A Statement Of Culture In A Coat

Fashion has a odd way of changing clothing and making highly functional clothing

into a style that becomes associated with a particular culture or community group. Frequently the original use usually protection against extreme weather, be they hot or cold is forgotten about as the style develops to work with urban life. The ultimate expression of this development is probably the fascinator, which can trace its roots back to sunhats worn by workers in the field but now survoves a raw fashion. And next time you pull on those leggy boots with stiletto heels, imagine what the Duke of Wellington would have made of them.

The parka has undergone just such a transformation, although it stopped short of being totally without usefulness. Its ancestry is, as you would probably expect, from colder climes, but in this case one of the coldest you can get the Arctic Circle. Here, where the ice never melts (well, not yet anyway) life is tough and gruelling, and the various peoples who live there either keep warm or freeze to death. As civilisations migrated to the north they no doubt noticed that the wildlife was gradually getting fluffier, and copied this basic survival technique by taking those skins. The term "anorak" comes from the Inuktitut language of northern Canada (as do kayak and igloo, not unsurprisingly). But anoraks of this area were different to the ones popularised by British train spotters that gave the word a whole new meaning. They were rugged, hardy items of clothing with a built-in hood and a fur lining throughout. The model worn in the UK will be recognised by anyone who lived through the seventies as the snorkel. But they are, of course, poles apart when it comes to warmth.

It was Russia that first developed the garment we now know as the parka. The word parka is Russian for a whole fur (animal skin) or a garment made from it, in the same way as "a fur" is also a term for a fur coat. This was still a useful of clothing to keep the bitter Russian winters from the bones, and it would be ideal for use by soldiers, hence the colour choices that they popularly come in. The phase of UK popularity in the sixties was due to its arrival via military surplus stores, but soon they started being produced by British firms as a fashion item and are inseparably linked with Mod movement.

As Mods were probably the most style-conscious of the various subcultures that appeared in the UK, opting for Italian designer wear and a narrow silhouette, the parka proved to be the ideal outerwear option, with all its paramilitary overtones sewn in. They were the perfect windcheater for those long, windswept journeys on the Lambretta or Vespa, perhaps heading to seaside resort on the south coast during the summer months.

One variant that became particularly well-liked was the fish tail parka, which came with two mystifying cords that can be used to connect the two sides of the slit together. This is the type true vintage clothing aficionados will look for as they sum up the look perfectly, especially if decorated with The Who or The Kinks or the RAF symbol.

by: Callum Asterman

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