All language subtitles for BBC.Inside.The.Factory..Waxed.Jackets.1080p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org_UND_Subtitles01

And thin!
And if you look here...

No. No?

So not specific tartan
for specific clans?

Not at that period.

And presumably, each group,
each clan, has its own...

That's a twill weave,
because it's hardwearing.

Same as denim, for jeans.
Very, very strong.

It's windproof.
Yeah, it's really solid!

It's thin, but it's waterproof.

You had regional styles of it,
like dialect or architecture.

It's really harsh?
Really harsh, yep.

this is probably
first-half 18th-century.

Yeah, so we've got a piece here,
it's an old plaid,

Have you got any pieces
that are particularly early?

Not Scottish dress at that period.

So this is Highland dress,
not Scottish dress?

noted for their customs,
their manners and their dress.

These are soldiers overseas,

That's bright.

from wearing Highland dress.

So when their uprising failed
in 1746, highland men were outlawed

wore tartan to symbolise their stand
against the British Crown.

Bonnie Prince Charlie
and his Jacobite supporters

that he gave to a Jacobite heroine
called Colonel Anne MacKintosh.

It's part of a plaid
that belonged to him

It's a piece that he actually held.

That's particularly associated
with Bonnie Prince Charlie.

And here we have a number
of Highlanders.

So here's a piece, beautiful piece
of the very bright red tartan.

made from exotic insects.

Only the wealthy could afford
the imported red cochineal dye,

because they wouldn't
have been able to afford it.

The poor would not
have been wearing bright red,

their quality and colours revealed
much about their wearers.

But while they weren't linked
to clans or families,

There's evidence of around 100
different tartans from this time.

They get through nearly two miles
of this fabric every week.

If it's our coat, yes, you will!

running about with it on?

Even in the Highlands of Scotland,
you wouldn't find a farmer

Won't find that anywhere else?
Won't find it anywhere else.

Ancient tartan?
Exclusive to our brand.

Yes, there is, it's called
the ancient tartan.

I recognise that.
Is there a name for that?

And it's only used
for this range of jackets.

But not on his kilt?
No.

back, sleeves and pockets.

Altogether, there are 12 pieces of
lining that fit into the front,

The bottom pockets are lined
with soft cotton tartan.

for the first time.

This is where we attach
the tartan to the jacket,

This is the front of your coat.
Yeah?

Go on, what happens here?

This, I really want to show you.

The oldest surviving piece
dates from around 230 AD.

Wearing full highland dress.

1680.

A lovely image of Lord Mungo Murray.

that we start to see
depictions of tartan.

But it's perhaps
100 years later after that

I think probably the earliest
reference we have is from 1538.

as tartan expert
Peter McDonald explains.

But the next history milestone
isn't for over 1,000 years,

Highland dress was
associated with riot,

We do at least know tartan
was here nearly 2,000 years ago.

It makes them sound as if they've
been around since time immemorial.

And a Fraser.

This is a McDonald's, for example.

And many of them carry family names.

There are thousands
of tartans around these days.

Ruth is in Edinburgh
to trace its chequered history.

It might be called ancient,
but just how old is tartan?

Right.

Clamped together.

Both separate, come in,
down the machine...

Top one? Top one.
Bottom one? Bottom one.

and fastens them both together.

the other one comes on top,
the clamp comes down,

They come down the channel,
one goes underneath,

Got your underneath stud
and your top stud.

They get through more than 18,000
of these brass poppers a day.

Now I just need a pocket to work on.

Stand back!
Stand back!

That's a job you can try, yeah!

Is that a job I can do?

Now they need press studs
to fasten them.

The front square pockets
are nearly finished.

along the production line.

Our green wax cotton and tartan
lined jacket is making progress

Orangey, definitely, orangey.

You can feel the power of it.

Right, I get it.

Now our studded pocket is sewn
onto the front of the jacket.

You can.

I'm really proud of that,
can I have another one?

Yes!

Yeah.
Taut on the thing.

Lie it flat down on the...

Right.

Find one I like, claim it as me own.

Oh!

A light helps me place the studs
perfectly in position.

You wouldn't let me work here,
would you? No!

Right, hold them,
don't get in the way!

Well, don't hide them!

There. Oh!

Where? Stop.

There's the pockets there.

The king wore this fantastic outfit.

as to what they should wear.

There were instructions
that went out to people

into the unofficial
uniform of all Scots.

And in doing so, he turned
this traditional Highland dress

as well as England.

George IV chose to wear tartan
to show that he was King of Scotland

under his kilt
to protect his modesty.

Jacket, kilt, hose and it's said
that he wore flesh coloured tights

And particularly,
they were urged to turn up

the first monarch to come
to Scotland for 150 years.

This was where George IV
landed in 1822,

I've brought you down
to Leith Harbour.

Its eventual revival was ironically
thanks to another British king.

The ban lasted nearly 40 years
and tartan almost disappeared.

in a rebel group?
Absolutely.

So it's a way of sort of stamping
out what had become almost a uniform

rebellion, violence?
Correct.

your whatever it was,
it was sort of largely

I thought I'd do what they did
in the early 19th century.

With absolutely no family
tradition of any tartan,

Absolutely is.
And it all started here.

of the 19th century?

So the whole clan tartan idea
is an idea born in the beginning

and clan symbology if you like.

This was perhaps the event
that crystallised Scottish identity

"That one, please!"

Where are we going out?

