ILLUSTRATION BY @GLENMCILLUSTRATION
Perhaps the oldest example of rainwear is the woven grass cape worn by Ötzi, a mummified alpine hunter living around 3300 BC. In east Asian countries, naturally water-repellent plant fibres – such as rice straw – have long been used to make heavy (but breathable) waterproof cloaks like Ötzi’s. Since c1900 BC, wool has been woven into garments that naturally shed rain.