slept in regularly so I can understand how you feel.

I've been looking at a genuine Pakamac for sale on ebay and can confirm, as some of the people here have said, that they were given ladies names. The one for sale is a blue one with the name 'Tina'. It was a real treat to see the original packaging with the words "Drip Dry Nylon Raincoat" on it. What memories.
I have been wearing plastic and nylon macs for well over 40 years and am the person Pamela referred to as her friend. I'm visiting her and looking forward to lots of trips out in our Pakamacs!

Just checking this evening's on-line weather forecast, and it looks like I can have another chance to go out in one of my beloved plastic macs. The other night, I was out for hours in the sustained downpour. Pure bliss. I wore four different ones in turn. Firstly the glass-clear blue one, then the soft plastic blue one, followed by the milky white one and finally the battleship grey one - just like my Pakamac of yore. All these plastic macs are some 60 inches long and actually sweep along the ground, making the most delightful sound. They are all see-through and have attachable hoods. The white and grey macs have traditional big rubbery buttons. I will happily join the Pakamac Society.

Comments by Brian Humphries on 23rd August 2010   

Shona, you are fantastic!! Simply fantastic!! I will have to share more with you about my rather complex domestic situation where rainwear is concerned, but, make no mistake about it, this website is becoming beautifully alive. There are some wonderful pakamac-loving people here, and we really must take things further. In the meantime, wear and love your Pakamacs.....

Comments by Scotty on 22nd August 2010   

I have been a mac lover for quite a few years now, and as per previous post, prefer the pvc mac better than the nylon mac. I did have a blue nylon mac during school, however do like the aroma and feel of a pvc mac the best. I would support a pacamac type forum if we could get members to subscribe. I do like rainbonnets also, however they seem to be out of fashon these dats, shame
scotty

Comments by Shona on 22nd August 2010   

Brian, a 'Pakamac Society' would be divine. How wonderful it would be to have a tasteful and respectful community of people who share the same feelings and the love of Pakamacs. I'm aware that my own obsession with them could be viewed as 'over the top', but why not. Plenty people have obsessions or hobbies that take over their lives, so why not a love of Pakamacs. At many times it becomes the focus of my life, I rarely stop thinking about them. I absolutely worship them, but why not. 'Pakamac' does sound like the name of some south American deity, so why not a sect who worship the 'Goddess Pakamac'!
I'm thrilled that you say I'm amongst friends here. That's something new for me and quite a comfort too. I feel that I've been a subject of scorn for most of my life. It's also a relief that there are other ladies here, who too share my love. I'm sure you were correct that your neighbour Linda wore her nylon mac indoors, I do. It's a comfort to wear one any time, anywhere. I keep one of mine to use as a dressing gown, a different one for housework as well as their obvious use. I have also restyled smaller sized nylon macs into button through day dresses and once a strappy sun-dress.
I hope I understand what you say about plastic macs and I believe I'm quite similar. My recollections of nylon macs are more prevalent simply because it's always seemed that the nylon mac were more readily available in the shops. Plastic macs were available but not as widely available in my experience. John Lewis in Aberdeen in the 70s used to have a lot of plastic macs and so did Fenwicks in Newcastle upon Tyne. The Fenwicks store even sold them into the 90s but I don't think they were Pakamacs. It was a rare event for me to see to see a 'genuine' plastic Pakamac, in it's distinctive packaging. Trips to the English Lake District would net a few plastic macs though from tourist type shops. Until I had access to the internet, I'd almost given up finding new plastic macs. Call me a fuss but I don't like second-hand things so I could never visit charity shops in my quest for them. My collection of plastic macs has grown immensely from the few specialist sellers available online. I've really had to curb my urge to own every plastic mac I see, for the sake of my credit card. Now that I have more than enough, I allow myself the to wear them outside again and not worry about the risk of them becoming damaged. Something a plastic mac is susceptible to, especially if they are ones with plastic buttons. It's these older styles that I really love but the memories of torn buttonholes are still strong. A nylon mac is probably my more practical wear and more resilient, but I still feel so good in them. The feeling of wearing a plastic mac though is 'electric'. A plastic mac makes me feel so alive, so beautiful, so desirable. On a cold winter's night I'll even snuggle up in bed in one. That's really comforting in the cold, alone in my thoughts. I love the summer weather and soaking up the sun, but the thought of cool wet days and cold nights in my plastic macs has me longing for winter. Thank heaven for regular summer showers.
I quite like PVC macs too. There was a real surge in their general availability in the 90s, which was wonderful. I believe that Pakamac had some too in the 60s, but I don't remember them.

Comments by Brian Humphries on 21st August 2010   

That's wonderful news, Pamela, thanks for agreeing with me about the formation of a Pakamac Society. Leave me to do some thinking, and enjoy your shopping trips with Susie.
WHAT A WONDERFUL AND REVEALING WEBSITE THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE!! LOVE YOUR LIGHTWEIGHT, SWISHY, TRANSPARENT MACKINTOSHES, BOTH INDOORS AND OUT!!

I agree Brian, we should have a 'Pakamac Society'. I'm sure my friend Susie will agree. We met again last week and had a lovely chat about things and some wonderful reminiscences on the subject. I think we will be great friends and we're already planning some shopping trips.
There does appear to be quite a community of people here who share similar feelings and memories. In the heyday of the Pakamac, I never imagined that was possible.

Comments by Brian Humphries on 19th August 2010   

As I have mentioned, my love of plastic and nylon macs all arises from schooldays, and I am compiling a fairly lengthy article, on this subject, for eventual posting into this site. But I cannot wait any further before thanking Pamela, Susie, and now Shona, for some really lovely, revealing, and imaginative contributions. Congratulations to all of you. Not forgetting Anna, of course, with her views on how nylon macs relate to school uniforms.
Shona, you remind me of Linda, one of my former neighbours, who had a lovely navy nylon mac, and wore it as often as possible. When she was on her way to work, she was never without it, and I believe she used to wear it indoors too. She really LOVED her mac and she, as much as anyone, was resposible for establishing my love, enthusiasm, and even passion for nylon macs in the late sixties. Yes, I still regard myself as primarily a plastic mac enthusiast, but experiences drawn from this site, and the availability of those beautiful macs from Stay-Dry, have led to much rainwear activity in nylons once more. Also, Shona, you mention, rather touchingly, that your love of Pakamacs has hindered your friendships and personal relationships in the past. Well, that has all changed now. You are definitely "one of us", and, were my domestic situation more straightforward, I would even suggest meeting some time and dating, both wearing plastic or nylon macs(and not necessarily waiting for the rain either!!) As it is, your contribution to this site has been wonderfully inspiring, and, as I mentioned to Pamela too, I hope you share more of your ideas and experiences. Plastic macs and nylon macs are lovely beyond all description, as we have all found out. Perhaps we should form a Pakamac Society. So many existing societies and groups concentrate on rubber macs and, exciting though these are, I feel that Pakamacs have been somewhat cold-shouldered. This wonderful blog/forum- related website is changing all that. Who knows where it may lead! In the meantime, love your mackintoshes and they will love you....

