Trench coat

A trench coat or trenchcoat is a raincoat made of waterproof heavy-duty cottton drill or poplin, or in some cases leather: it generally has a removable insulated lining; and it is usually knee-length or longer.

History
The trenchcoat is a descendant of the heavy serge coats worn by British and French soldiers in World War I.The trench coat was created by Thomas Burberry, the inventor of gabardine fabric, who submitted a design for an army officer's raincoat to the UK War Office in 1901. Burberry's raincoat subsequently became part of the service uniform of British officers.

During World War I, the design was modified to include epaulettes, straps, and D-rings. This latter version was dubbed "trench coat" by the soldiers in the trenches. Towards the Second World War, the trench coat became part of all enlisted men's and officers' kits, especially in the American forces: the US Army, US Army Air Corps, and US Marine Corps.

A modern style of trench-coat, closely resembling a simple jacket. During the Second World War, the military forces of Great Britain, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union continued to use the trenchcoat on the battlefield in cold weather. Over the course of the Second World War, the trench coat was widely replaced by shorter smocks (e.g. the Denison smock used by British commandos, paratroopers, and snipers during World War II) and field jackets (e.g. the M-1941 field jacket and the M-1943 field jacket used by the soldiers of the US Army during World War II). The smock and the field jacket were shorter than the trench coat, and as such they allowed the wearer to be more mobile.

A typical trenchcoat is a ten-buttoned, double-breasted long coat made with tan, khaki, beige, or (less fashionably) black fabric. Trenchcoats often have cuff straps on the raglan sleeves, epaulettes (originally used to hold gloves and folding service caps, such as the Glengarry bonnet), and a belt that may also have two small brass D-rings as a salute to its military heritage. The rings were used to secure grenades, or sidearms (or swords in World War I). Some more recent trenchcoats, more commonly called "long jackets", have no belts, rings, or epaulettes, and only two pockets on either side. This type is more like normal jacket, except that it is usually ankle length.

Post-World War II

Trench coats have remained fashionable in the decades since the end of World War II. Their original role as part of an army officers' uniform lent the trench coat a businesslike respectability, whilst fictional heroes as diverse as Dick Tracy, The Phantom, Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine from Casablanca and Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau kept the coat in the public eye. Black leather trench coats were adopted by the Nazi SS as a means of inspiring fear and respect, and the subsequent Hollywood image of the black-clad, trench-coated Gestapo officer has entered popular culture.

Current status

Trench coats or other long dark coats (such as dusters) are associated with mallgoth, Industrial rock and Heavy Metal fashion and musical styles. The Columbine High School massacre was associated with members of the "Trenchcoat Mafia" a group of outcasts with which its perpetrators were associated in early media reports, who wore conspicuous black trench coats, and in the wake of the incident several schools forbade students to wear trench coats, on the grounds that the long coats could be used to conceal weapons.

Trenchcoats are traditionally used by streakers and exhibitionists, who wear the coat in public until they "streak" naked through a public area or commit an act of exhibition. They are also worn by men who masturbate in porno-movie theaters.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors

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Mackintosh

The noun mackintosh has 2 meanings:
Meaning #1: a lightweight waterproof (usually rubberized) fabric
Synonim: macintosh
Meaning #2: (British) a waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric
Synonim: macintosh, mac, mack

A Mackintosh or its short name mac is a form of waterproof raincoat,first sold in 1824, made out of rubberized leather fabric. The Mackintosh is named after its Scottish inventor Charles Macintosh: note the added letter 'k' in the name of the garment.

Although the Mackintosh style of coat has become generic, a genuine Mackintosh coat should be made from rubberised or rubber laminated material.

Mackintosh brand

Charles Macintosh patented his invention for waterproof cloth in 1823 and the first Mackintosh coats were made in the family's textile factory, Charles Macintosh and Co. of Glasgow. But in 1830 the company merged with the clothing company of Thomas Hancock in Manchester. Hancock had also been experimenting with rubber coated fabrics since 1819.

Early coats had problems with smell and a tendency to melt in hot weather, but Hancock further improved their waterproof fabrics, patenting a method for vulcanising rubber in 1843, which solved many of the problems.

Throughout the 19th and 20th century, the company continued to make waterproof clothing and by the end of the 20th century was called Traditional Weatherwear Ltd, with a factory based in Cumbernauld near Glasgow. In recent years the company has been keen to establish the traditional rubberised

Mackintosh coat as an upmarket brand in its own right. As a result they have collaborated with leading fashion houses such as Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Liberty. The coats have become particularly popular with Japanese women and the company won a Queen's Awards for Enterprise in 2000 for it success in international trade.

