Raincoat

A raincoat or slicker is a waterproof or water-resistant coat worn to protect the body from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats that are waist length. A rain jacket may be combined with a pair of rain pants to make a rain suit; a rain suit may also be in one piece like a boilersuit.

For the 2004 Hindi film, see Raincoat (film). For the band, see The Raincoats. For other uses, see The Raincoats (disambiguation).
A child wearing a yellow raincoat with hood

Modern raincoats are often constructed from waterproof fabrics that are breathable, such as Gore-Tex or Tyvek and coated nylons. These fabrics allow water vapour to pass through, allowing the garment to 'breathe' so that the sweat of the wearer can escape. The amount of pouring rain a raincoat can handle is sometimes measured in the unit millimetres, water gauge.

History

While rain coats have taken many forms over the millennia using different waterproof materials and techniques, the first modern waterproof raincoat was created following the patent by Scottish chemist Charles Macintosh in 1824 of new tarpaulin fabric, described by him as "India rubber cloth," and made by sandwiching a core of rubber softened by naphtha in two pieces of fabric.[1][2] Charles wanted to create a fabric that could protect the wearer from rain and the fabric wouldn't be harmed by the water. Many tailors were reluctant of his new material and had no interest in it. Charles set up his own company and eventually adding vulcanised rubber to the coat. [3]

Styles

References
  1. "Charles Macintosh: Chemist who invented the world-famous waterproof raincoat". The Independent. 30 December 2016.
  2. "History of the Raincoat". 15 January 2017.
  3. "Charles Macintosh: Chemist who invented the world-famous waterproof raincoat". The Independent. 30 December 2016.
  • The dictionary definition of raincoat at Wiktionary
  • Media related to Raincoats at Wikimedia Commons


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