Comments by Colin Porter on 7th August 2010    

Have just caught up with the comments on the 2nd August. At risk of blowing my own trumpet and grinding my own axe, if my paintings stirred something in you Pamela, you might find that reading some of the stories would stir something deeper in you. Once you penetrate the overt subject there's another layer or two of feelings below.

Comments by Shona on 7th August 2010   

I can empathise with Pamela regarding the derision that was sometimes levelled at Pakamac wearers. I remember as a young woman that my mother constantly accused me of not looking my best when I turned up in a Pakamac. Ultimately her criticism caused a rift. I much preferred to visit my gran, especially when we went shopping together. She was great fun and like me was an avid pakamac wearer herself. Perhaps my mother was right in the end though. I never had many friends nor married, which I put down to my love affair with plastic and nylon macs.
I have loved and worn pakamacs all my life. At school and college I always wore a navy blue nylon one. Not because it was the uniform, simply because I loved them. I think I modelled myself on some of my teachers who wore them. They were without exception, strong and independent ladies who I admired immensely. A pakamac was my constant companion when I went out. I always wore one for work, in fact I was even labelled with the nickname 'Shona Pakamac' in one place. Of course at one time Pakamacs were everywhere, but I stuck with them all through the nineties and noughties. I loved to go out with my gran and visit some of the many rainwear establishments that focused exclusively on raincoats. Why, why did they disappear? In the various places I worked, I'd search out one becoming quite a regular. There was 'Robertson Rainwear' in Perth, 'Weatherwise' in Newcastle upon Tyne. Even department stores had a huge stock. 'Binns' in Middlesbrough had loads, even nylon capes but I don't know if they were pakamacs. I particularly remember one dress shop had a 'Pakamac Stockist' label in the window during the early eighties. That perhaps says something about the popularity. I too remember pakamacs being labelled with different ladies names, I think it depended on the colour. I recall Arnotts in Redcar sold them with the ladies names pencilled on the label, how quaint. I had to have one of every colour, gorgeous nylon pakamacs with their four chunky buttons. It was such a shame when pakamacs started to disappear but at least they were replaced with equally lovely styles from 'Rainstar' and 'YB Wet'.
I would never be without a pakamac. When I wasn't wearing it, one would be neatly folded in my bag. Old men everywhere seemed to have one rolled up in a jacket pocket or held in their hand usually secured with an elastic band. How I used to fantasise about them putting it on for me. Peter Sallis in 'Last of the Summer Wine' is my pin-up in his nylon mac!

Once again I'm compelled to add to the contributions in our reminiscences of pakamacs. Thank you to all the gentlemen here for their kind words after my previous post and especially the offer of marriage!! If only I were younger.
I'll try to answer in the best way I can about the vulnerability, Colin, I feel when I wear a pakamac. Yes I do feel vulnerable about being caught out in the rain without the benefit of protection. The simple act of unfolding a plastic mac from my basket and putting it on, rescues me from the rain or wind and that particular vulnerability. But when I'm wearing one of my pakamacs, even in my mature years, I feel so feminine, so alive, so attractive in a plastic mac and in a nylon mac. Those feelings indeed make me feel quite vulnerable, defenceless to the approaches of a gentleman who reciprocated those feelings. Those feelings are as fresh today as they were in my younger days, when the plastic macs were indeed genuine pakamacs. If my husband of then, had known about my feelings, I now wonder what he might have thought of me. How he poked fun, then, at each new pakamac I'd buy, despite the 'collection' I already had. How he criticised the way I looked in them too. Despite the disappointment though, his comments could never dent how I felt about them nor the enjoyment I felt wearing them. I did though, feel sometimes forced to make excuses for each new pakamac, whether it be a holiday, a different style or the claim that I'd forgotten to take one with me (always a wee fib that one).
I found that website Colin quite interesting and I certainly now understand the sentiment those art illustrations convey. It has perhaps lent me a little understanding of my fascination and that was quite new to me.
Like Fiona, I too would love to know if Pakamac produced a traditional cape. It wasn't until the mid nineteen eighties that I bought my first plastic cape. If it is at all possible, a traditional plastic cape makes me feel even more feminine and in many ways is probably even more appropriate for a Scottish lady of my years. My late introduction to them made me feel I'd possibly lost out in my younger days, but I hope I've more than made up for it. Stepping out this morning, on a damp July Sunday for my newspaper, in a long pink plastic cape I felt so elegant that it brightened up a poor summer's day.
Through the auspices of the comments here I've fortunately met another relatively local lady who shares my love too. Thank you Susie for getting in touch directly. We're looking forward to meeting more and discussing personal reminiscences and feelings.

Along with other contributors,I also wore a nylon mac,a blue one, in my mid to late teens in the early 1970s. At first I hated it but then loved to wear it round the house when no-one was there! I even used to "dance" in it, playing records and giving myself a good shake! I must have been a strange boy! I think I prefer plastic macs more now though. I wish I had one to wear now. I might even "dance" wearing it!

What an impressive forum! The comments made here really "wrap up" the totality of experiences with plastic. In the states we did not have Pakamacs, but we had many similar long grey raincoats modelled and I was hooked on one back in the early 50's when I was very young. Did not really connect to my feelings until 10 years later when I was presented with a thick frosty clear rain jacket with elastic cuffs to be used to ride the bike to school. This was not like the bike jackets of today but a Japan made stiff, smooth and robust rain jacket. Crackling along the cold mornings caused sensations that resulted in the inevitable and the rest is history. Back then guys and gals would purchase (or their parents) these "cheerleader type" clear rain jackets. Standard issue for the rainy west coast. To this day I gear up when it rains for hiking, fishing, or walking. Umbrellas are useless. Even Gore Tex, in my opinion is water 'resistent' not really waterproof. Nice to see that some ladies also have the same regard for Pakamac experiences!

