Parka
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A parka is a heavy jacket, usually with a hood, often lined with fur or fake fur, so as to protect the face from a combination of freezing temperatures and wind. This kind of garment, originally made from caribou or seal was invented by the Caribou Inuit, Inuit (Eskimo) of the Arctic region, who needed clothing that would protect them from wind chill and wetness while hunting and kayaking. Certain types of Inuit parkas have to be regularly coated with fish oil to keep their water resistance.
The words anorak and parka have possibly been used interchangeably, but they are somewhat different garments. Strictly speaking, an anorak is a waterproof, hooded, pull-over jacket without a front opening, and sometimes drawstrings at the waist and cuffs. A parka on the other hand is almost any knee-length cold-weather jacket or coat; typically stuffed with down or very warm synthetic fiber, and with a hood. Sometimes a parka is called an "anorak".
Etymology
The word parka is derived from the Nenets language.[1] In the Aleutian Islands the word simply means "animal skin".[2] It first entered the English written record in a 1625 work by Samual Purchas.
The Inuit who speak Inuktitut use parkas and the Inuit have various terms related to them as follows:
| Inuktitut Terminology[3] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Inuktitut Syllabics | Roman Inuktitut | IPA |
| woman's parka | ᐊᕐᓇᐅᑎ | irnauti | [iʁ.na.u.'ti] |
| parka tail | ᓂᖏᒻᓇᖅᑐᖅ | ningimnaqtuq | [ni.ŋim.naq.'tuq] |
| parka hood | ᐊᒪᐅᑦ | amaut | [a.ma.'ut] |
| parka decoration | ᑰᑦᓯᓂᕈᑎ | kuutsinaruti | [kuːt.si.na.ʁu.'ti] |
| parka material | ᐊᑎᒋᑦᓴᖅ | atigitsaq | [a.ti.ɣit.'saq] |
| parka button | ᓇᑦᑐᕋᖅ | naturaq | [nat.tu.'ʁaq] |
| parka belt | ᑕᑦᓯ | tatsi | [tat.'si] |
The word anorak comes from the Kalaallisut word anoraq. It did not appear in English until 1924; an early definition is "gay beaded item worn by Greenland women or brides in the 1930s". In the early 1950s it was made from nylon, but changed to poplin by 1959, when it was featured in Vogue magazine as a fashion item. In 1984, the Observer newspaper used the term to refer to the type of people who wore it, and "an anorak" became a derogatory term.[4]
N-3B ("snorkel") parka
The original snorkel parka (USAF N-3B parka, which is 3/4 length and has a full, attached hood; the similar N-2B parka is waist-length and has an attached split hood) was developed in the USA during the early 1950s for military use, mainly for flight crews stationed in extremely cold areas, designed as it was for temperatures down to −60 °F (~−50 °C). Originally made with a sage green DuPont flight silk nylon outer and lining it was padded with a wool blanket type material until the mid 1970s when the padding was changed to polyester wadding making the jacket both lighter and warmer. It gained the common name of "Snorkel Parka" because the hood can be zipped right up leaving only a small tunnel (or snorkel) for the wearer to look out of. This is particularly effective in very cold, windy weather. Earlier (Vietnam-era) hoods had genuine fur on the hoods; later versions used synthetic furs. Original manufacturers of this parka for the government included Skyline, Southern Athletic, Lancer, Greenbrier, Workroom For Designers, Alpha, and Avirex. Older nylon-shell parkas have a tendency to exhibit a change in color from the original sage green to a shade of magenta due to long-term cumulative exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun. To some in the military, this is personally desirable, as it lends to its wearer an aura of seasoned experience (referred to as salty by those in the US Navy and US Marine Corps). However, considered in a tactical environment, this is a liability, as it decreases one's ability to be camouflaged on the ground.
The basic N-3B parka design was copied and sold to the civilian market by many manufacturers with varying degrees of quality and faithfulness to the original government specifications. Surplus military parkas are often available for relatively low prices online and in surplus stores; they compare quite favorably with civilian extreme-cold parkas of all types due to their robust construction, designed for combat conditions, and warmth, at (usually) significantly lower prices. However, one would have to be satisfied with the single color choice of sage green.
In the UK, the snorkel parka attained its popularity high point in the late 1970s to mid 1980s when its cheap and hard wearing properties made it the jacket of choice for school kids. It became so popular that at many schools almost every boy had one. Whilst the original N3B parka lining was un-quilted and the same colour as the outer shell, the school type parkas usually has quilted orange lining.
Brands such as Lord Anthony, Campri, Keynote, and Brutus made their names selling snorkel parkas.
Fishtail parka
The fishtail parka was first used by the United States Army in 1951 to help protect soldiers from the elements in the Korean War.
There are two main styles of fishtail parkas: the M-51 fishtail parka and the M-65. The M stands for military, and the number is the year it was standardized. The name fishtail comes from the fact that the coat is longer at the back than it is at the front. This was so the coat could be tied around the upper legs, much like a Knochensack for added windproofing.[citation needed] The hood of the M-51 Fishtail Parka is integral to the jacket and folds down inside the jacket collar when not in use. The M-65 fishtail parka has a detachable hood. Both types feature a removable liner.
Cagoule
A cagoul, cagoule, or kagoule is the British English term for a lightweight, weatherproof anorak or parka, usually without the lining and sometimes coming to knee-length.[5]
A cagoule which can be rolled up into a very compact package and carried in a bag or pocket was invented by Noel Bibby of Peter Storm Ltd. in the early 1960s.[6] It has an integral hood, elasticated or drawstring cuffs, and a few poppers or a short zip at the neck. Like the original Aleut anorak it does not open fully at the front and must be pulled on over the head. In some versions, when rolled up, the hood doubles as a bag into which the rest of the coat is pushed.
See also
- Amauti
- Cagoule
- Goggle jacket
- Hoodie
- Mackintosh
- The Anorak for the play about the Montreal Massacre written and performed by Adam Kelly[7]
References
- ^ ""parka" in ''Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary''". Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
- ^ Brewers Dictionary of 20th Century Phrase and Fable
- ^ parka (2012) Inuktitut Living Dictionary. Retrieved September 14, 2012, from link
- ^ Games, Alex (2007), Balderdash & piffle : one sandwich short of a dog's dinner, London: BBC, ISBN 978-1-84607-235-2
- ^ The Chambers Dictionary, 1994. ISBN 0-550-10255-8
- ^ Mike Parsons and Mary Rose, Invisible on Everest—innovation and the gear makers. ISBN 0-9704143-5-8
- ^ "Nunatsiaq News 2007-07-27". Nunatsiaqonline.ca. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
External links
- A traditional Inuit parka at the Sheldon Jackson Museum, in Alaska
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