The rain jacket was part of a three-piece wet weather ensemble that also included a pair of trousers and a hat. All three articles were encompassed within specification PQD 151 and were issued together as an outfit.

The rain jacket, trouser, and hat combo took advantage of a new synthetic resin compound in its construction, whereas previous rain gear utilized a rubber coated fabric. Under development for some time, the new material was adopted just in time to help offset critical shortages of rubber caused by severe war time demands. There was never complete satisfaction with the synthetic compound, so there was ongoing debate as to how the substance should be applied to material and what garment construction methods should be employed to maximize its effectiveness. As a result, trial garments were produced using several different methods. Fabric was produced in which the resin coating was applied to one or both sides. Construction occurred by stitching or gluing seams together and utilizing rivets in various locations. In the end, manufacturing difficulties, material procurement delays, and conservation pressures mostly limited the application of the resin coating to one side of the material. After satisfactory testing, the Quartermaster General deemed the one sided resin application acceptable when garments were constructed with the coated side facing toward the body and the textured fabric side faced away from the body. As a result, the majority of synthetic coated rain gear was produced in this manner from mid-1942 through the end of the war.

It is unknown how many different material types or construction methods were used in the manufacture of this type of rain jacket. The sample jacket shown on this page was made up using material coated on one side, with the untreated fabric side facing outward. Seams were single stitched with strapping applied to the reverse. Strapping involved gluing a fabric strip over the back side of the seam to help waterproof the garment. The skirt and cuff ends were formed by folding the material over and gluing it down.

Marking the appearance of this jacket was a distinctive standing collar that was finished with dark brown corduroy. The corduroy provided comfort by protecting the wearer from the bite of the close fitting collar.

When worn in combination with the suit's sou'wester style hat, the collar was intended to be an effective means of keeping water out. Glue was used to attach the collar to the jacket with three reinforcing rivets added for support. The fully opening front was a departure from previous pull-over rain suit designs. A rain flap extended behind the length of the front closure and strengthening rivets were added at each end. There were no pockets or reach through slits on the jacket. Venting holes were located under the arms and on the back. The main venting was accomplished through the addition of a secondary flapped yoke piece located on the upper back, which covered multiple venting holes underneath. Closures for these jackets were either buttons or pressure snaps. Sizing was accomplished through a simple system that included small, medium, large, and x-large, with the cut being generous to allow adequate room for clothing worn underneath.

Multiple piece rain suits were numerous in the war years. The Specification 151 suit was preceded by a rubberized parka-style set that included a hooded, zip neck, pull-over top, and a simple set of drawstring trousers. When the Army replaced the Specification 151 rain suit, once again, a hooded, pull-over, parka-style design was utilized. This time, though, it featured a buckle neck opening, overall style trousers, and resin coated material.

The specification 151 rain suit was similar in appearance to the U.S. Navy foul weather suit of the same time period, except for its color. Respectively, the Army and Navy typically followed similar patterns in their wet weather clothing development.

Wet weather suit combos were generally issued to troops whose primary job functions were likely to expose them to wet and/or foul weather conditions. The multiple piece construction was essential in allowing freedom of movement and protection from wet conditions while performing essential job functions; an important distinction when issuing rain suits opposed to the standard raincoat. Port workers, amphibious units, marine transportation units, and the like would have been issued these types of multi-piece rain suits.