I loved pakamacs when they could be bought. In fact I absolutely adored pakamacs. The way they looked, the way they felt and the wonderful aroma. Did they ever make capes?Proper ones I mean, not ponchos or cycle ones. I feel so elegant when I wear a plastic cape now. I have a thing for plastic capes especially if they have the plastic buttons. I love to dress my dolls in plastic macs and capes too.

I used to wear a navy blue nylon mac in the 60s, as part of my uniform. It was amazing just how many people wore them then, but as I have said, it's something that I continued to this day. I see BBC Radio 4 recently ran a programme 'Uncool Britannia – The Pakamac Years' about the 50s and 60s. Unfortunately, I missed it.
I started with wearing plastic pakamacs of course but that branched into nylon pakamacs because of the uniform rules. I don't know what it is but when it comes to a nylon mac, I by far prefer a navy blue one, especially over a white blouse and black skirt or a smart dress/skirt suit. I don't know if they were the pakamacs but I recall macs in those days often came with a matching rainbonnet. My uniform mac had one, as did most of the other girls. I still find that look very fetching. As Scotty points out though, a plastic rainbonnet is equally good. I like to wear a headsquare too, but that might be a generation thing.
Shops in those days had a really good choice but even I was astounded in my late teens when I holidayed in Skegness. Just about every shop sold them! I seem to recall rails full of them, windows displaying them and them blowing in the wind hanging outside the shops. I'm sure I'd be disappointed if I went back now.
Even into my twenties a plastic or nylon mac was often the subject of fashion discussions with my friends, especially if we were out in them having coffee or shopping. I was aware too that a group of ladies in plastic macs could turn quite a number of heads, which made me feel good being able to attract such attentions. I remember the reaction of my first husband when I wore a mac and plastic rainbonnet. I wasn't long into the marriage when I realised that I could win any argument or always get my way if I was wearing a plastic mac. We never discussed it, that might have given the game away. But if I needed anything, I'd simply wander into the room, where he was, and button my mac. I never knew if he had a guilty secret.

Susan

Comments by Scotty on 14th July 2010   

Just noticed your site. I remember having a grey pvc packamac on holiday it did really keep you dry. I used to love to see the girls at secondary school wear theirs with a matching rainbonnet, would have loved to go out with a girl who wore one like suzie. The fashon seems to have gone away from them now, perhaps they will come back, like today in central Scotland the rain was lashing down, just the ticket to see a girl wearing her packamac, one can dream....

I've been intrigued by the comments here, in particular the confession from Pamela and feel I must add my own in support of what she said. Looking at nylon or plastic macs today I recall my first memories of pakamacs and just how frumpy they looked. However the feelings they stirred when I first wore them and the feelings they stir now were just incredible. I can't believe just how desirable I feel when I wear one of mine (I have a lot to choose from) and it's lovely to read just how much men appreciate a lady in a pakamac. How wonderful it would be to step out with a guy, like in the advert, in our pakamacs. For my own confession Pamela, you're not the only one to have slept in one!

Susan

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 10th July 2010   

Dear Anna-It is so lovely to hear from you again and many thanks for another contribution to this site devoted to Pakamac plastic and nylon rainwear. Your son is fortunate indeed to own and wear a navy blue nylon mac, and I hope he comes to love his macs as much as we love ours. As you know, I am very taken with the Stay Dry range of nylon macs, which are, quite simply, the most beautiful and exciting nylon Pakamacs I have ever worn. I hope you will order a couple for yourself and your son, and let us know what you think about them.
I love the way in which you are fully in charge of your son's rainwear-not in an overbearing manner, but in a beautifully spirited way. I hope you will get him a plastic mac too, for the really heavy summer downpours and also for further proofing of his winter mac. PVC Rainwear(a subsidiary of PVC-U-Like), do an excellent range of male plastic macs, including some in see-through grey-black, in the style of the original Pakamacs. They roll up beautifully small too. Worth investigating, Anna!
But, coming back to the Stay Dry nylons, I could write volumes about them. They come, all folded up, in a small pouch/bag and it is impossible to believe that so much mackintosh can be contained in such a small spac. But they unroll excitingly into a full blown but lightweight mackintosh. The initial creases smooth out and the impression is one of a really luxurious mac that belies the very modest price. They are so comfortable to wear, and do not overheat at all. They come in navy blue and also black, but I find the former the more exciting. More than any other mac, they take me back to the mid- and late-sixties, when almost every schoolgirl wore a nylon mac as part of her school uniform. If more designers took notice of you, Anna, we could see these macs back on our streets again. I hope that you and I, and perhaps one or two others, will put our heads together and see what we can do towards achieving this end.
In the meantime, do keep contributing to this site from time to time. ANNA, YOU ARE A STAR!!
Best wishes to you and all our other waterproof enthusiasts, from Brian.

Brian - Thank you for your kind comments. I do what I believe is the right thing, and that is to have my son wear a traditional nylon mackintosh. He doesn't like it of course, and I've had my battles with him, but he still wears it, not only to school, but also outside school. At this time of year in particular, a pakamac is invaluable, easy to keep in a shopping bag or handbag, and easy to slip on when it rains. He also wears a thicker, lined raincoat in winter month - beleted and double breasted. When the weather is particularly foul, the pakamac is slipped on over it.

If anyone has any further questions to ask, please get in touch.

Anna

Comments by Rob Miller on 18th June 2010   

I liked your site

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 12th June 2010   

Whenever I wear one of my Stay Dry nylon macs, I just want to tell every single plastic/nylon mac lover how lovely these macs are. So much so,that I may start buying them as presnts to my favourite waterproof contacts and even suppliers.
I wear one regularly whenever I walk past Isobel's house(a see-through mac would be just a little too conspicuous!), swishing and puffing up my mac as much as possible. I can but hope.....

Comments by JT on 12th June 2010   

I have a long rooted fascination for wa(erproof nylon cagoules - I mean the old fashioned over the head Campari or Peter Storm variety. Very happy to correspond with like minded people and possibly swap garment - esp any willing females out there.

