It has always puzzled me why there are two “n”s in Swanndri. It says on the company’s website that the owner called the outdoor jackets “Swanndri” because water was unable to penetrate the material – like water off a swan’s back. But why two “n”s?
This is a very good question. Originally, I didn’t even notice there were two “n”s. After it was pointed out, I assumed the owner of the company must have had the surname Swann. But this turns out not to be so. The company was established in 1913 by a William Broome. As you say, he named his product “Swanndri” because it kept you as dry as a swan. Water didn’t penetrate the material, in the same way it runs straight off a swan’s feathers. But why that strange spelling? Well, the answer is simple and quite amusing, given that Swanndris have become one of New Zealand’s iconic clothing items.
William Broome may have been a brilliant manufacturer, but he was a poor speller. The fact is “Swanndri” is nothing more than a spelling mistake. I guess people couldn’t spell very well back in 1913! Besides, times were tough and there was a war on the horizon. When the error was pointed out, the manufacturer decided to stick with it. Hasn’t done the product too badly, has it? And it just occurs to me that Swanndris must be a century old this year. William Broome would surely be proud of that incredible milestone.
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