This 600 Year Old Fabric Is WATER RESISTANT

With historical fashion, there are generally some commonly recognised fabrics, like wool and leather, which can keep us stay dry up until a certain point. For wool, once it reaches its soaking point, it can become uncomfortable quick. That's where a much less spoken-about fabric, oilskin (or oilcloth) comes in. This fabric is weather-resistant and water-resistant (actually though, I haven't found its soaking point yet.)

Oilskin is not a modern invention. Its earlier forms are said to date back to the 15th century, when sailors turned their oil-treated sails into capes to help stay dry. By the 18th century, the manual oiling of fabric became an industrialised practice, and by the late 19th century (1898) Edward Le Roy created specialised breathable oiled garments just for sailors to stay dry on deck.

Please keep in mind, the materials used to make oil skin water-resistant can be highly flammable. Always keep this in mind and proceed carefully. I am not responsible for any problems caused due to oilskin and its components.

I recently hand sewed a Victorian cape made from oilskin to help my garments stay dry this spring, and I was so impressed by the fabric that I knew more people needed to know about its properties. In this video, I share not only history and background information on oilskin, but also my own personal experience with the fabric, as well as some pros and cons.

All in all, I must say that this fabric deserves more hype in the historical community. It has a lot of potential for garments that could be constructed from spats to outdoor trousers, jackets, capes, cloaks, headwear, and more!

Now after learning all this about oilskin, do you think you'll give the garment a shot? If so, what do you plan to make out of it?

Thank you so much for watching and see you all in two weeks for another video.

Further Reading:
-Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. World Clothing and Fashion: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2015.

Sources:
-Rubber Boots:
-Gore-Tex:
-PVC Tent:
-Sailor:
Allen & Ginter, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
-Petroleum:
-Linseed Oil:
-Beeswax:
-Tar:
-Sea Salt Vector:
-Sail Cloth:
-16th Century Sail Ship:
-Rain Stock Footage:

#historicalfashion #rainwear

[DebiSmithPouliot]

You didn't mention that many oil skin fabrics especially treated with Linseed oil become HIGHLY Flammable. It may also be true with other oils and waxes. It's believed that it was the cause of the 1944 Circus Fire in Hartford CT, USA. My father was a young man at that time who worked across the street from the circus grounds. I used to hear stories of the horror that happened that day. Please be careful with it.

[psocretes]

Traditionally wool garments would be covered with lanolin from the sheep. This lanolin would make woollen garments naturally waterproof but still breathable. Also felt. Felt is made by gathering loose wool and stabbing it with needles to mat it together. Again if the wool was in its raw state it would make for not only windproof garments but also waterproof garments. It wasn't until modern times that the wool processing would have removed the lanolin.
There is a gentleman's coat brand in England called Barbour which still uses oilskin for coats. They are very heavy and good quality.
There is a company called Nikwax where you wash synthetic clothing in it and it makes the cloth hydrophobic. It stops clothing from getting damp so you don't get cold so quickly.

[stevejeffryes]

Foul weather gear makes you giggle because of the pun imbedded in the phrase, foul weather being excellent weather for ducks.

[katerrinah]

It's so cool to see oilskin getting some love! It's pretty common in outdoor wear here in Australia still, especially when it comes to clothes for farmers. I've had oilskin coats my whole life and I swear by them!

[lizfodi]

According to my mother-in-law she would pinprick oilskin cloth along the seam line before actually stitching. She used heavier thread for this purpose and oiled the seam afterwards to ensure weather proofing. These were utilitarian items, not fashionable ones. Do not know what was used to "oil" the finished seams since it was a ready made product available in Hungary in the 1930s, but she said it contained beeswax. She also said it was used on umbrellas.

[Chuklz]

Waxed linens are ancient, the Greek armor called a linothorax is made from layers of it.

[flowc]

Wool is actually the ONLY fabric that will still keep you warm even when it is wet! But it sure can get HEAVY if it gets wet!!

[dianacurtis]

On the channel "Townsends" there is an episode where they make oilcloth. That interests me but since I dont know what I might use it for I havent tried it, yet. Thank you for the long look into this topic!

[nurmaybooba]

My grandmother used oilcloth table cloths in her kitchen and when all of us little tots were there for meals....

[petrbohacek]

There were scientists who studied the clothes the Vikings used when they were out sailing on their voyages, they recreated it and found out that their clothes used were 3 to 5 degrees celsius warmer than the warmest clothes you can get today and the outer layer was waterproof too..

[phillean]

In Australia and New Zealand Oilskin coats. jackets and vests have been in continuous use in rural areas since first European settlement. To some extent the jackets and vests are one form of fashion statement. Two major Australian companies are R M Williams and Driza Bone, definitively both fashion and practicality focussed. Unfortunately their jackets and vests do not fit my body shape and my current oilskin vest, very wide across the shoulders and comfortable is actually made in China with the name Outback :). I have experimented with making my own oilskin using both cotton and canvas. The process of coating/soaking the fabric is not hard but definitely could be very dangerous if the ingredients or the wet fabric came into contact with any open flames or extreme heat. A process best done outdoors as shown in the Townsends video. When the oilskin is dry, ie the waterproofing has cured, it is not a risk near fires. You see plenty of stockmen wearing oilskin jackets and vests and sitting around campfires. Someone made a comment about oilskins being stiff and hampering movement. That is true for heavy stiff fabrics like canvas but lightweight oilskin cotton fabrics are very different.

[Mariner]

Had an oilskin duster when I worked ranching for a decade - it was wonderful - I could ride all danged day in a downpour and stay DRY. Even better with a nice old wool sweater underneath in winter

[gerardacronin]

Oilskin jackets and hats are readily available in Canada and are commonly worn by ranchers and seafarers. A yellow oilskin outfit is pretty emblematic of Newfoundland.

[gerrimilner]

the British navy, waxed their cloth with hemp oil/wax, which was a thick substance that needed heating to make it liquid enough to use, but gave a watertight hemp cloth, often used to cover things stored on deck, like boxes of biscuits. the wax was also used on the hemp ropes and to watertight the planks. this widely used crop was vital to the navy, all issued uniforms including shoes were made from hemp, though officers had to purchase their own uniforms. i live near the main naval docks and am interested in naval history and have spent some time at the museum area learning all about this.

[buddydunkel]

I remember my mother rewaxing these jackets she and my father had, I was so confused on what she was doing. It was several years back though and I was really small. I had actually forgotten that memory.
On another note I was wondering where your Sontag shawl is from?

[stephengent]

Wool does not lose heat when wet, which is why it has long been used by out-door types and mariners. The wool was shrunk to tighten the weave and treated with lanolin.

[killamoosdraree]

Oilskin jackets and dusters seem to have been more popular decades ago, but I still think they are quite resilient garments useful for many scenarios. A well-made oilskin jacket provides some wind resistance as well as water resistance. Thanks for the video!

[TheHelleri]

Hand sewing canvas or leather is a lot easier with a Sailmaker's Palm. Glover Needles and Saddler's Harness Needles can also help (I recommend John James Needles). A stitching pony also helps for stiff heavy materials. There's also a very convenient little one handed manual tool called an Easy Awl/Speedy Stitcher.

[S.Kwasher]

I'm in the process of making a medieval inspired hood out of oilskin, lined with cabbage pieces of wool, and perhaps also silk or satin if I don't like the way the wool rubs my hair. I dislike winter hats with a passion, so hopefully this will be a nice alternative.

[timothymoore]

I found this video by accident, in the process of making myself an oilskin jacket (modern). Oilskin vests, jackets and duster coats are still very popular here in Australia