External links

• Excerpts from "The Macintosh: the Paternity of an Invention" – history of the invention of latex waterproofing

• Mackintosh Rainwear – official website of Traditional Weatherwear Ltd.

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The Macintosh Raincoat

In 1823, Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh patented a method for making waterproof garments by using rubber dissolved in coal-tar naphtha for cementing two pieces of cloth together.

The famous macintosh raincoat now was named after Charles Macintosh. Macintosh raincoats were first made using the methods developed by Charles Macintosh.

While he was trying to find uses for the waste products of gasworks, Macintosh discovered that coal-tar naphtha dissolved india rubber. He took wool cloth and painted one side with the dissolved rubber preparation and placed another layer of wool cloth on top. This created the first practical waterproof fabric, but the fabric was not perfect.

It was easy to puncture when it was seamed, the natural oil in wool caused the rubber cement to deteriorate. In cold weather the fabric became stiffer and in hot weather the fabric became sticky. When vulcanized rubber was invented in 1839, Macintosh's fabrics improved since the new rubber could withstand temperature changes.

Article by : Mary Bellis

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An Overview Of Raincoat Production

Charles Macintosh was the man behind origination of raincoats. In 1836, he came up with the method of mixing rubber with fabric which was used for making raincoats. The raincoats were thus named after him and were called Mackintoshes in U.K.

The raincoat made during early 20th century were heavy in weight, but by 1940 the lightweight fabrics were been used to manufacture raincoats. Vinyl fabric was used, as this fabric was waterproof in nature and lightweight also. Continuous experiments were done in order to make raincoats of such fabric that could be machine washed, completely waterproof, low maintenance and light in weight. After 1970s there was a boom in rainwear industry as raincoats with varied designs, colors, patterns and fabrics were being made.

Raincoats have distinguishable quality of not allowing water to pass through them i.e. nil absorption of water thus keeping the weaver dry during rainy season. Many styles of raincoats are available in the market like ponchos, waxed jackets, mackintoshes, trench-coats and anoraks. Trench-coats are unisex style of raincoats, cotton and polyester materials are used to manufacture them.

Apart from vinyl, cotton and polyester other types of fabrics used for making raincoats are nylon, wool, wool gabardine and microfibres. They could be used in a blended form also. The chemicals used for waterproofing purposes are paraffin emulsions, salts of zirconium and aluminium (for cheap cotton and woolen fabrics), methyl siloxanes( for synthetic fabrics), resin (for cotton, wool and nylon), wax (for linen and cotton), etc. For gents raincoats in the form of shirt and trousers are also available and for women raincoats in the form of skirt and jacket are found in the market.

Manufacturing Process

The raincoats are machine-made garments. Generally, they are manufactured by using computerized manufacturing system. Here machines are controlled and governed by the computers. The first and foremost procedure in making raincoat is waterproofing of the fabric. In first step the fabrics to be used goes in between through many rollers, then are dipped into a big container filled with chemicals that would make the fabric waterproof.

When the fabrics have soaked the chemicals properly they are removed from the container and further are passed through heating procedure, which makes the absorption even. Thereafter again fabrics are passed via many rollers. They are then cooled down which makes the waterproofing chemicals to permanently stick to the fabric. This yarn of treated fabrics is again rolled into bolts and is passed on to manufacturers.

The raw materials for making the raincoats are cut down into appropriate patterns of different sizes to be made with the cutter that is either electrical or computer operated. Thereafter the lining is placed inside the desired stitched part like collars, caps, pockets, etc, and then passed through fusing machine, which uses heat to put the lining properly into the fabric. Later, different parts of the raincoats are sewn together by the industrial sewing machines.

The button holes (if needed) are made on the raincoats and buttons are sewed, this process is done through automatic machines. Quality inspection of the final product is handled by quality control inspector to ensure raincoats without any defects. Finally after inspection tags are attached by the worker on the raincoats and are packed in poly-bags using automatic bagger machines.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gaurav_Doshi

To read more articles on Textile, Fashion, Apparel, Technology, Retail and General please visit http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/

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Raincoat Raw Materials

The primary material in a raincoat is fabric that has been specially treated to repel water. The fabric of many raincoats is made of a blend of two or more of the following materials: cotton, polyester, nylon, and/or rayon. Raincoats can also made of wool, wool gabardine, vinyl, microfibers and high tech fabrics. The fabric is treated with chemicals and chemical compounds, depending on the kind of fabric. Waterproofing materials include resin, pyridinium or melamine complexes, polyurethane, acrylic, fluorine or teflon.

