Pakamac

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

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.

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.

Hi Susie,

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

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/

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.

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

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.

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!!

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.

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 .

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,

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!!

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?