So your Gordon tartan,
your MacLeod tartan,

and people would just
select what they liked.

The weavers by that time had quite
a large pattern book collection

"Help, what am I meant to wear?"

They would go off
to a weaver and say,

because there had never
been such a thing.

But many of them had
no idea what that was,

in their true clan tartan.

To keep you completely dry,
it needs to withstand at least

This fabric is so resistant
to water, it's burst open

POPPING SOUND

20 psi...

So at 17, what we're up to now.

OK, wow!

We've got to 15 already, look.

It looks like it wants to pop.

ten psi of pressure.

before any liquid
has leaked through.

My goodness, and this is up to 3.8.

So, absolutely no water
is coming through.

Absolutely, yes.

that I would recognise
from a waterproof jacket.

So this feels very much
like the kind of material

So we've got one here.

It should do a lot better.

What about a waterproof fabric?
How does that do?

at the top there.

All right, Mark, make it rain.

the simplest way to create
a barrier against the rain.

which blocks holes
in the weave of the fabric,

This bright orange jacket is
coated in a thin layer of plastic,

All right, saddle up.

It's been customised!

pointed at a particular angle?

A modified nozzle, is
the modified nozzle a garden hose

It's fine for a drizzle,
but not for a downpour.

The rain's going to come
from the modified nozzle

This is where we make rain.

hi-tech rain room.

Mark's going to demonstrate
the problem in his...

But even if your coat is waterproof,
it can still let you down.

Yeah.

you're going to be pretty safe
in that jacket?

OK, so unless you're standing
under Niagara Falls,

From fishermen to farmers,

I'm at the University of Leeds.

To get to grips with
the science of staying dry,

And what is breathability?

water resistant and shower proof.

I want to know what the difference
is between waterproof,

But not all raincoats are equal.

we all rely on waterproof gear
when the heavens open.

from hikers to hipsters,

Hi, Mark, lovely to meet you.

and a surprising amount
of science behind them.

There's a wide range
of fabrics out there,

the Great British weather.

Of course, wax isn't
the only way to keep out

There you go!
And it gives you it back.

God, it's the lightest
of touches, isn't it?

pieces in place.

to cut a slit in our waxed cloth
and stitch all the hand warmer

using this hydro-static head tester,

rated shower proof.

This low psi or pounds per square
inch means this fabric is only

And we've got to a pressure
of 0.4 psi.

which means your jacket
will keep you drier.

Higher pressure equals
greater water resistance,

Oh, wow, look at that, yes.

And if you can see, there's water
coming through already.

which forces pressurised
water against it.

Got in my shoe!

We are going to test
this fabric's water resistance

Yeah, it's incredibly light,
isn't it?

So it would make a very nice
light shower proof running top.

So, what we've got here
is a shower proof fabric.

can vary between jackets.

First, he wants to show me
how wildly water resistance

Dr Mark Taylor is a world expert
in performance clothing.

Hi, Cherry, welcome to Leeds.
Thank you.

the technology, I'm much
less baffled by breathability.

And this is where you're going
to see your jacket made

Yep, this is your production line.

This looks busy.

into a coat.

The parts we've prepped have come
through to be stitched together

And now, we're moving onto
the main production line.

of making our jacket.

Back in the factory, we're almost
24 hours into the process

from start to finish.

Now that I understand
the terminology behind

strangely, you need
a jacket covered in holes.

To weather the weather,
while staying comfortable,

There you have it.

And it is leaving the jacket.
Yeah.

The sweat from my body
is evaporating.

I'm hiking, I'm walking my dog,
I'm riding my bike.

So I'm jumping around,
I'm doing star jumps,

and finished handwarmers.

each adding their own pieces
to our jacket shaped puzzle.

From here, this panel passes
through the hands of 20 machinists,

That's your hand warmer. Yay!

And here's me moleskin pocket.

This is my stand.
That's your stand.

That's my bit there, right?
It is, yeah.

I see.

Can I? Yeah.

Oh, look!
There we go.

Meaning we now have a front panel
with a stand

The flaps are going onto
the pockets I sewed.

There's a bit precision
engineering gone in there!

That's the bit I made!

I'm helping to make.

Today on this line,
they'll sew 162 jackets like the one

Yes.

So each one of these machinists
represents another bit of a jacket?

Which is where breathability
comes into it.

it becomes water vapour.

So when the sweat
evaporates off your skin,

also allow your sweat out?

So how on earth can a garment
that protects you from the rain

of their own.

Today, nearly every outdoor clothing
manufacturer has a similar fabric

in 1976.

Gore-Tex were the first to market
waterproof, breathable fabrics

So this is water
in its gaseous form.

In fact, you're an even more gross
type of wet.

You don't stay dry.

Yeah, that's the sweat
that's coming off you.

I feel very clammy.
And hot.

I'm quite damp on the inside.

Or out.

means not a single drop
has made it in.

Whatever I put it through,
its impervious PVC layer

So, if we imagine this coffee
is the human body and the steam

A steam patch.

And the mirror should
hopefully show us...

or steam comes through.
Clever!

And then we can use this mirror
to see if any moisture vapour

Place it on top.

That's breathable.
That's it.

So that is my waterproof jacket?
Yeah.

that's coming off the hot coffee
is our evaporating sweat.

There's my hand warmer.

Mark is going to show me
how they work.

less than half the diameter
of a human hair.