Cotton, wool, nylon or other artificial fabrics are given a coating of resin to make them waterproof. Woolen and cheaper cotton fabrics are bathed in a paraffin emulsions and salts of metals like aluminum or zirconium. Higher quality cotton fabrics are bathed in complexes of pyridinium or melamine complexes. These complexes form a chemical link with the cotton and are extremely durable. Natural fibers, like cotton and linen, are bathed in wax. Synthetic fibers are treated by methyl siloxanes or silicones (hydrogen methyl siloxanes).

In addition to the fabric, most raincoats consist of buttons, thread, lining, seam tape, belts, trim, zippers, eyelets, and facings.
Most of these items, including the fabric, are created by outside suppliers for raincoat manufacturers. The manufacturers design and make the actual raincoat.

Design

To capture part of the market, raincoat design changes with the season and current fashion trends. Fabrics, lengths, cut and look are important to appeal to the consumer. Style is everything; the cut is important to distinguishing items on the market. For men, women, and children, there are many different styles of raincoats: short, commuter, car coats, sport, utility, and long raincoats. New fibers and finishes are regularly introduced.

Computer-aided design (CAD) gives designers the ability to combine fabrics, styles, and colors onscreen without having to make a sample. Designers create the patterns for the manufacturing process using CAD.

The Manufacturing Process

Much of the manufacturing process is done by Computer Aided manufacturing (CAM). Machines are run by computers, ensuring speed and efficiency.

Waterproofing the fabric

1. In this automated process, fabric passes through a series of rollers and into a tank containing a bath of the appropriate waterproofing materials.

2. Chemicals are allowed to soak into the fabric.

3. After the material leaves the bath, it is heated so the chemicals soak evenly into the fabric.

4. The fabric passes through another series of rollers and allowed to cool. This allows the chemicals to harden and stay in place on the fabric.

5. The treated fabric is re-rolled into bolts and readied for shipment to raincoat manufacturers.

Manufacturing the raincoat

1. The pieces that make the body of the raincoat are cut by a computer-operated cutter or large electrical cutter. The fabric is cut according to patterns that have been graded to each size the raincoat will be made in.

2. The interlining (which makes collars, cuffs, front facings, sleeve straps, belts and pocket welts stiff) is put inside the appropriate parts. Each part that contains interlining is fused by an automated fusing machine. The fusing process uses high heat and pressure to ensure the interlining is put in evenly.

3. An industrial sewing machine operator uses an industrial machine to sew all the small parts of the raincoat, including the collar, belt, sleeve straps and pocket welts.

4. The facings (the underply of the coat that is sewn to the front edge) are set to the front edges of the fabric shell that makes up a coat's exterior. This is also done by a worker on an industrial sewing machine.

5. The large parts of the shell of the raincoat are assembled on an industrial sewing machine by a worker. Most come in pairs. First the right back panel and left back panel are joined together, creating a back seam. Then the rest of the large parts of the raincoat (the front of the raincoat, the sleeves etc.) are created in similar fashion.

6. On a separate line in the factory, a lining has been made. It is sewn into the appropriate pieces of the shell by a person.

7. All the large pieces of the raincoat are now assembled and sewn together by a worker using an industrial sewing machine.

8. An automated machine makes button-holes and sews the buttons on the raincoat.

9. Using an industrial sewing machine, the trim and sleeves are sewn on by hand. The belt is put on by hand as well.

10. The finished raincoat is examined by a inspector for quality control purposes.

11. A worker puts tags on the coat and puts it on the hanger.

12. A polybag is put over the coat, usually by a machine called an automatic bagger.

13. The bagged coats are loaded into the shipping container by a worker.

Quality Control

Quality control takes place at many steps of the manufacturing process. Before raincoats are even made, the quality of the fabric and dye are inspected. After the fabric is cut, the patterns must match and sizes must be right. As each piece is sewn together, the sewing is checked. The qualities inspectors look for include: stitch length, hem stitching, button-hole stitching and alignment, and seam type. Anything defective is corrected. When the raincoat is completed, each part of it is inspected by hand.

By products/Waste

In the actual production of raincoats, only scraps are created. They are usually thrown away.

The Future

The raincoat's fabric and its finishes will change. There will be improved water repellency, stain resistance, and wrinkle resistance. The fabrics themselves will have new weaves.

Another direction the future of raincoats might head is toward mass customization. This means the coat would be specially made to fit the consumer's body. Such a process would involve computers and the advent of certain kinds of software and scanning devices.

Where to Learn More

Book
Schoeffler, 0. E., and William Gale. Esquire's Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men's Fashions. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1973.
Stone, Elaine. The Dynamics of Fashion. New York: Fairchild Publications, 1999.

