| An anorak or parka is a type of heavy jacket with a | | | | colour as the outer shell, the school type parkas usually |
| hood, often lined with fur or fake fur, so as to protect | | | | has quilted orange lining. The measure of a school |
| the face from a combination of freezing temperatures | | | | parka quickly became how grubby the orange lining |
| and wind. | | | | got through natural wear without washing and many |
| <a rel="nofollow" | | | | schoolboy parkas ended their days with the lining more |
| onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' | | | | black than orange. |
| outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" suit</a>This kind | | | | Brands such as Lord Anthony, Campri, Keynote and |
| of garment, originally made from caribou or seal was | | | | Brutus made their names selling snorkel parkas. |
| invented by the Caribou Inuit, Inuit (Eskimo) of the Arctic | | | | In the late 1980's the snorkel parka became unpopular |
| region, who needed clothing that would protect them | | | | and was associated with geeks and nerds, helping to |
| from wind chill and wet while hunting and kayaking. The | | | | create the UK term 'anorak' for such people. As such |
| word anorak comes from the Kalaallisut word anoraq, | | | | it became highly unfashionable and for a time wearers |
| while the word parka is of Aleut origin. Certain types | | | | became the subject of ridicule. |
| of Inuit anoraks have to be regularly coated with fish oil | | | | In Europe the snorkel parka began to gain popularity |
| to keep their water resistance. | | | | again in the late 1990s and early 2000s, being worn by |
| The words anorak and parka are now often used | | | | the likes of Liam Gallagher and David Beckham. |
| interchangeably, but when first introduced, they | | | | Around 2004, the traditional association with "Anoraks" |
| described somewhat different garments, and the | | | | had faded and the Snorkel Parka became a |
| distinction is still maintained by some. Strictly speaking, | | | | main-stream fashion jacket once more becoming |
| an anorak is a waterproof jacket with a hood and | | | | particularly popular in the indie scene and with now |
| drawstrings at the waist and cuffs, and a parka is a | | | | middle-aged people recapturing memories of their |
| knee-length cold-weather jacket or coat; typically | | | | school snorkel parkas. It is also once again popular as |
| stuffed with down or very warm synthetic fiber, and | | | | a school jacket, though at nothing like the same level |
| with a fur-lined hood. Originally an anorak specifically | | | | of popularity as it achieved in the 1970s and 80s. |
| implied a pull-over jacket without a zipper, button or | | | | Most modern parkas more closely resemble the |
| frogged opening, but this distinction is now largely lost, | | | | original 1950's design and have lost the orange quilted |
| and many garments with a full-length front opening are | | | | lining of the 70's school parkas, however the old school |
| now described as anoraks. The anorak and parka | | | | style are now considered highly desirable selling for |
| have been developed from their traditional forms into a | | | | high prices in vintage clothing shops. |
| number of different designs using modern materials, | | | | Snorkel jackets remain very popular within Hip Hop |
| notably the Fishtailand Snorkel parkas and the Cagoule, | | | | culture being worn by both men and women. |
| a form of lightweight anorak. | | | | The Fishtail Parka was first used by the United States |
| The amauti (also amaut or amautik,[1] plural amautiit) is | | | | Army in 1951 to help protect soldiers from the |
| the traditional eastern Arctic Inuit parka designed to | | | | elements in the Korean War. |
| carry a child in the same garment as the parent so | | | | There are two main styles of fishtail parkas; the M-51 |
| that the child is warm and safe from frostbite, wind | | | | fishtail parka; and the M-65. The M stands for military, |
| and cold. The amauti can be made from a variety of | | | | and the number is the the year it was designed. The |
| materials including sealskin, caribou skin or duffle (a | | | | name fishtail comes from the fact that the coat is |
| thick woollen cloth) with a windproof outer shell. | | | | longer at the back than it is at the front. This was so |
| Children continue to be commonly carried in this way in | | | | the coat could be tied around the upper legs for added |
| the eastern Arctic communities of Nunavut and | | | | wind proofing as they are not, as some think, |
| Nunavik, but the garment is sometimes seen in the | | | | waterproof. The hood of the M-51 Field Jacket is |
| Northwest Territories, Greenland, Labrador and Alaska. | | | | integral to the jacket and folds down inside the jacket |
| Traditionally the mother or female care-giver wears an | | | | collar when not in use. The M-65 Fishtail parka has a |
| amauti, but the garment may also be worn by fathers | | | | detatchable hood. Both types feature a removable |
| or male care-givers. A male who wears an amauti is | | | | liner. |
| said, in the south Baffin tradition, to be probably more | | | | In the 1960s, the fishtail parka became a symbol of the |
| successful when next hunting for certain species of | | | | mod subculture. Due to their practicality, cheapness |
| animals. | | | | and availability from army surplus shops, the parka |
| The original Snorkel Parka (USAF N3B parka or | | | | was seen as the ideal garment for fending off the |
| USAR M1951 field jacket) was developed in the USA | | | | elements when on the mod's vehicle of choice, the |
| during the early 1950's for military use. Originally made | | | | scooter. Its place in popular culture was assured by |
| with a DuPont flight silk nylon outer and lining it was | | | | newspaper pictures of parka-clad mods during the |
| padded with a wool blanket type material until the mid | | | | Bank Holiday riots of the 1960s. |
| 70's when the padding was changed to polyester | | | | A cagoul, cagoule or kagoule is the British English term |
| wadding making the jacket both lighter and warmer. It | | | | for a lightweight, weatherproof anorak or parka, usually |
| gained the common name of "Snorkel Parka" because | | | | without the lining and sometimes coming to knee-length. |
| the hood can be zipped right up leaving only a small | | | | A cagoule which can be rolled up into a very compact |
| tunnel (or snorkel) for the wearer to look out of. This is | | | | package and carried in a bag or pocket was invented |
| particularly effective in very cold, windy weather | | | | by Noel Bibby of Peter Storm Ltd. in the early 1960s[3]. |
| although it has the added liability of seriously limiting the | | | | It has an integral hood, elasticated or drawstring cuffs, |
| field of vision. | | | | and a few poppers or a short zip at the neck. Like the |
| The snorkel parka attained its popularity high point in | | | | original Aleut anorak it does not open fully at the front |
| the late 70's to mid 80's when its cheap and hard | | | | and must be pulled on over the head. In some versions, |
| wearing properties made it the jacket of choice for | | | | when rolled up, the hood doubles as a bag into which |
| school kids. It became so popular that at many schools | | | | the rest of the coat is pushed. It became very popular |
| (in the UK) almost every boy had one. Whilst the | | | | in the United Kingdom during the 1970s. |
| original N3B parka lining was un-quilted and the same | | | | |