Most waterproof, breathable fabrics
are peppered with holes

then water can't go through one way
but it can come out the other.

the water molecules but
much smaller than the raindrops,

So if we have holes there
a little bit bigger than

Raindrops are very big.

So it's individual molecules
and they're very small. Yeah.

Oh, yeah!

and I'll come back
and I'll have a few for you.

You're putting me off.
Go and get a cup of tea

Really?

Half a minute.
30 seconds.

So how long should it take someone
to do what I just did?

Bit slow.

How do you think I'm doing?

Stud away!

I'm going home in a minute, love.

So once, that's it...

Same as I did the pockets?
Yes.

Straight onto the yellow
chalk marks.

Stud, stud the back
and then stud that one.

We'll start with the collar.

And by now, I should have my eye in.

These studs need to be
lined up perfectly.

they're hand-finished.

this highly complex
3D jigsaw is complete.

that bar code can
trace it back to me? Yeah.

So if there was a problem
with the studs that I put on,

It's just in case
they come back with a fault.

Why do you bar code them?

You scan it just to get
onto the screen.

This is the final inspection.

So we're taking them
to the inspection department.

My jacket and the last of the day's
batch now need checking and packing.

Every jacket is unique,
so it's essential

With all its separate pieces
sewn into place,

And that's the jacket
complete on studs.

And then Maureen will
put the top studs in.

So Lindsay puts the eyelets in.

This is the eyelet machine.

Then you turn it.

Haven't finished yet.

You haven't finished yet.
Oh, hang on.

That's amazing.
Wow!

Coming through!

..where I'm meeting Cath Edge.

Look out!
Mind your backs.

I'm heading to the
finishing section...

But there are still some
important jobs to do.

into the jacket making process.

Back in South Shields,
we're 24 and three quarters hours

All I need now is to do
a rain dance.

Hello!
Come on!

It does!

Does it work?

it's finally ready.

After cutting, framing,
stitching and a bit of ferruling,

And there we have it.

called a ferrule is hammered on
to protect the tip.

And finally, an elegant metal cap

You're always meant
to roll your umbrella.

That's to say that all the sewing
now is finished on the jacket

where to put the studs.

She'll use a yellow chalk
pencil so you know exactly

on the jackets.

Yes, this is Michelle,
she does all the marking

This lady is drawing
all over your coats.

Now it's time to prepare our jackets
for their final component.

Sewing is over?
Sewing is over with, yeah.

and it's ready for marking.

Seriously, Cath?
I'll give you a ring!

Well, the pressure's on here,
this is the end of the line!

Brilliant!

Are your Mother Hem?
I am.

And these are our two hem finishers?

They get hemmed first.
Right.

Well, I try to be.

I am, yes.
Right, OK.

Cath, are you the boss of finishing?

Russia, Japan, and Australia.

It's been incredibly satisfying
seeing all that goes into making

it's a waxed jacket, ready to cope
with the rainy weather.

Nearly 25 hours after we started
processing our cotton,

Coming through, Dave.
Where do you want it, on the right?

The beautifully studded jackets.

I've got to load these jackets.
OK.

Excuse me, some of us
have got work to do.

Helen, lovely to meet you.
And you.

these British classics.

as well as countries
as far afield as the USA,

The jackets head to stores
right across the UK,

from there.

And then they're distributed out
to all over the world

of the jackets from here.

We have one distribution
point that takes all

because you're basically sending out
six of these cages? Yeah.

That's why you haven't
got a massive dispatch,

visiting one of the biggest
croissant factories in the world.

You could hurt someone with those.

And Cherry learns what makes
the perfect pastry.

the more I like it.

The more I learn
about the croissant,

You know what?

Where every hour, 18,000 breakfasts
roll off the production line.

That is a massage parlour
for croissants.

That is fantastic!

And each cage will contain
about 100 jackets.

..I'm in France,

This is hard work.

Next time...

There is, without doubt,
a highly skilled workforce here.

And then when I realised that,
how quickly they do it.

But what's amazed me is,
it's virtually made by hand.

All the way from the wax cotton
to the finished jacket.

I thought the process
was fascinating.

Put your hand in the pocket.

Do you want a bag?
Yes, I do want a bag, yeah.

And then you just fold it in half.

Every single jacket.
Right, right, right.

Yes.
Every single one?

Do you have to do this on
every single one, or just...?

in just two minutes.

The team is so experienced,
they can examine every centimetre

And zip it up.

That's it.

Check the eyelets on the pocket.

Check the back of your collar.

Fold it in half.

Washers on the eyelets.

Check for any weaving faults.

Right, show me what you're
checking for. Right.

Yeah, it is.

That bar code is your jacket's DNA.

Cath, thank you, thank you so much.
No problem.

We send out 650 jackets a day.

This might be the smallest
dispatch area I have ever seen.

Now, you must be Helen?
I am.

Helen Barbour.

..where I'm meeting
company vice-chairman

Exceptional stud work.

Coming through,
with a perfect batch!

Jackets finished, I'm taking them
through to the dispatch area...

..before the finishing touch
is added.

Leave this with me.

Over there, right?
Yeah.

That's ready for dispatch.

Right, Gregg, that's
the security tag on. Right.

That's your jacket complete.

Pop that into the bag.

I couldn't even do the bag!

I couldn't even get
the bag the right way up.

Another popular way to keep
off the rain is the humble umbrella.

Fox Umbrellas have been
handcrafting brollies since 1868.

Thank you.

