A raincoat is a type of garment designed to keep the wearer dry in rainy weather. Raincoats are typically made from water-resistant materials such as plastic, rubberized fabric or coated cloth and may be worn over other clothes; some have hoods that can protect wearers’ heads from precipitation when walking.
There are many different types of raincoats, including the very simple with no frills to high end style that includes matching nylon pants. Legend has it there is a deep-rooted affinity between raincoats and the bright yellow color from time immemorial. Whenever we hear the word “raincoat”, our mind instantly associates it with that same hue of sunshine.
Why are raincoats yellow?
The original color for raincoats was silver. However, when it came time to produce these coats in bulk during World War II, there were not enough resources to extract a metal such as aluminum for use in creating the coat’s frame. So instead of using an expensive material like metal and sacrificing production numbers for military needs, they used a common fabric called hemp which had been dyed with yellow pigment. This hemp fabric was lighter and cheaper to produce in bulk than the metal-based raincoat frames, saving rubber for other wartime uses.
Yellow is the color of light. A heavy rainstorm makes one miss that soft, gentle aura and this could well be why people often wear their yellow coats.
