Pakamac

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!

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.

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

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.

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 !

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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