All right, you can stop now.

The simple technology has saved
my skin on many an occasion.

I will not leave the house
without my trusty umbrella.

If the weather is looking
a little bit dodgy outside,

Cherry is finding out
how they're made.

We spend an astonishing
£10 million on them every year.

Their components and manufacturing
methods have barely changed

Of course, waxed jackets are only
one way to stay dry.

Thank you so much.
Thank you.

We've finished too?
We've finished too.

Are you coming there? No.
We've finished.

Do you want to pick it up
and take them?

Does that actually mean the finish?
Yes.

Finishing section?
Finishing section.

The hem and the studs is done
in the finishing section.

I've got 15 different woods
to choose from.

It's about 100 years old.

What an amazing machine.

The first job is to cut
my stick to size.

and easy to work with.

Not only is it strong,
but maple is also very supple

It's got lovely graining in it,
very strong.

That's maple.

I love that one, because it's got
lots of interesting markings on it.

And that is obviously not finished.

Isn't that beautiful?

Oh, beautiful, wow!

This is where we choose
what wood we're going to use.

Each and every one begins
with the handle.

..oversees production
of 400 brollies a week.

Hi, John.
Hi, how are you doing?

Today, factory owner John Garrett...

in 150 years.

of the major sections
put together.

The sleeves!

But there are a couple
of vital elements missing.

We've got 18 of our waxed cotton
puzzle pieces in place.

get any mistakes.

These girls are so skilled
that very rarely we ever

That fits perfectly in line.

And that fits perfectly.

That's brilliant!

Now...

This is the first time
that I've seen one, two, three

We are now attaching
the two fronts to your back.

Come on, come on, come on!

Is it being put together here?
Yes, it is.

And it finally begins
to resemble the jacket I know!

The zip is fitted...

It's taken more than 24 hours
of production to get to this stage.

And that's the pocket I saw put on.

The collar is the last
piece to attach.

Studs on it?

But it's got no...

Hang on...

One with the finished collar
on it, please?

Oh, let me see!

hardwearing corduroy.

Waxed cotton below,
and around the neck,

It has two layers.

That's absolutely incredible.

Over here?
Yes.

Collar goes on it
in your next stage.

But there's still no
collar on it, right?

So the sleeve actually follows
the shape of the jacket.

of the sleeve.

Christine knows which is the back
of the sleeve and the front

Because there's
no pattern to follow.

This looks tricky, the sleeves.
It is.

Oh, that is fabulous.

So then it will be sealed
with the repellency.

The waterproofing process is done
when the fabric is woven together.

are being cut out for my canopy.

Next door, eight panels
of lightweight, waterproof polyester

down the street like this.
You would.

I think I'd get a few
funny looks if I walked

I think we need to put
a cover on it.

It's more kind of helicopter
than an umbrella, isn't it?

So it's an actual chemical and
also the way the material is made

Stretchers attached,
fixing the ribs is straightforward.

All right! Then we're going
to use the cutters.

There we go!

It's definitely a job
for the professional.

No, that way!

Keep the umbrella pointing down.
That way?

That's going in, you stay in there!

Oh no, they've all come off.
They've all come off.

And it's absolutely perfect.

Just that little bit there, yeah.
OK.

Once it's in place,
I need to iron out any creases...

If it's not tight enough,
we'll get a droopy canopy.

OK, you can do the rest!

It really hurts.

You're just pulling it up
and hooking it over.

to attach the tips.

At last, my frame and canopy
are brought together and it's time

You've lost one.

That was so fast!

Look at that.

A team of highly skilled machinists
stitch our panels together.

And there's your cover.

Ta-da!

So when it's all stitched together,
the thread is waterproof as well.

And not only that,
we use waterproof thread as well.

is waterproof?
Exactly.

for the springs.

Then simple steel springs
are hammered into the groove.

I feel so proud!

Did it work? It worked.

The blade cuts an 8.5cm-long
channel into the wood.

And then pull away.

Keep going until it stops.
Yeah.

in the open or closed position.

The slots will house the wire
springs which lock the umbrella

And a runner is slid onto the stick.

So the next stage is,
we're going to cut the slots

from members of the royal family
to US President John F Kennedy.

This machine has made brollies
for some illustrious customers,

Keep it on the blade.

Oh, my God, I really don't
want to mess it up.

It's the perfect height
for the average person.

36 inches in length.

We'll use a belt-driven circular saw
to trim it to precisely

out the canopy.

This is...

yeah, perfect.

Then move, hold your index finger
and hold that one,

Then that's come out.
So, yeah.

Then that one gets...
First one's come out.

Get that second one in,
you've got that.

to the runner
with one-millimetre-thick wire.

Now, the fiddly task
of attaching my stretchers

It takes just seconds
for this hi-tech sewing machine

A hinge, so this is the stretcher
part, so this is what pushes

These are the ribs. And then
you've got kind of hinge here.

This is like the skeleton
of the umbrella.

support the canopy.

The next job is to attach
the steel frame, which will

It's so simple and yet
so brilliant and elegant.

And then the top spring
locks it in place there.

So this locks in place here
on this spring.

Looks like the Hadron Collider,
this is immense!

you've got the vertical threads,
and then the horizontal threads.

Right, so if we've got
our piece of material,

The warp are the vertical threads
that we need to begin our weaving.

What is a warp?

and we're creating the warp.

What we're doing is, we're taking
our twisted threads

What is going on in here?