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 10th June 2010   

Regular readers and contributors to this site know of my enthusiasm for Stay-Dry nylon macs, so I am writing about them once more. They are really lovely macs, rolling up beautifully to Pakamac size. When you are wearing them, you just cannot stop swishing and rustling, and yet, at the same time, they are unbelievably comfortable to wear, and do not over-heat at all(unlike many rubber macs and plastic macs). I find I just cannot stop buying them, as they are so easy to store and so inexpensive. Lovely macs to wear outdoors in all sorts of weather, wet or dry, and so exciting to wear indoors too. I am hoping that Anna will give them a try, either for herself or for her son. The proofing inside is a little crude, but that is a small concern. Anna, it sounds as though the new mac you have bought for your son is really high quality, as you are a real connoisseur of nylon macs, and of quality rainwear in general. I have read your remarks about how lovely nylon macs are as part of school uniforms and I cannot agree more. The girls at my school looked really lovely wearing their navy nylon macs-Anita, Deirdre, Lorraine, the list could go on and on. We boys, with our see-through grey-black plastic macs, had to wait for rain to show them off,but the girls, with their nylon macs, were more fortunate. I hope,Anna,that you will make many more contributions to this site. Your comments are short, yet full of meaning, and I,for one, enjoy reading them very much. Best wishes to you and all our "usual suspects"!!!
Keep on macking...

I remember having a plastic Pakamac as a kid but not for long. I had my first nylon mac as a schoolboy about the age of 11. I have worn nylon macs throughout since then. i wear them now, most days come rain or shine. I find them very comfortable and wind resistant. I have a couple made by "Rainydays" and a couple of older ones by "Rainstar" I have had others by "Storma", "YBWet" and of course a while ago "Pakamac". I too wish they would come back into greater production and become more readily available. While i enjoy my own macs I also think there's nothing much smarter than a lady wearing a nice nylon raincoat.

It was wonderful to read Pamelas story. I thought it was just men who enjoyed wearing pakamacs/plastic macs. A few years ago I used to wear a nylon cagoule in bed. It had a pvc coating on the inside and it was good to wear. However,I wish I had a black see-through plastic mac to wear,especially in bed,and an understanding woman!

Comments by David Ashman on 29th April 2010   

pamela you sound the girl of my dreams.
Will you marry me.
I will live in the highlands

I have never had any trouble with sex partners wearing a mac...Most seem to like it and enjoy the feel of it.
I am not saying they would do it without being with me, but like I said, doesn't seem to be a problem.

Comments by Colin Porter on 15th April 2010    

Pamela's comments on 22 March about feeling desiable, feminine, vulnerable and passionate strikes a chord, if slightly indirect. The passionate part I agree with and the vulnerable part is where I diverge: they give me a protected feeling against the vulnerability both in the rain and in the bedroom, although the days of the latter with a participating partner (who was never keen on the few occasions it happened) have long since gone.

Steve - Your mother sounds very sensible and was right to button you up if needed. I do exactly the same with my son.

Comments by Brian Humphries on 9th April 2010   

Pamela, it is an absolute joy to read your comments! We males think it is US that are the odd ones out, and that girls and ladies do not share our interests and enthusiasm for rainwear, but you have shown beautifully and excitingly that this is not the case. Hurrah for you and congratulations to you!! I hope you will visit this site often, and get much pleasure, excitement and enjoyment from it-and that you will make more lovely contributions. I also hope you will join the interactions that we all enjoy, and that they will more than make up for those "lost" years.
I have just moved house, and my collection of nearly 700 items has moved with me-it will take me ages to unpack them all! Yes, 700 macs, waterproofs, rubbers etc-AND I AM STILL BUYING MORE!!-IN FACT I HAVE ORDERED ANOTHER 3 ITEMS TODAY, from Stay-Dry, one of my favourite suppliers.
I also know what it is to have an unresponsive partner. I remember Isobel of former years and how I tried to mack her up, but no such luck. A pity, as she would look superb in a see-through "baby-pant" plastic mackintosh. But no matter-this site brings more and more wonderful comments and contacts, and perhaps we may all meet the ultimate waterproof partner of our dreams.

Comments by Steve on 2nd April 2010   

Anna, you remind me very much of my own mother in the way you have mentioned that older fashioned rainwear gives much better protection than modern rainwear and that you manage to find shops that stock it, as your son well knows! You say he will be wearing a nylon mac for a while to come yet and you will be taking him to the shops for a new one soon. I don’t imagine you’ll stand for any fuss from him either when he has to try on the range in the shop. I would be interested to know how he copes with the situation. My mother used to button my mac right up if I hadn’t done so and would always say “There now, that looks a lot smarter”. I couldn’t agree with you more about the modern scruffy look of today and would support any parent trying to instill some pride into their children regarding their clothes and that they should be sensible, value for money and serve their proper purpose. Also, my hair was cut by my mother in pudding basin style up to your son’s age to save money. In the long run this has taught me a respect for value for money reflected in sensible clothing and footwear rather than following the wasteful fads of fashion. I have thought of buying a nylon pakamac but have yet to find one that buttons up like they used to rather than being fastened with poppers or a zip which I don’t think look as smart. Are there any of this type in your high street? Perhaps they just don’t make them anymore.

I am utterly compelled to add to this discussion, I can't believe what I have stumbled upon. I need to express just what a chord it struck with me. I've been quite taken aback that men are interested in plastic and nylon macs. Where oh where were you in the days when I was looking for a husband. I suppose being quite isolated here in the highlands explains my ignorance. If I read between the lines of some of the comments, I gather that some of the men share the passion I myself feel about plastic macs. I can understand my own feelings now but I thought it was only a girl thing. I remember being a teenager and feeling intensely jealous of my friend who'd been bought a plastic pakamac. I couldn't really understand why I was so jealous nor of the feelings I had, but I simply had to have one myself. Wearing my first pakamac I was quite overwhelmed by the feelings the plastic mac generated and just how desirable I felt in it. Those feelings have stayed with me all my adult life, which probably explains why I still buy them now and wear them nearly every day. Sadly, my husband didn't share my passion and so now feel that I missed out.
Even though fashion seems to have consigned plastic and nylon macs to the past now, they are very definitely my style. Fortunately I've been purchasing replacements for my depleted wardrobe from Rainmac and Susie High. I consider myself quite a traditional lady and so I'm rarely seen without my navy blue nylon mac and on wet days, definitely a plastic mac. Sometimes both! It would have to be a very sunny day that my mac is rolled up and consigned to my basket. The fact that I still feel desirable, feminine, vulnerable and passionate in a plastic mac, always made me thing that this was exclusive to women and not something shared by the opposite sex. I always thought that macs were a functional thing for them and that was definitely confirmed by my husband. Now alone, I have to confess just how much wearing a plastic mac is a comfort to me too. So much so that I've even taken to sleeping in one.

