Choosing Ladies Macs
A mac is a raincoat made of rubberized fabric, and got its name from a Scottish inventor by the name of Charles MacIntosh, who discovered a way to liquidize rubber. By applying the liquid rubber to wool cloth, he is credited with producing the first water-resistant fabric out of which raincoats were manufactured.
Ladies macs have come a long way since those first crude topcoats. The word mac has evolved to include two distinct types of outerwear, the slicker and the trench coat. The slicker of today comports more to the original meaning of mac than does the trench coat because it literally is fabric covered either with rubber or plastic, and its main purpose is to repel rain. Slickers come in fun colors and styles and are much more casual than trench coats.
The trench coat style of mac is made from fabrics such as gabardine, cotton, silk or polyester, which have been treated to repel water. When choosing ladies macs, the more stylish option is the Burberry mac, or any of the many non-designer label raincoats that are fashioned in the Burberry style. The traditional Burberry mac is beige, single breasted and lined with Burberry tartan plaid. The Burberry is considered the top of the line in ladies macs.
The most common color for ladies macs is solid beige or tan because neutral colors are easily matched when putting together a wardrobe. However, there are many other colors and patterns one can choose from. Regarding style, a key way to distinguish the difference between a true mac and a trench coat, is the way the front of the coat is designed. If single-breasted, it will more than likely be marketed as a mac; whereas, a double-breasted coat will almost always carry the trench coat moniker.