This is our warping machine.

This is doing the vertical threads?
Yep.

Are you trying to smash
particles together?

Holy moley!

they're spun onto a drum
with a seven-metre circumference.

Before these yarns
can be woven together,

The blue, the denim, a green
and brown or a bronze colour. Yes.

Here, we have four colour
components for this tweed.

but also produces a thread
that's stronger and denser.

Twisting them together not only
creates a new colour,

on this hi-tech rapier loom.

The loom lifts each
alternate warp thread,

happening about six times a second.

across to the other side
of the cloth and that's probably

they meet in the middle,
transfer that thread

the weft thread,
bringing it into the middle,

So we have two rapiers at each end
which are basically picking up

Look at that go.

Oh, my goodness me!

so literally just put
a twist on the yarn. Right!

Now we're ready for them to meet
the horizontal weft threads

called a beam, which will create
the vertical pattern.

The threads are rolled
onto this huge bobbin,

150 centimetres wide.

This warp is made up of 2,000
threads, which will produce a fabric

I'm hanging on by a thread.
Yes.

Am I with you?
You're with me.

And that's called a warp?
A warp.

We're on our way to making
water resistant coats.

making traditional heavy-duty tweed.

sound of mechanical looms

200 years ago, these streets
would have rung with the clattering

where Cherry is learning
her warp from her weft.

Historically, it was made in
the Scottish borders town of Hawick,

Tweed!

another very British
fabric ruled the roost.

But long before
waxed cotton came along,

And they would have needed it
in weather like this.

I don't think jackets are supposed
to be this complicated!

so the enzyme can soak in.

And then it's wrapped
in polythene for six hours,

It takes 45 minutes
to dip all our cotton.

the enzyme to work.

The longer you leave it,
the longer you are giving

the starch in our food.

It's also present in saliva,
where it helps to break down

That's an impressive
great wall of yarn.

What we are wanting to do is
to twist those into a combination,

we're combining
two colours together.

Yeah, OK, so the first stage here,

My goodness me!

tweed's complex colours.

First, these vibrant shades
need blending to help create

It's amazing, isn't it?

The great wall of yarn,
it is indeed.

and a computer-controlled rapier
carries the weft thread

Hi, James, lovely to meet you.
Hello, good to see you!

James Fleming is
the operations manager.

of this iconic cloth every year.

Here at Lovat Mill,
they produce 125 miles

to repel water.

But it's the tight weave of
this woollen fabric that helps it

and intricate colour combinations.

Tweed is famous for its diagonal
twill pattern

It is green!

First, a giant mangle squeezes out
25% of the moisture.

After a five-hour swim in the
hot dye, our cloth needs drying.

Mate, if I get picked up by aliens,
can you tell my wife I love her?

As we disappear!

95 degrees Celsius.

while the liquid heats up
to a positively steamy

And the cotton is dipped
in and out 16 times,

The colour floods into the bottom
of the dying machine.

Then, it travels through
a 16-metre long oven,

All right, all right, all right.

of dye powder.

And it dissolves as fast
as our eight and a half kilos

It's the same stuff our dishwasher
tablets come wrapped in.

You can't put the plastic in there!
It's dissolvable plastic.

That's it, let go of the plastic.

What, the whole bag?

No, no, just lower the bag in.

Yeah, because the wax and the oil
will change that colour again.

This is all just waxing, yeah.

That thing there, this machine,
all this just for waxing it?

Gregg.
Pleased to meet you, Gregg.

Are you Jimmy?

Managing director Jimmy Campbell
is overseeing this crucial job.

for its all important wax layer.

Dyed and dried, the cotton
for our coats is finally ready

Right, right.

What, empty it in?

But that doesn't look
like the jacket as I know it.

You've ruined it!
No, that's plenty dark.

That's too light!
No, it's not.

The colour doesn't look right!

can actually be treated
so strenuously. Yeah.

I can't believe something
I considered as delicate as cotton

God, that is red hot!

emerging an hour and a half later
perfectly dry.

Ten metres of tweed
roll off each hour.

Full of really, really odd words!

And full of lots of
hard work as well.

It is indeed.

It is a material
that is full of history.

There it is,
washed, pressed, and ready.

Wow!

repairing any imperfections by hand.

And experts meticulously
inspect every centimetre,

After more than ten and a half
hours of production,

and you see the intricacies of
the weave and the colour mixtures.

Yeah, completely, it's just,
it bursts out when you get closer

Absolutely jam-packed
full of colour.

It's full of colour!
It's amazing.

and the process repeats, gradually
building up our twill pattern.

Then a bar pushes the weft
down onto the warp,

on the other side.

through the gap, passing it
to another rapier

You said it was green!

and just lower that bag
into the tank.

Right, Gregg, so if you want
to take hold of that bag,

Don't mess it up, because no-one
is going to want orange jackets!

And that will make green?

There's a yellow, a red, and a blue.

Yes, because there's
three colours in here.

That, my friend, is orange.

It is green.

The enzyme is called amylase.

Lift that out of there.

That's the colour, yes.

Is that the dye?

we're making.

So it's ready to become the classic
sage green of the coats

It's fed by hand
into the dyeing machine.

through its own colour
transformation.

our giant roll of plain cotton
fabric is about to go

of one of their best sellers.

Production manager Derek Orr
is checking in today's shipment.

Every week, a lorry arrives here
laden with cotton.