Well my 16yo is now resplendent in his new navy nylon pakamac mackintosh. He's not a great fan it has to be said, but he looks very smart buttoned up in it, and most importantly, keeps him dry

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 15th March 2010   

It is so lovely to see more and more comments on Pakamacs-plastic macs and nylon macs. I have worn one of my Stay-Dry nylon mackintoshes for nearly the whole evening-and have ordered three more. These macs are beautiful beyond all description and I am hoping Sue will ring me back to check on my order, so we can ecstasise over them again. DO TRY THEM FOR YOURSELVES!!!! It is my ultimate aim to puyrchase one for every day of the year-and to keep ordering thereafter. They just will not stop swishing, rustling, and inflating when you wear them, and they are so lightweight it is unbelievable!!

sorry to write it's very difficult to buy a Pakamac in Hungary, there is no import, then nobody wears them, therefore there is no import, catch 22

I also like macs, having a beautiful colorful collection.
beatriz, salamanca, spain

Comments by Leslie Reich on 10th March 2010   

I stumbled upon this site by accident, but it evoked nostalgic memories. The business was founded by the Cohen family. In the 1970s the dynamic owner, Lenny Cohen, commissioned me (I acted as a merger broker) to find a buyer.
I negotiated a deal in mid-1976 with Black & Edgington Plc,
a quoted concern. As so often happens in these deals, nothing was the same again. Incidentally, besides rainwear
the business then also made inflatable armchairs; all the rage at the time.

Perhaps i'm very fortunate but there are many outfitters and market stalls locally where one can buy nylon macs, or pakamacs. I take my 16yo son in for his new one soon, and will be able to try on a range in our local shop where they thankfully still stock them.

Comments by Steve on 3rd March 2010   

I too had one of these grey plastic macs with the plastic buttons when at school in the sixties. They were sold at the local “Sewing Needs” shop (they also sold the local school uniforms). I remember my mother taking me there to buy one (at about twelve or thirteen years old) despite my protests because I thought they were sissy and didn’t want to wear one even though my friends had them. I was made to try them on for size (you didn’t argue with my mother for long, especially with other people in the shop) and to this day remember my embarrassment and the shopkeeper saying how sensible they were to have in your satchel, as she buttoned me up in it and patted the collar down then stood back to look at me. Then I was made to wear it home because it looked like it might rain but really because my mother was making her point about me behaving. Strangely, after that embarrassment I always liked to wear it if it rained and have one that I wear now. Sometimes I recall that day as I button it up and pat the collar down. I like the smooth and soft feel of the plastic, the swishing sound it makes and the sound of raindrops on it.

It's good to see the interest in genuine pakamacs. I'm probably to young to remember or have been made to wear a plastic pakamac to school......unfortunately. However, all through my school days I wore a genuine nylon pakamac in navy blue. My mother would always insist on it be a "pakamac" as they were a "good make" I looved wearing my nylon mac when it rained or even just at the treat of rain but as I got older I became more fashion concious and was then torn bewteen wearing a nylon mac that I enjoyed or being more fashionable. When I was around 14 I can recall that my nylon mac had gone a bit small on me and my suggested that she would take me to town to get a kagoul at the weekend. I was in shock what was I going to do as I still wanted a nylon mac but at the same time the kagoul would have been more "acceptable". Eventually and before the trip to the shops on the Saturday, I plucked up the courage and came straight out with it and "said I would rather have a nylon mac than a kagoul" my mother asked if I was sure to which I treplied yes knowing there would be no going back and more importantly I could never argue again about being told to wear it. Sure enough I was taken to town and a navy blue nylon mac was purchased although in the shop I was again given to option of a kagoul which I refused. As you would guess it wasn't long before I wore the mac for school and even the weekends. After requesting to be bough and "kept in a nylon mac", I wore it more frequently and probably the more memorable experiences of wearing it was when I didn't really need to, EG looked like it might rain but if I failed to wear a jacked under the mac then I knew I would have to leave it on even if the threat of rain completely went away!

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 27th February 2010   

No one has contributed to this site for a month so I feel I must break the silence. Recentl, I ordered some more of those lovely Stay-Dry nylon macs, and Sue, at the suppliers, advised me on delivery. When I told her about how much I loved these beautiful macs, we just swelled with mackintosh love, with mackintosh pleasure and with mackintosh excitement. In my view, these are simply the finest lightweight,swishy, rustly nylon mackintoshes available at the moment, and like the original grey-black semi-transparent plastic Pakamacs, you feel you want to own as many of them as possible-one for each day of the year? I am just waiting to hear that someone else has ordered these macs, hoping they feel as I do about them. I love nylon and plastic Pakamacs so much, I get all emotional about them!!! I have even shed tears over them!!! I JUST LOVE PLASTIC AND NYLON AND RUBBER MACS AND I CANNOT SAY IT ENOUGH!!!!

I find it difficult to understand why nylon macs are no longer clothing of choice for many children any more. They are very smart especially buttoned right up, and worn with a smart hat of some kind

The modern scruffy trend leaves me cold though, so my son knows he'll be wearing his nylon mac for a while to come yet

Anna

Comments by Brian Humphries on 27th January 2010   

Lovely to hear your comments, Prudence! And I am so thrilled that my remarks inspired you to wear one of your nylon macs. In fact, when I read your remarks, I unpacked one of my navy nylon macs from Stay Dry, one I hadn't worn yet, and am wearing it now. I'm swishing and rustling beautifully. I have six of these Stay Dry nylon macs at the moment, but I will certainly be ordering more. Navy nylon macs were so popular with the girls at our school, in the late '60s, but even more so at a neighbouring all-girl's school, where the girls would swish their macs, filling them with air, and puffing themselves up beautifully. Prudence, Anna, Susie and Angela-all of you-you really must try these Stay Dry nylon macs. Although they fasten on the male side, they are described as unisex. Lightweight, swishy, lustrous and shimmery, they are everything one wants in a nylon mac. And you feel you want as many of them as possible. I have read Robin's remarks that he was bought a plastic Pakamac every year-music to the ears!! However, if genuine Pakamacs were still available, I would be buying one EVERY WEEK!!

