All about raincoats

The following article was sourced from a Wikipedia page at the following address: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raincoat

RAINCOATS

A child wearing a yellow raincoat with hood

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.

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

HISTORY

The raincoat was invented in Scotland in 1824. The K-way was created in 1965 in Paris by Léon Duhamel.

STYLES

Important styles of raincoat include:

• Anorak, derived from traditional Inuit designs
• Cagoule, also Cagoul, Kagoule, Kagool
• Driza-Bone, Australian oiled cotton
• Gannex
• Inverness cape
• Mackintosh, rubberised cloth
• Poncho
• Sou'wester
• Trench coat, derived from traditional raincoat
• Waxed jacket

For more information about raincoats, please click on the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raincoat