Periodicals
Bober, Joanna. "Fashion 101: In the Trenches." InStyle (March 1, 1999): 141.

[Article by: Annette Petrusso]

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Raincoat History

Background

Raincoats are jackets made of fabric that is specially treated to repel water. In 1836, Charles Macintosh invented a method for combining rubber with fabric, which was used in the first modern raincoats. Because of his inventions, all raincoats are called Mackintoshes or Macs by those in Great Britain. Most modern day raincoats are inspired in one way or another by Macintosh's brainchild.

Today there are many kinds of raincoats made of all types of fabric. An all-weather raincoat has a removable lining so it can be worn in any weather. Fold ups are foldable and usually made of vinyl. Vinyl raincoats are made of vinyl or of fabric that has a vinyl finish. Trenchcoats are worn by both men and women, and are often made of lightweight cotton/polyester fabric.

What is important to raincoat manufacture is efficient waterproofing. There are two important qualities: absorption (how much water can be soaked by the fabric) and penetration (the amount of water that can sink into the fabric). Raincoat fabrics are either absorbent or repellent. The best raincoats are made of tightly woven fabric.

History

People have been trying to make items of clothing waterproof for hundreds of years. As early as the thirteenth century, Amazonian Indians used a milky substance (rubber) extracted from rubber trees for this purpose. When European explorers came to the Americas in the sixteenth century, they observed the indigenous people using a crude procedure and rubber to waterproof items like footwear and capes.

By the eighteenth century, Europeans were experimenting with waterproofing fabric for clothing. François Fresneau devised an early idea for waterproofing fabric in 1748. Scotland's John Syme made further waterproofing advances in 1815. In 1821, the first raincoat was manufactured. Made by G. Fox of London, it was called the Fox's Aquatic. The raincoat was made of Gambroon, a twill-type fabric with mohair.

While these early attempts at waterproofing fabrics sometimes involved rubber, they were not particularly successful. When rubber was used in clothing, the articles involved were not easy to wear. If the weather was hot, the clothing became supple and tacky; if cold, the clothing was hard and inflexible. This problem was solved in the early nineteenth century by Macintosh.

The native of Scotland was a chemist and chemical manufacturer. Through experiments, Macintosh discovered a better way to use rubber in clothing. At the time, the gas industry was new. Coal-tar naphtha was one byproduct of the fractional distillation of petroleum, which was used in gasworks. This volatile oily liquid was a hydrocarbon mixture. Macintosh dissolved rubber in naphtha, making a liquid. This liquid was brushed on fabric making it waterproof.

In 1823, Macintosh patented his process for making waterproof fabric. This process involved sandwiching a layer of molded rubber between two layers of fabric treated with the rubber-naphtha liquid. It took some time to develop the industrial process for spreading the rubber-naphtha mixture on the cloth. The patented waterproof fabric was produced in factories beginning in 1824. The first customer was the British military. Macintosh's findings led to other innovative uses of rubber, including tires.

The process for vulcanizing rubber was developed by Charles Goodyear, a hardware merchant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1839. Vulcanization means to heat rubber with sulfur, which made rubber more elastic and easier to meld. Four years later, Thomas Hancock took the waterproof fabric invented by Charles Macintosh and made it better using vulcanized rubber.

Americans continued to improve on Macintosh's process with the advent of the calendering process in 1849. Macintosh's cloth was passed between heated rollers to make it more pliable and waterproof. Another innovation involved the combination of only one layer of cloth with a layer of rubber.

While such improvements made the cloth lighter than Macintosh's original, these raincoats were still rather hot even into the early twentieth century. Many raincoats were designed with slits to make them cooler for their wearer.

Macintosh's fabric was not the only kind of waterproof fabric invented in the nineteenth century. In 1851, Bax & Company introduced Aquascutum. This was a woolen fabric that was chemically treated to shed water. This raincoat became popular at the end of the Crimean War (c. 1856).

Chemicially treated fabrics gradually began to predominate by the early twentieth century. For World War I, Thomas Burberry created the all-weather trench coat. The coat was made of a yarn-dyed fine twill cotton gabardine.

The gabardine was chemically processed to repel rain. Though these trench coats were first made for soldiers, after the war ended in 1918, they spread in popularity. They were also much cooler than those made of Macintosh's fabric.

By 1920, raincoat design moved beyond the trenchcoat, though that coat remained a classic. Oil-treated fabrics, usually cotton and silk, became popular in the 1920s. Oil-skin was made by brushing linseed oil on fabric, which made it shed water. Car coats were introduced in the 1930s. These raincoats were shorter than trenchcoats and made for riding in automobiles. Rubber-covered and-backed raincoats, made of all kinds of fabrics, resurged in popularity between the wars as well.

