Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

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WealdenMac
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by WealdenMac »

I always have to smile when posters say their mums made them wear plastic stuff. Mine had the devil's own job to stop me from doing so :)
Rives
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by Rives »

WealdenMac wrote: September 23rd, 2018, 9:13 am I always have to smile when posters say their mums made them wear plastic stuff. Mine had the devil's own job to stop me from doing so :)
I was VERY much in the former rather than latter camp. But with me it was nylon macs circa 1983
susanmacintosh
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by susanmacintosh »

Yes I remember Woolies macs. My very first plastic mac was a lovely grey translucent one from Woolworths. I'd developed a taste for rainwear in my early teens but I had to wait a few years before I got my first classic plastic mackintosh. I remember that the macs at Woolwoths were on racks by the entrance and it was so tantalising to walk past them when entering or leaving the store. So near and yet so far! I also used to try and get a sneaky feel of them as I walked past. This is my first time on this site and I just want to say how great it is to have somewhere to share my passion for rainwear, whether plastic, nylon or rubber.
mackintoshed
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by mackintoshed »

I think Susan, many of us have fond memories of seeing those mackintoshes on racks by the entrance, copping a feel and taking in the aroma. Lovely to have you on board, Susan, and to read about your passion.
rainwearseeker
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by rainwearseeker »

what does a Woolworth mac look like?
merv
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by merv »

rainwearseeker wrote: October 4th, 2018, 10:56 am what does a Woolworth mac look like?
much the same as any other raincoat from that era, they did quite a range over the 60s and into the 70s
rainwearseeker
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by rainwearseeker »

are there any images of them?
Domino
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by Domino »

Here's a pic of the pvc raincoats they sold in 1970 (from the Woolworth's Museum site). Mostly though, they sold the semi-transparent (sometimes opaque) macs. They usually ripped easily. They came with a belt (i.e. strip of pvc) but no loops to thread it through.

Image[/url]
rainwearseeker
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by rainwearseeker »

so did the best pvc raincoats from the 60's and 70's?
Domino
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Re: Woolworth's stores in the 70s to 80s

Post by Domino »

I take it that you are still talking about those that Woolworth's sold. I doubt that anything that Woolworth's sold could ever be defined as 'the best'. They were cheap. (It wasn't for nothing that their original stores were known as 'five and dime stores'. Even in the UK, they originally used the slogan 'nothing under 6d'.) They were selling plastic raincoats in the 1950s and possibly in the late 1940s. Useful in an emergency (that's why the rail was positioned near the entrance), but not made to last.
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