as a spring deluge of rain continues to coat the garden city with water - we're seeing a lot of tourists & victorians alike scampering from awning to awning along johnson street trying to keep dry on their way to still life. so we thought we'd list a few basic spring essentials for living in victoria: once you've understood the benefit of a waxed jacket or well-made rubber boots, rainfall warnings will be an invitation for adventure, rather than a suggestion for reclusion.
waxed cotton, as the name suggests, is a cotton impregnated with a paraffin based wax, woven into the cloth, originating from the sailing industry in scotland. early mariners noticed that wet sails were more efficient than dry sails, but due to their weight slowed the vessel down. from the 15th century, mariners applied fish oils and grease to their heavy sailcloth, out of the worn remnants of which they cut waterproof capes to keep themselves dry (the precursor to the classic fisherman's slicker). the result was efficient sailing with dry, lighter sails in wet weather, and drier sailors.
this spring at still life we have a variety of waxed cotton outerwear from some of our strongest brands for both the men & women of the harbour city hoping to stay dry on these wet, west coast days. all these coats are lightweight for spring, but treated with similar paraffin based waxes to keep rain away through the remainder of the spring:
- penfield (hudson, massachusetts) - named after the birthplace of the penfield label, their hudson wax cloth is a densely woven fabric with a blend of 65% polyester and 35% cotton, making the material not only windproof but also extremely durable. the surface is water-repellent whilst still allowing for breathability and moisture wicking. available for spring: the women's anoka overcoat in heritage blue, the men's sconset khaki trail jacket & the men's hooded lockwood field jacket.
- fjallraven - (örnsköldsvik, sweden) - clothing, outerwear and even tents are produced using a fabric from fjallraven called g-1000. the densely woven fabric (65% polyester, 35% cotton) makes the material windproof, 'mosquitoproof' and extremely hard wearing. thanks to impregnation from fjallraven's greenland wax (a beeswax/paraffin blend) it is also extremely water resistent. the high-strength fabric wicks moisture effectively away from the body and is ideal for an active outdoor life. available for spring: the men's oban jacket in light green.
- ben sherman (brighton, england) - drawing inspiration from the functional utility of the scout movement and blending it with the collegiate aesthetic of early 60's americana, ben sherman spring 2011 offers a 'blue collar twist on practical preppy' with their waxed cotton anorak. dark navy with white ties & leather detail, the nautical-inspired anorak features an 'emergency orange' vest lining for added warmth in the cold wet, easily removable when moving into warmer spring and summer months. available for spring: the men's waxed cotton anorak in navy.
- dunderdon (gothenburg, sweden) - since 1997, dunderdon has been sweden’s most innovative workwear company. Founded by carpenter per-ivan hagberg, the mission at dunderdon has always been to create clothing for craftsmen who appreciate superior construction and smart design. with a strong history of wearable, functional working garments, dunderdon waxed outerwear are some of our strongest and most coveted. available for spring: the women's lj65 compact twill waxed spring parka in burnt orange, the women's lj21 compact twill long hooded waxed jacket in navy and the men's j64 waxed canvas carcoat in dark navy.
- tretorn (helsingborgs, sweden) - in 1891 tretorn was founded by johan dunker, setting the stage for one of the most enduring success stories born from the late industrial revolution. dunker’s company produced 39,000 pairs of rubber boots in 1892 - just two years later, the number rose to 206,000. almost overnight, everyone from villagers to military personnel were wearing tretorn rubber boots, and the quality of tretorn footwear is recognized as the best in sweden, denmark and germany. available for spring: women's skerry rain boots in yellow and navy, men's skerry rain boots in olive and men's strala short rain boots in black.
if you're a victoria local, you know the rain doesn't last for days on end. so as soon as you can find a break in the weather, sneak downtown and visit us at still life to get you outfitted for the rain in style.