..to the Halley Stevensons
textile mill.

to the Scottish city of Dundee...

And to get that,
I'm heading 190 miles north,

we're going to need
a super-size batch of cloth.

But before we start
making our waxed jackets,

The Bedale in sage green.

You must be Derek?
Yep.

This time, we're following
production

25 different designs.

More than 150 people cut,
stitch and rivet

for 125 years.

Because after all,
they've been making them

The guys here know a thing
or two about jackets.

A stone's throw from
Newcastle upon Tyne.

This is the Barbour factory
in South Shields.

That's a phenomenal amount.

Our first stop is
a batching machine

Right.
Nice and heavy.

..production of our
waxed jackets begins.

As the raw cotton enters the mill...

Come on, come on. OK.
Where do we go?

Can you show me what you do
to that cotton, please? Yes.

And there are 133 of them on board.

One roll is enough
to make 333 jackets.

Welcome to Inside the Factory.

500 metres.

If one of those was rolled out flat,
what's the length of cotton?

That makes each one
about two Gregg Wallaces.

They're around about
160 kilos a roll.

And how much does
one of those rolls weigh?

This is the roll cutting.

What is this, please?

Good to meet you.
Hi, Gregg.

The jackets made in this factory
are exported to more than

..cotton goes through
to become a coat.

That's obviously supposed
to happen, right? Yes.

And tonight I'll be following
the blistering work-out...

You can feel the power of it.

I'm Gregg Wallace.

You're putting me off.

Right.

40 countries across the globe.

This is my stand.

Famous worldwide.

It's an icon of British style.

And few items work as hard to keep
us dry as the humble waxed jacket.

You're going to need that.
Oh, no.

clothing every year.

It's no surprise then, that we spend
nearly £1 billion on outdoor

talking about nothing else.

On average, we spend over
five months of our life

Oh, yeah!

and 25,000 rivets.

Getting through 2,600
metres of fabric

the people in this factory
will stitch together 650 jackets.

Come rain or shine,
over the next 24 hours,

Smell that linseed oil!

it would make enormous sense?
Yeah!

I suppose if you've got waterproof
sailcloth hanging around,

..investigates the fishy origins
of waxed jackets.

that we're loading
with our fabric.

And historian Ruth Goodman...

I'm hanging on by a thread.
Yes.

And unravelling
the technology behind tweed.

That's breathable?
That's it.

That is my waterproof jacket?
Yeah.

I'm Cherry Healey and I'm learning
the dark art of defying a deluge.

And here's me moleskin pocket.
Yeah.

That's your stand.

It's whipping through at a carefully
calculated one metre a second.

That's correct.
Give it a smooth finish?

So you're burning
all the hairy fibres off it?

Erm, yes.

Come on, mate,
you must have done.

Have you ever set light to a fabric?

It is, a lot of it is
trial and error, initially.

and setting light
to the whole thing?

It's got to be a fine balance
between burning the hairs off

A nice smooth finish, yeah.

We would set the fabric alight.

If we slowed this down,
we would burn holes in the cloth.

That is flame!
Speed.

What stops the material
itself from burning?

That's hotter than
an erupting volcano.

at 2,000 degrees Celsius.

The singeing machine is shooting out
gas-fuelled flames

You will see it.

then pulled in and out of it
seven times.

Then we can wash it off, yes.

And then you can wash it off?

And that makes it easier to remove.

We're adding an enzyme to
break down the starch into sugar.

But detergent alone
isn't enough to shift it.

like a barrier to the dye,
stopping it from taking evenly.

We are going to be colouring our
cotton and the starch would act

What are you doing there?
We need to get rid of the starch.

and especially after dyeing.

The cotton is plunged
into the near boiling water,

So what is the temperature of that?
95 degrees.

Thermal springs?
Almost.

Don't tell me.

immediately gets another scalding.

After its baptism of fire,
our newly shorn cloth

Almost as smooth as your head!

How thorough is it?

It helps with the strength

We need one long length of cotton
to make processing easier.

There's no time for snoozing.

Can you turn the light out now?

Are you all right on that side?

It looks like we're
getting in bed together!

Do we have to stand here
holding this?

Its thread count is around the same
as my bed sheets at home.

of the fabric, durability,
and water repellency.

So we're joining five shorter pieces
end-to-end with a hefty

Why do you want such a dense weave?

Really, what you've got
is a tightly woven dense fabric.

Just to strengthen the yarn
during the weaving process.

Why add starch?

No, it's the starch in the fabric
that is making it stiff.

This is stiff.

I was expecting this to be like
a loose cotton sheet.

This feels stiff to me.

But I wasn't expecting the process
to be such an extreme regime.

Because it will affect the overall
appearance of the fabric

Why can't it have a few
stray hairs left on it?

getting rid of them.

We're taking off any hairs
on the outside of the fabric,

We're singeing off
any loose fibres.

What's it doing?

That's obviously supposed
to happen, right? Yes.

That is on fire!

We're starting near the top of
this 15-metre tall metal monster

as a hard wearing jacket.

Our fabric needs to be tough enough
to make the grade

a mile and a half long.

It takes three hours to create
a giant sheet of cotton

And press down on it.

And we're ready to roll.

So, to start, all you do is
put your foot on that pedal.

hand-held sewing machine.

It's a complex three-dimensional
jigsaw, made up of the waxed cotton

It could be.

I mean, messing it up must be
the most expensive thing ever?

