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Snorkel Parka

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	Topics Snorkel Parka Topic Home Origins The name of this jacket is somewhat misleading, the "Snorkel Parka" has little to do with any form of deep sea diving, rather its main aim is to keep the wearer warm and dry during the harsh winter months. The original Snorkel Parka (N3B parka) was originally developed in the USA during the early 1950's for military use. Originally made with a DuPontDuPont E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company was founded in July 1802 as a gun powder mill by Eleuthre Irne du Pont on Brandywine Cre... flight silk nylonNylon Nylon represents a family of synthetic polymers, a thermoplastic material, first produced on 28 February, 1935 by Gerard J.... outer and lining it was padded with a wool blanketBlanket A blanket is a type of bedding, generally a large, rectangular piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially wh... type material until the mid 70's when the padding was changed to polyesterPolyester Polyester is a category of polymers, or, more specifically condensation polymers, which contain the ester functional group i... 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 although it has the added liability of seriously limiting the field of vision. Height of Popularity The snorkel parka attained its popularity high point in the late 70's to mid 80's when its cheap and hard wearing properties made it the jacketJacket A jacket is a lightweight, thigh- or waist-length coat that may be worn by anyone, as jackets are now made for children, adu... of choice for schoolSchool A school is an institution where students learn from teachers; the word school can also refer to a building where such l... kids. It became so popular that at many schools (in the UK) almost every boyBoy A boy is a young male human, as contrasted to its female counterpart, which is called girl.... 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. The measure of a school parka quickly became how grubby the orange lining got through natural wear without washing and many schoolboy parkas ended their days with the lining more black than orange. Brands such as Lord AnthonyLord Anthony Lord Anthony was a brand of clothing particularly popular in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s.... , Campri, Keynote and Brutus made their names selling snorkel parkas. Out of fashion In the late 1980's the snorkel parka became unpopular and was associated with geeks and nerds, helping to create the UK term 'anorak'Anorak (slang) In British slang, anorak has come to mean "geek" or "nerd." There are two possible explanations for the evolution of this u... for such people. As such it became highly unfashionable and for a time wearers became the subject of ridicule. Back into fashion In Europe the snorkel parka began to gain popularity again in the late 1990s and early 2000s, being worn by the likes of Liam GallagherLiam Gallagher William John Paul Gallagher is the lead vocalist for the band Oasis.... and David BeckhamDavid Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE is an English footballer who plays for Real Madrid and is one of the most famous players in... . Around 2004, the traditional association with "Anoraks" had faded and the Snorkel Parka became a main-stream fashion jacket once more becoming particularly popular in the indie scene and with now middle-aged people recapturing memories of their school snorkel parkas. It is also once again popular as a school jacket, though at nothing like the same level of popularity as it achieved in the 1970s and 80s. Most modern parkas more closely resemble the original 1950's design and have lost the orange quilted lining of the 70's school parkas, however the old school style are now considered highly desirable selling for high prices in vintage clothingClothing Clothing is defined, in its broadest sense, as coverings for the torso and limbs as well as coverings for the hands , feet ... shops. Hip Hop Snorkel jackets are very popular within Hip Hop cultureHip hop culture Hip Hop is a cultural movement that began among African American and Latino communities in the South Bronx in the late 1970s... being worn by both men and women.