Just like Susie, I remember those translucent Pakamacs with plastic buttons in the early 80s. I thought they were fabulous. I also remember nylon Pakamacs from the 70s and earlier. The ones I wore had 4 quite distinctive buttons. I loved to have one of those nylon macs in every colour possible but especially navy blue or beige. As far as I can remember they all came with different girl's names on the label. I still wear nylon or plastic macs but sadly I don't have the original Pakamac. The ones I prefer though, are of a similar style and I love to wear them on every possible occasion. I'm thrilled that Brian does too, it puts me in the mood to put mine on now.

In the late 60's and early 70's my Mother bought me a new plastic Pakamac for virtually every school year. They were always made from see through charcoal grey plastic. On rainy school mornings, when I got up from the breakfast table, my two Sisters always used to shout together "don't forget your Pakamac!"

Comments by Brian Humphries on 22nd January 2010   

I am wearing one of my plastic rainmacs at the moment-beautifully smooth and grey, and as see-through as baby pants when the light shines through my beautiful mac. But, much as I love lightweight plastic and nylon macs, I may be purchasing a shiny black rubber mac very soon. At school, when one of us bought and wore a semi-transparent plastic Pakamac, we felt we wanted to tell the WHOLE WORLD, the macs were so beautiful and exciting! When I acquire my SBR mac, I will feel exactly the same. Yes, i do own a lightweight latex rubber mac-a rubber Pakamac of sorts-but this forthcoming rubber-surfaced mac will be my first of this type. I'll keep you all posted!!

Comments by Thai Trevor on 17th January 2010   

I now have a permanent residence in Thailand after living in Birmingham most of my life, i have read all the comments with interest,personally prefer the nylon macs but do have a very nice plastic one purchased via the net from Foxster called jeantex klaus they sell mens and ladies when i came her after selling up in England i had Two suitcases and agonized over which raincoats to take and leave behind i have many more now as when the rainy season starts here 6 out ten people are wearing there plastic macs some nylon but the plastic ones cost little mainly on there small motorbikes well through perseverance and ebay i found six months ago someone selling old stock in the packet original Pakamacs looking forward to the rainy season

Comments by Brian Humphries on 12th January 2010   

Dear Angela,
Thank for your e-mail and your interest! The shop to which I refer is "Cocoon" in Digbeth but, although they usually have a good selection of plastic macs, they do not actually stock nylon macs. It is left to enthusiastic punters like you and me to wear them when visiting there in the hope that the staff get the message!! Their plastic items, which include adult baby wear and leisure wear, are manufactured by PVC-U-Like, and are actually cheaper if you order directly from THEM. Should you require further details of how to get to Cocoon, please e-mail me, and I will provide you with my phone number. Again, many many thanks for your interest. This website is proving to be a wonderful opportunity for contacting the right people, as well as a library of information on Pakamacs. Many thanks yet again and best wishes from Brian.

I have bought some of my nylon coated PU macs from Rainmac in Midhurst. I have two red and one navy, they are waterproof and have lovely hoods. I wear them a lot while out if there is any sign of rain. Brian , where is your raincoat shop in Birmingham?

Comments by BJ on 11th January 2010   

Hi everybody

Nylon pakamacs were standard issue when I was at high school in the UK and Australia in the 70s. At the girls school up the road all the girls wore them, the younger ones with plastic fold-up rainhats because the macs most often didn't have their own hood, then later on more girls had umbrellas, usually the same shade of navy blue and of course the brollies were nylon as well so the match was poerfect, and they looked wonderful. Some of those girls rode their bikes four or five miles to and from school wearing a nylon mac and a rainhat and still reached the other end perfectly dry.

I still say a proper nylon mac is still the thing when you can't use a brolly without makiung a nuisance of yourself, looks better and keeps you drier than those awful cheap plastic ponchos they sell at sports stadiums these days.

I too love nylon macs and have quite a collection.

Hello Brian

Thanks for the acknowledgement. Fear not, I manage to find nylon macs on the high street even now, as my son knows very well. A shame they weren't more prevalent though.

I've really enjoyed reading this and the memories of the fabulous Pakamac. I wore a navy blue nylon mac as part of my school uniform in the late 60s/early 70s and regularly at other times. My last memories of buying genuine Pakamacs was in the early 80s. Both were buttoning translucent plastic macs with collars, sadly now discarded. I've continued to wear nylon and plastic macs to this day and I don't mind what the weather nor how cold. Only this morning, extremely cold and snowy, I was well wrapped up inside my navy blue nylon one. The greatest demise is their disappearance from the high street, whether plastic or nylon. They are long due a revival but thank goodness for the internet.

Comments by Brian Humphries on 4th January 2010   

Nylon macs are really lovely-all the thrills and excitement of see-through plastic Pakamacs,except that these macs can be worn in any weather. I read of a girl's school, in the 60s, where navy nylon macs were compulsory wearing. One of the girls loved her lightweight mackintosh so much that she became hooked on nylon macs in general. As a lady, she could not pass a shop without buying yet another nylon mac. I bet you would be the same, Anna!!

Comments by des on 4th January 2010   

well lets hope that this year we see more of the original "smokey grey" semi transparent Pakamacs,I still love wearing mine and would love to share it with another like minded Pakamac enthusiast,I also love the ladies Plastic macs,but not see a ladies Pakamac for many a year! wish i could feast my eyes on a nice seethru one!!

Comments by Brian Humphries on 4th January 2010   

Anns, your comment was lovely and really appreciated. But don't despair-some lovely navy nylon macs are available from "Stay Dry"-just type the name into your search engine. These macs are beautifully swishy and really lightweight, rolling up to that lovely Pakamac size, which we all love so much. You will really love wearing these macs should you order them. I wear them regularly when mackintosh shopping in Birmingham. Also, "suzie high" invariably has some excellent used nylon macs on offer at very reasonable prices. Tyhere is no need for anyone to be without a nylon mackintosh, and I do hope you-and other Pakamac enthusiasts-will follow up these searches. What a lovely website this is turning out to be, with all these Pakamac ideas and comments-beautifully lively and creative. But never forget-LOVE your Pakamacs. Love your Pakamac and your mac will love you.