After 1940, raincoats made of lightweight fabric became more popular. Military research lead to the creation of raincoat fabrics that could be dry-cleaned. Vinyl was a preferred fabric in the 1950s for its impressive waterproofness, as was plastic (through the 1970s), though such raincoats retained heat.

Innovations in fabrics continued to affect raincoats. Wool blends and synthetic blends were regularly used to make raincoats beginning in the 1950s. Such blends could be machine washed. There were also improved chemical treatments of cloth. Heat-welded seams were introduced as well, increasing how waterproof the fabric was.

In the 1960s, nylon was used to make raincoats, and in the 1970s, double-knit became a preferred fabric. Double-knit raincoats were not as water repellent as those made with other fabrics, but were designed differently to compensate. Still such raincoats were not as comfortable, and double-knit faded throughout the decade. Vinyl raincoats briefly had a renewed popularity, especially among women.

Modern day raincoats come in many fabrics, styles and colors. The gabardine trenchcoat remains a favorite. While natural and artificial blends, rubber and plastic are still used, plastic-coated artificial fibers used for Gore-Tex are very popular. Microfibers and other high-tech fabrics are taking over more of the raincoat material market.

Where to Learn More

Books
Schoeffler, 0. E., and William Gale. Esquire's Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men's Fashions. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1973.
Stone, Elaine. The Dynamics of Fashion. New York: Fairchild Publications, 1999.

Periodicals
Bober, Joanna. "Fashion 101: In the Trenches." InStyle (March 1, 1999): 141.
[Article by: Annette Petrusso]

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How to Choose a Raincoat

Raincoat choices range from plastic rain ponchos to designer raincoats, and prices vary appropriately.

Instructions :
STEP 1: Consider how you're going to use the raincoat. If it's to go over business attire or is to be worn on the town, look for something upscale. If you're a camper or hiker, check with an outdoor or camping store.

STEP 2: Consider the warmth of the raincoat and the climate of the place where you'll wear it most often. Although some parkas are both warm and waterproof, you may only need a light raincoat to go over clothing.

STEP 3: Think about the length of the raincoat. While men usually wear full-length coats, women often like shorter rain slickers.

STEP 4: Decide whether the raincoat should have a hood. Women sometimes prefer this feature more than do men, although they can also cover their heads with a rain bonnet or umbrella.

STEP 5: Determine how much you want to spend. Rain slickers are generally available for less than $50, while you'll spend much more than that for a full-length raincoat, especially if it is a designer brand.

STEP 6: Choose the material of the raincoat. While raincoats are made of a variety of materials, stick with something lightweight and breathable for the most comfort.

STEP 7: Think about the color. Slickers are available in a variety of bright colors; women's cloth raincoats come in mostly muted colors and men's raincoats are generally limited to black, brown or gray.

STEP 8: Make sure the raincoat can be exchanged, if needed, and check on any warranties or guarantees.

STEP 9: Consider rain boots or an umbrella to match, if you and your wallet are so inclined.

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Raincoat

The meaning of raincoat is a water-resistant coat or waterproof coat. Raincoats used to wear to protects ourselves from the rain. Besides that, now there are also many kind of raincoat made for many other climatic conditions other than rain. Many types of raincoats are made for different weather conditions using different fabrics and chemicals. They can be used for protection against snow falling, windcheater, for sailors and also against cold temperature.

For people who don’t like to block the rain with mechanical devices such as an umbrella, raincoat would be an ideal substitute. There are more and more design-oriented raincoats available. We could find a large variety in raincoats available in markets. They are found in various colors, cuts, lengths, fabrics and styles for people of every age and sexes. There are also raincoats in bold, catchy colours, some with geometrical patterns on them.The designing done with the aid of computers in modern days, offers variety of designs in raincoat. If you're shopping for a child, remember that kids are generally happy with brightly colored raincoat. Some come with various characters on them, too. If you're not sure how much warmth you'll need, consider a raincoat with a zip-out lining.

Now raincoat comes in various artificial and natural fabric blends. Especially microfibres and plastic coated fibres are used more. The raincoats which are made up of closely knitted fabrics are the best as they are more waterproof. However now-a-days raincoat that could be worn all year round is also available in the market. Such raincoats consist of lining that could be removed whenever required. There are two types of fabrics used for raincoats- repellent type and absorbent type. It is just an example of the many innovations in this industry, the latest is of disposable raincoats.

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