- This article is about the article of clothing. For alternate meanings see Anorak (slang) and Anorak (newspaper).
An anorak or parka is a type of heavy jacket with a hood, generally lined with fur or fun fur, so as to protect the face from a combination of sub-zero temperatures and wind. Although of Inuit origin, the word "anorak" is mainly used in Britain, while "parka" is the almost universal name in the United States and Canada. "Parka" is used interchangeably with anorak in Britain. Originally an anorak or parka specifically implied a pull-over jacket without a zipper, button or frogged opening, but this distinction is now largely lost.
Originally invented by the Inuit, who needed clothing which protected them from windchill and wet, while hunting and kayaking in the arctic region. Underneath the anorak the Inuit wear warm clothes. Inuit anoraks have to be regularly soaked with train oil (fish oil) to keep their water resistance. Today, the jacket is named after it because it attempts to be just as waterproof.
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