On 100 jackets, yeah.

one jacket, you get it wrong on 100?

If you get this wrong,
you don't get it wrong on

It all starts with cutting out.

and a heavy-duty zip.

outer, a tartan lining,
29 studs, ten eyelets,

The layers must be perfectly aligned
to minimise mistakes.

The company's been producing
this traditional style for 39 years.

That'll do nicely.

so the least amount
of material is wasted.

Computer software has arranged
them on the paper,

There are 23 waxed cotton parts
for our jacket.

Yep.

These are all the different
pieces of the jacket?

Yes, it is. It is.
Turn round.

to the prep section,

Quite heavy.

You can put those down.

I am, Gregg.
Can I put these down?

Janice!
Are you Janice?

And with her 30 years' experience,
I'm in safe hands.

Janice Warner is the team leader.

Everything fitting OK?

where seven of the jacket's pieces
are assembled.

The pattern is all
the different shapes, right?

of my jacket, I'm heading
from the cutting room

And now, nearly 23 and three
quarters hours into production

After 42 minutes of cutting, I've
got all the waxed cotton I need.

Very sharp.

I can see why you have
to wear that glove.

It's razor-sharp,
so requires a chainmail glove.

Gary's using a blade that's a cross
between a scalpel and a saw.

So these are now clamped down firm?
Yeah.

Stop there.

And then we drop the clamp down,
it keeps the material in place.

The machine's job is to measure out
waxed cotton into 1.5 metre squares.

Wow!

If you want to go that way,
you turn it to the opposite way.

If you want to go that way,
you turn it towards you.

This control here.

This is where the fun starts.

Right, then.

Oh, I see.
And you go back again?

Keep going?

as an automatic fabric spreader.

We load our roll into
what's known in the trade

Is it just pressing the button?
Yup, that one's up.

Right, can I do that?
Course you can!

Right, we have to hoist it up
onto the machine.

Right.
How do we make these into jackets?

Yes, I am.

And cut, right?

If you wouldn't mind
putting that on for us?

Right, we need to put the pattern on
and get ready to cut.

So, what do we do now?

We could be a team, Gary.
We could.

which takes us 59 minutes.

I'm helping to make one coat
but they cut them in batches of 100,

No, luckily.

Has that ever come off the end?

Right, what are we doing, then?
You're going to make a stand.

And back again?

The super sharp blade
slices through our fabric.

Whoa!

Whoa!

So that is the button
so you just press it.

And now we need to cut it.

Just the right size
to make one jacket.

And you go back up that end.

I am.

The powerful suction holds
the front panel in place.

Press your left pedal,
you'll feel a suction.

Watch your pedals.

Take a seat.

How hard is this, Kerry?

Don't let Kerry bully me.
I'm harmless!

to you what you've got to do
and how you've got to use it.

It is complicated,
but Kerry is going to explain

Hang on, it's now sucked
this cloth down to the table.

Right, now, you're not going to
let me have a go at this, are you?

And it can even cut as well as sew.

the pocket perfectly.

This clever machine has a laser
guidance system to place

It's a tightly woven soft cotton.

Right, but it's not really
made out of moles. No.

They're furrier?
Yeah.

I've held a hamster,
they're furrier.

Put this one on top of your welt.

You press once, twice, three,
there you are.

And then do it again.

Whoa!
Just once, one at a time!

Press your left pedal.

There? Yeah.

And line that side up.

I'm sure that's an old
Yorkshire saying.

Put me moleskin on top of me welt?

Have your touched a mole, Kerry?
No.

And if you get the moleskins.

Like that there, yeah?

Just lie it to the corner.

And then that's gotta...

Yeah, that's it.
That way up? Yeah.

Pick a welt up.
Is that it there?

So that makes sure
all the bits don't move.

Right, go on.

So basically you are feeding
that material down two sides

We get them transferred
over and then Florrie is attaching

So, stands are done.

That's one and a half a minute.
It is that. Right.

90. 9-0?
9-0.

Joyce can make 90 of these
stands in an hour. 90?

How many does Joyce make in an hour?

All right, and stitching
them up at the end.

of a metal funnel?
Yes.

a front stand onto
the front of your coat.

That does not look simple.
No, it's not.

Yes.

Is that the stand there
that's being made?

protecting the zip
and keeping out draughts.

The stand runs down
the centre of the jacket,

but most important pieces.

We're starting with
one of the smallest

This is one of the parts
that you cut out.

Nice to meet you.

How would we know if it's authentic?

Me neither.

Well, I've never touched one.
I wouldn't know.

Is that what a mole is going to...

Have a go.

Have you ever touched a mole?
No.

of the jacket.
Moleskin?

This is where we put the moleskin
handwarmers into the front

Are you Gary?

This is Kerry.
Hello, Kerry.

Hello.
Hiya..

specially designed
for frozen fingers.

..where they add two handwarmers,

before it's passed
onto the next station...

It takes 30 seconds to sew
the stand onto the front panel,

Yes!

Is that a stand and deliver?

to create enough fabric
for 1,666 waxed coats.

But in fact, the history
of this particular fashion item

and open countryside.

that springs to mind is muddy boots
and cocker spaniels

Often, when you think of
wax jackets, the first image

Ruth went to find out.

But where did the idea of smearing
a jacket with wax come from?

before sending it
to our jacket factory.

They roll it into shorter lengths,
and let the colour fully mature,

is a far fishier tale.

