On most days, rainwear seems irrelevant except when it starts to rain. In 2024 only, the National Disaster Management Authority of India has sent many warnings to people about thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. During such times it becomes necessary to carry a raincoat with you. Here are 11 intriguing facts about raincoats:
1. Raincoats are effective windbreakers too! However, people don’t usually assign this role.
2. Charles Macintosh, a scottish chemist invented the raincoat. People used to carry heavy umbrellas during his days and that is why he wanted to invent a waterproof fabric. He produced his famous waterproof fabric by combining naphtha which is a byproduct of tar with rubber and obtained a patent for the process. After that, most raincoats were called ‘Mackintosh’. This remains a popular name for a raincoat to this day.
3. Unlike popular belief, rainwear and umbrellas are not competitors. In the event of a rainstorm, raincoats are highly effective if they are worn underneath an umbrella. This prevents you from getting overwhelmed with water.
4. The earliest known reference to a ‘Mackintosh Cloak’ was in 1835. The reason of adding a ‘k’ to the rainwear’s name is not known. Later, the raincoat was referred to as ‘mac’.
5. Despite his revolutionary innovation, the early macs were heavy, stiff, and smelly. As they were made after they were melted in hot weather. In 1843, the process of vulcanisation removed all these problems. Today, we bring you comfortable rainwear because of such continued innovation in the field.
6. Humans are not the only animals to wear raincoats. The European Patent Office has seen around 16 raincoats for dogs dating back to 1996.
7. In 2001, a patent was filed for dog raingear that claimed to reduce the smell that comes from a wet dog.
8. Raincoats can be toxic if they are ingested.
9. In the Netflix Series ‘Dark’ the main character seems to be wearing a characteristic yellow raincoat. Since he wears it for a long time, we think it must have been of good quality!
10. Yellow is the most popular choice in colors for raincoats. The perception of the color makes it people easier to spot someone crossing the rain during the rain. There are also stories that heavy thunderstorms are a sign of gloom and doom. In such scenario, a yellow raincoat brings in much needed light and a hope for the sun to rise again.
11. There are a lot of songs related to the word ‘raincoat’. One being ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ by Leonard Cohen.
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