A shame there weren't more such shops stocking nylon macs Brian. good luck.

Anna

Comments by Brian Humphries on 28th December 2009   

Much though we love Christmas, we are all waiting even more for warmer weather and showers in order to wear our nylon and plastic Pakamacs out of doors. I, for one, will be extending the range of macs I wear, hoping to include some female ones-especially when I visit our rubber/rainwear shop in Birmingham. I always talk to the girl assistant about the mac I am wearing at the moment. Some times she gets slightly annoyed-but we all know where that may lead! I would love her as a regular rainwear partner. Wish me luck!!

Comments by Brian Humphries on 23rd December 2009   

Pakamacs were so beautifully see-through-they were "girly" macs for boys to wear, and could not fail to excite sexually. The most beautiful pakamacs of all were those of the early 60s-beautifully textured plastic, with a very fine "ribbing" which caused swishing and rustling, driving the wearer wild with excitement.

Another facet I loved was the very intense PVC aroma, especially when brand new - vaguely like peppermint. I wish there was some way of preserving that aroma, which would sadly fade after a few weeks.

Too young to remember the plastic version, but brought up with the nylon ones. My son wears one to school also - much better protection than so called modern rainwear

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 3rd December 2009   

Those collars with the lovely rounded corners...the rubbery buttons with the plastic vinyl stretched over them...the fabulously reinforced buttonholes and pocket openings...the tag inside the collar with the Pakamac logo... you knew, you simply knew that there was no way of being more excitingly waterproofed.

I was so disappointed when Pakamacs became matt and non-transparent, around 1980/81 I think. Nothing compared with the traditional see-through smokey grey and smooth PVC of the glory days of the 1950s and 1960s. And those lovely big, rubbery buttons too. Wet days were bliss.

I really liked the pacamac style raincoats, but can anybody tell me if they were shiny in the 60s / 70s, or just matt plastic macs ?

Wet days were a great joy in my schooldays, seeing so many people clad in their plastic macs, though very frustrating too as my parents obstinately did not buy me a Pakamac then. I agree that they were suprior to other makes of plastic mac. I finally bought my first Pakamac as a student. The wait was worthwhile as I loved the sensual pleasures of watching the raindrops trickle down the front of the mac and listening to the drumming of the rain and the swishing sound as one walked down the street with hands in the pockets to maximise the feel of the soft plastic. It was always a delight to see someone else also wearing a Pakamac, the most alluring being those that were somewhat oversized for the wearer. My dream Pakamac was one that had a hood (which was only for girls' plastic macs back then) and which came all the way down to the ground and had long sleeves that extended beyond my fingers. Thanks to Ebay, I finally fulfilled that dream and now love the downpours more than ever.

Comments by Merv on 30th November 2009   

Oh the joy of the original pakamac. Have always loved wearing such an item and love seeing other guys wearing them as well. Takes me back to schooldays when they were so popular and we all wore them to keep the rain off. Such a shame they died out and are so very hard to find now.

AAhh! I remember them well.Pakamacs were the most expensive plastic raincoats on the high street. With welded seams and rubbery buttons they could be worn year after year. Pakamacs made a welcome come-back in the UK in 1978 in the Dorothy Perkins fashion outlet. I bought my girlfriend a lovely pink Pakamac from Dorothy's and had lots of fun. The sales girl even told us that a young man bought a ladies Pakamac yesterday........Large size! they were common on the streets 1978-1981. Plastic raincoats from Woolworth's with the Winfield label were rubbish as were many other labels.. They had an embossed texture on them and although they rustled better they were not as smooth and tactile as the genuine Pakamac. The Pakamac factory was in Chadderton in Lancashire but the many years of semi-drought in the UK durung the early 1970's brought about their demise. They ceased trading and were re-located in S Africa but there the thread goes dry (sic). When I was a teeneager, I thought I was unique with my fetish. I am slightly disapointed that there are thousands worldwide with similar interests. There is however an undesireable property of the Pakamac (or any other plastic mac) in that the wearer of the mac perspires and the inside of the mac gets a coating of sweat which I do not enjoy. But there is hope! See through rainwear is making a come-back again but at a much higher price. Yoox and Burberry are marketing new see-through rainwear that has a micro-porous property and allows perspiratin to escape from the mac. Goretex does the same but it's like loving a girl wearing a tarpauline. .......'orrible. Sooner or later the price will come down and the wearing of Pakamac type rainwear will become fashionable again and we can wear them in the street or around the house/bedroom wthout the uncomfortable stickyness. Kind regards Kelvin

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 20th November 2009   

I love rolling up plastic Pakamacs. Spreading the see-through mac out on the bed or other flat surface, folding the mac up neatly, hearing the air hiss out as the mac rolls up smaller and smaller-getting more and more and more excited that such a lovely mackintosh can be rolled up so small-getting so excited that I unroll it and wear it again! The joys of plastic macs are absolutely limitless......

Comments by Colin Porter on 9th November 2009   

The demise of Pakamac and Woolworth's with their one time plastic macs was a great pity. Somehow a woman wearing a plastic mac only because it is raining is sexier than a model exageratedly posing to be deliberately provocative. I've loved plastic macs for about 50 years,frequently take one with me wherever I go and have had much fun writing stories/painting pictures on the subject.

Comments by beverley on 5th November 2009   

in 1954 a girl in my class by name of sonia came to school wearing a cape type see thru pakamac i was only 11 but i was hooked on rainwear ever since now 66 such a shame macs have almost gone from our streets

Comments by Brian Humphries on 6th October 2009   

AN IMAGINARY IMPOSITION FROM SCHOOLDAYS:

I must not wear other boy's plastic macs.
I must not wear other boy's plastic macs.
I must not wear other boy's plastic macs.
I must not wear other boy's plastic macs.
I must not wear other boy's plastic macs.
i must not wear other boy's plastic macs.......
x 1000!!!