It's taken over 20 hours
of production,

and that's where we've ended up.

That's the shade we started
with before waxing,

and it starts to look granite.

The more you stare at this,
the less green it looks

Our whole batch of cotton runs
through in just two hours.

Can I see it in its finished state?
Come on, let's go.

I'm surprised when people lean
on the wall, they don't slip off.

Well, in the 15th century,
fishermen here who were trawling

And I suppose if you've got
waterproof sailcloth hanging around,

And then they used that to fashion
capes and hats for themselves.

to make sure that
it becomes waterproof.

They would have used fish oils,
grease or tar, whatever was at hand

It slows them down.

Yes, and when it gets waterlogged...
It slows them down?

So, I mean, sailcloth, we're talking
about this sort of stuff here?

the harsh seas were
waterproofing their sailcloth.

That's quite incredible.

and wax jackets?

What on earth is the connection
then between fishing boats

..to meet fashion historian
Dr Jane Tynan.

Can I come aboard?
Yes, you can.

Hello!

I've come to the historic
harbour of Cellardyke...

off the east coast of Scotland.

The story of this garment
starts off in the cold waters

Is that enough to melt it
and use it?

A paraffin wax.
Like your candle wax.

type chemical.

We've got a petroleum jelly,
so petroleum jelly is like lip balm

It's a combination of
three compounds.

What wax is it?

Enough to cover all
2,500 metres of our cotton.

In here, there's around
1,900 litres.

Yes, it allows it
to be applied easier.

Then a refined oil.

So we hold to the wax in here
about 95 degrees centigrade.

It looks like the chip shop.
It does!

A deep fat fryer.
It's a bit like that.

Do you know what that
actually reminds me of?

You haven't got a little Nessie
hiding in there, have you?

Is there something in there?

This is it.

with a tank of liquid wax.

That's beginning to look like
the jacket? Yeah, it is, yeah.

of the weave.

Well, it's actually a combination
of the wax and the tightness

And is that what keeps the rain out?

Yeah. Is your wax?
That's correct, yeah.

So a third of the jacket is wax?

of wax over that.
Really? Yeah.

Yeah, so that's 200 gram cotton,
and we're adding about 100g

Do you know how much wax
has gone on to that cotton?

it would make enormous sense?
Yeah.

OK, now that is certainly
the right colour.

Wow!

So that's just come out
of the wax bath.

And the cotton is dunked in,
just once, for three seconds.

The hot oily wax
is pumped into a bath.

of the finished jacket.

It's a blend designed to maximise
the water resistance and strength

Refined oil like
you put in your car? Yeah.

Oh, yeah!

that we think of today.

Yeah, this is more
like the wax jacket

Now this looks
even more modern to me.

It was prone to cracking
and turned yellow in the sun.

However, linseed oil
wasn't without drawbacks.

Very much, yeah.

This is very much the gent out
in the countryside feel, isn't it?

How does it feel?
It's good!

It's a darker colour,
because instead of the linseed oil,

I can't help myself!

Beautiful, yeah.
Beautifully lined.

This is, look at that
lovely corduroy collar.

I mean, this isn't rough
workman's garment, is it? No.

It's clearly made with
a different market in mind.

It is, yes, and it's still
being infused with linseed oil.

OK, so it's still cotton.

by usually men for leisure pursuits.

than a Scottish fisherman,

..where Gary York's been cutting
his cloth for 27 years.

My first stop is the cutting room...

I'm helping to make one
from scratch.

ready to be turned into jackets.

a delivery of waxed cotton
has just arrived,

At the factory in South Shields,

And then it ends up being worn
by fashionable, urban people.

in his work gear,
covered in fish scales.

it's moving away from the fishing
industry, and we find it used

I mean, you can't get
much more down-to-earth

It's rather funny, isn't it, really?

So essentially, then,
this is the modern wax jacket?

This is from around 1930.

So when does this one date from?

in terms of technology.

So this is much more pliable,
this is an improvement

it's infused with paraffin.

than the old fish oil,
and much less odour.

I love it, I do love it.

They smell like linseed oil.

what the fishermen might have worn
in the late 19th century.

Well, we've got some
replica oilskins here,

What on earth are these
lovely things then, Richard?

And local historian Richard Wemyss
has some examples to show us.

water-resistant clothes
known as oilskins.

By the 1850s, old cotton sails
were being turned into

So this is cotton, with the linseed?
Yes, that's right.

which was much more efficient

They would have treated it
with linseed oil at the time

And the cotton was
much better for that.

They would have needed
to move very, very quickly.

on the famous 19th-century
tea clippers.

Problems that were solved
when cotton sails were introduced

were smelly and heavy.

But this early sailcloth was linen
and the garments made from it

sort of make do and mend
and using scraps of sail,

We're still dealing with
an oilskin, but by this time,

This is the Findlay Cape
from around 1910.

It is.

So what have we got here?
This looks remarkably modern to me.

And this seafaring staple
made its way ashore.

canny entrepreneurs spotted
an exciting new market.

By the beginning
of the 20th century,

into a complete industry.
Yes.

Famously, we Brits are
obsessed by the weather.

If we think of some of
the very early fishermen,

That's quite a big
difference isn't it?

in the late 19th century.

of the fisherman's oilskins a year

One of the factories was producing
at least 10,000 sets

so it was a significant
industry for a very small town.

There were five oil skin
factories in the town here

Oil skin production was
big business in Cellardyke.