For all the many hundreds of people who’ve come across my site because of my posts about rain-mates this is for you: Bubble Betty™, “a vintage product brought back to life for you, the 21st century gal, straight from the darkest corner of your Grandmothers shopping trolley.”
If you don’t know what I’m on about, I’ll explain: over the last few years, more people have come across my site through the search term ‘rain-mate’ than any other route (see posts about rain-mates here). I probably get a hit via rain-mates every day. Sometimes I have fantasies of giving up my job and importing rain-mates or getting them manufactured, because if my blog hits are anything to go buy, there’s a world waiting for the re-appearance of the rain-mate out there.
Good luck Betty!
Hello Jonathan! I hear you are the authority on Rain Mates . . . I am a stage manager needing to produce two Rain Mates in their original period packaging for a production in the United Kingdom. I understand that they were folded tightly in a concertina-pattern and sold in thin plastic holders. Would you either happen to know where similar packaging might be found (the Bubble Betty website is defunct), or where I might be able to find images of the original packaging, so that we can make a replica for our production? Thanking you in advance (and congratulations on the expertise you have acquired!), with best wishes, Tracy.
Hi Tracy, how nice to be known as the authority on Rain Mates, I’m honoured! They were indeed folded tightly in concertina style, and sold in thin plastic holders. I just found this ad for vintage 1960s RainMates on Etsy. This is pretty much how I remember them, though I remember the packets being plain/transparent rather than coloured. The image of the rainmate itself though is spot-on. A lot of the ones available now are a bit Handmaid’s Tale style, without the pleats. If this ad disappears, you could try searching for pleated or accordion style rain bonnets.