Comments by Brian Humphries on 3rd October 2009   

Yes, LOVE your Pakamacs, whether they are plastic, nylon or rubber. But also love the people who wear them. In my forty years plus of rainwear enthusiasm, I have made some fabulous contacts, both male and female, mac-retailers and mac-wearers. As I have said before, it is so encouraging to see so many people interested in Pakamacs. For example, I am indebted to Patricia Smith for arousing my interest in nylon mackintoshes once again. They can be worn and enjoyed in dry weather as well as wet weather and are, of course, more breathable than are plastic or rubber macs. They swish, rustle, swell, deflate and pulsate into ever changing folds, moving with the body so beautifully. They are really beautiful macs

Comments by Brian Humphries on 30th September 2009   

At primary school, I had always loved girls in their semi-transparent, see-through, plastic mackintoshes, in pale colours-pale blue, pale pink, yellow and so on. But imagine my ecstasy when grey-black see-through macs appeared-FOR BOYS!!!! And many of them bore the wonderful name we are celebrating on this website-PAKAMAC!!! I fell in love with them straightaway, and my present wardrobes of male see-through plastic macs have always been central to my rainwear enthusiasm. Or should I say fetishism or even perversion? I am wearing a lightweight nylon mackintosh whilst typing this and it just will not stop swishing and rustling-I feel about to EXPLODE!!!!!
LOVE YOUR PAKAMACS.........

Comments by Brian Humphries on 18th September 2009   

My new mackintosh arrived today-a lovely navy blue plastic mac in the best Pakamac style and traditions. I am wearing it at this very moment, and I am all blown up with excitement, the type of excitement which only rainwear lovers can appreciate. This will be a lovely mac to wear on my visits to our rubber/rainwear shop, to impress the lovely girl assistants, one of whom can be quite raunchy! I am always hoping she will lock the door, put on of the baby-pant see-through macs they have in stock, and let things proceed logicallly to their conclusion!
LOVE AND ENJOY YOUR PAKAMACS.........

Comments by Brian Humphries on 14th September 2009   

Lovely to see so many people interested in plastic macs(=Pakamacs. And I have more wonderful news-I have just ordered another one-male, navy blue, rubbery-just the way I like them. I AM ALL PUFFED UP WITH EXCITEMENT!!! My message to all of you is to LOVE YOUR PAKAMACS whether nylon, plastic or rubber, and don't just wear them in the rain!! LOVE THEM AND ENJOY THEM!!!

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 12th September 2009   

One of my many Pakamacs is a navy nylon mac with a rubbery PU lining. Yesterday I visited our local rubber/plastic fashion shop. I wore my nylon mac, all buttoned up, on going in. My mac made me quite hot inside, but I didn't mind. Whilst choosing my purchases, I swished and pulsated my rubbery mac, and my mac puffed up beautifully. As I handed my garments to the girl assistant, I felt as good as I looked. A pleasant afternoon's diversion(and yet another pair of plastic pants to my collection!) Yes, nylon Pakamacs can be as exciting as plastic Pakamacs. It is so beautifully exciting to be a rainwear enthusiast!

My son still wears a navy blue pacamac, below the knee, traditional style. Keeps him dry whenever it rains

Comments by seethrumac on 9th September 2009   

hoe I love wearing plastic macs,I still have 2 gents Pakamacs which I wear often and would love likeminded folk to share them with me!

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 28th April 2009   

I would stand transfixed, looking at all those plastic Pakamacs, in metal stands, all neatly rolled up in those shiny yellow-and-blue plastic bags. Girl's plastic Pakamacs were included with the boy's. The grey-black plastic macs were just visible through the small clear windows in the bags. When the macs were unrolled, they were as see-through as baby-pants. Lovely macs, waiting to be wet with rain, waiting to excite the wearer, waiting to be LOVED...

Until I found this site I thought I was the only boy to enjoy wearing a pakamac. Not so! I would love to wear a black transparent pvc/plastic mac even now. Also are there any women out there willing to shake me?!!

when I was a boy of 10 in the mid 60s, I loved wearing my black see through plastic mac.I would go to my bedroom "to read", but it was an excuse to wear my mac in private. If I ever played out in it, I used to ask one girls down the street to give me a good, hard shake! Dont know why even now,but I loved to be shook violently in my plastic mac, and she always obliged. I also shook my mac dry after a shower, but I was always still wearing it! I wish I coild get hold of a plastic mac now in a local shop.

Comments by MARTIN HUMPHRIES on 17th April 2009   

Pakamacs are simply lovely, and it is always a pleasure to write about them-indeed, I could write books about them and people who wear them. Although I am a fully committed rainwear enthusiast, enjoying nylons and rubber macs too, it is always the basic grey-black, semi-transparent, unisex, lightweight, roll-up plastic vinyl mackintosh that is so central to my enjoyment. and I wear them more than any other rainwear item. How about forming a Pakamac Society?

great shame these are no longer made, they are a pleasure to wear both outside in the rain or inside for a bit of fun

Comments by des wood on 2nd January 2009   

I still love wearing my pakamac,i have one that is like new which I only wear now and then,i would be lovely to walk in the rain with like minded folk wearing our plastic raincoats!

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 27th November 2008   

Within the last few minutes I have bought, on-line, yet another plastic Pakamac, lady's see-through, sky-blue. I am just out of my mind with love of plastic macs!!!

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 13th November 2008   

There was nothing like wearing see-through plastic Pakamacs at school on wet days. We boys were simply blown up with pleasure and excitement by these beautiful macs, especially when we rolled them up and smuggled them into our bedrooms!! More to follow....

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 24th September 2008   

Plastic Pakamacs are more than a convenlent way of waterproofing the wearer-they are even more than beautiful and exciting garments to wear-they provide a wonderful way of ENJOYING rainy weather!!

Comments by sammy on 24th September 2008   

there is no better sight than a mture lady or gent wearing their original plastic macs.
i still wear one of mine as often as possible
sammy

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 30th August 2008   

To a rainwear enthusiast, "Pakamac" is almost the sexiest word in the English language, surpassed only by the two words, "Plastic Pakamac". Let's have more waterproof "cameo2 remarks in this space, and let's try to get these macs in production again!! Who knows!!

Comments by Jim Sullivan on 7th July 2008   

Nothing like them they started my interest in Rainwear in my teens in the 50's

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 19th June 2008   

These lovely grey-black see-through macs started my mac enthusiasm in the fifties-and I have never looked back!!

Comments by BRIAN HUMPHRIES on 30th May 2008   

Still the best plastic macs ever made, beautifully see-through. At school, we boys loved them, some of us having two or three. Please let's have them back!!

Comments by des wood on 14th July 2007   

mmm wish they still made these,we shall need a revival of pakamacs with the wet weather!