Agreed, I want my overcoat to be able to hold everything I need as I go around town, that way I don't need to put anything in my suit pockets which messes up the look (though maybe a thermos in your suit pants would help you find a partner lol)
Robin is a man who has span across centuries. The only man you'll ever see sword fighting with a Zweihander, dressed in a suit in tie like its 1950 going into the office, then PC gaming in a bathrobe on his couch.
My mother was tailor. once she was making copy of Napoleonic era some french lancer unit uniform. she said - "i never imagined that in napolinic era uniform was so advanced, practical, functional and it wasnt overcomplicated. Most clothes today now look for me as caveman work".
Why did we ever stop producing clothing like this? Not only are the features useful and clearly had some thought put in, but it fits you well, looks stellar, and I'm sure the fabric is lush and thick
Profit. Producing dirt cheap clothes en masse that fall apart in a year to be bought again is much more profitable than producing a small handful of well made, long lasting clothes, its called Fast Fashion, and its awful. Many cheap modern clothes are also made with slave or child labour abroad.
People still wear this in UK. It's very popular. I own a black one. Think it's popular in other parts of the world as well. South Korea have their own versions
The most basic cotton shirt with 4 letters: 100 dollars. Knee lenth Overcoat with quality (100% wood/cotton) matterials with many functionalities: 100-150 dollars. Yeah, modern clothes suck.
So just get shirts without the costly lettering on it. I think the most I had to pay for a shirt was like 30 bucks and that was for one specially tailored to my weird build
I mean...They look very clean, sure, and I can personally attest to them being super comfy and warm when they're a good fit, but my man here looks like more like he's cosplaying Geraldo Rivera than Dick Tracy, you get me? Dude's not a bad looking guy by any means, but his nerd-factor just about quadruples in this kind of clothing, and that's *before* you put him in any modern context. That's not an insult to him, BTW, I'm just pointing out that *most* people are, best case scenario, going to look like standard-issue office clerks in these, instead of an extra in a WWII-era flick. *Worst* case you're going to look more like a fedora-donning deplorable who's planning to try to perpetrate a mass casualty event. No bueno. For women it gets even more complicated, because finding a coat that's cut to our much more widely variable shapes, well, that's a whole other ball game.
@@FizzleWick1 lol. Well no not wool. They are other material. Will I take that back? The Navy still has black wool trench coats. 🧥 the Army may have brought them back now because they brought back the old World War II uniform.
I'm already impressed that you can button it all the way up: can't do that with a lot of modern costs (which kinda defeats the whole purpose of a warm winter coat)
fashion has leaned more towards form fitting, and affordability. you cant really put a pocket in skinny jeans or leggings while still being thin and form fitting. jackets like this were always expensive, it's just that now that clothes are mass manufactured we're used to cheap clothes
From what I’ve heard (in women’s fashion at least), a lot of the people who have large investments in clothing companies also have investments in purses or other similar bags. So, it’s a win win for the companies. Edit as of 11hrs later : and of course, it’s a loss for the consumer, but it’s “fashionable” to have no pockets/small pockets as well as buying from popular companies, so they know you’ll keep having to buy their pants or whatever.
@@livanbard How? Yes we have warmer and more moisture removing materials now, but giant pockets, collars, necks, and trails, that can be optionally closed, easy to access vertical pocket, most coats don't have the majority of these features now.
Absolutely! I’m getting into clothing design, and one thing I notice with my designs in contrast to the designs of others is that mine tend to have older design features that I find practical. I have a lot of old coats and I find that newer ones don’t have that same innovative feeling. A lot of the older features could still have uses today, and could be integrated with our modern technology and materials as well. I’m passively working on a duster/greatcoat design, but my current focus is on passive ventilation for undergarments.😅
Nevermind the material science, that's a stylish coat, and the winter coats I can easily find all have the design sense of a credit card advertisement.
Because almost no one is willing to pay the price this kind of high-quality product would cost and we are also so used to fast fashion, that a coat like this (which you might wear for several years and then even pass it on to others) would just not be "fashionable" or "interesting" after a while. Same with other quality clothes. And lastly, if the coat were damaged, most people are no longer used to actually mending clothes and instead just throw them out and replace them (again, fast-fashion). So the reasons in short are fast-fashion, high price and lack of mending skills.
@@Windmelodie meanwhile I have to google for hours to check places where cloths looks valuable and turns out not to be and then just gets returned. And I just keep 11 year old pants and shoes. Fast cloths is just excuse because nothing else is available or easy to access, but are great for growing people.
It's still available, you just have to pay a lot more.. Levi's for instance, I have two pairs of their "premium" jeans that have lasted over 8 years and they still look almost brand new, but they're $30+ more than the ones you'll find in the stores. Same with shoes, shirts, etc. Just gotta know where to look and be prepared to spend more lol
To be fair, you can probably still find that kinda stuff to buy, its just gonna be expensive. The reason cloths are made cheaply is because its well....cheaper. If you want high quality stuff, you're gonna have to pay for it.
It's interesting to see those features actually functional. And it makes me wonder why they continued to add things like that but without functionality
If I had to guess, it’s about the speed of production. More actual, functional features means each jacket takes longer to make and requires more skilled labor to produce. Less work to make = higher profit margin per jacket sold. Over time, people forgot the functionality and only cared about the appearance, until we didn’t even realize some of those features were originally intended for a functional purpose.
I assume it started as like, poorer people wanted to wear fancier clothes but didn't really know how they worked (this was pre-internet of course) so some clothing company made normal looking clothing, without bothering to make those bits and bobs functional, and other clothing companies copied them to get some of those sweet sweet profits
Women's clothing with fake pockets! A lot of us have started adding pockets to purchased garments OR learning to draft patterns and making our own clothes that fit and function!
My sister bought me a vintage overcoat a 90 year old had owned. It was in immaculate condition, there were 3 types of fabric, wool outside, silk inside and velvet in the pockets. It was the most beautiful thing ever, and of course got stolen a few years later. I still miss it, lol.
Wow. That would have broken my heart. Don't fret for too long however...there are still quality pieces out there. Search your local thrift stores, and E-Bay/Poshmark as well. There are very affordable options available. I have several pieces, I thrifted, and bought online. Good luck, and so very sorry for the loss. That loss, would have truly broken my heart.
I have a military overcoat I use every winter. From the best of my knowledge and research I found out it was a pre 1914 French Military coat, tailor made in France. It has pretty much everything that the coat in the video demonstrates except the piece of wool that fastens the collar. I still can't believe it survived two world wars and still is warm and snug.
Cloths made well last a SUPER long time! I think people today are used to consumerism and fast fashion. We grew up with cheaply made clothes, so when we see something like this, it's odd. That's why I've been getting into making my own clothes, actually. I'm so tired of having to replace pretty clothes because they're being kept together by the souls of the deceased dinosaurs that make up its polyster.
Real natural wool from sheep, even woven in machines (old ones), in a proper well made textile, will last several decades if properly taken care off. My grandfather's WWII winter coat did save him from shrapnel from either a mortar shot or spielhabdgranaten that exploded a little away, but with damage (pretty tear up on the side facing the explosion), so he did gave away for a fellow soldier as a trophy or something since he didn't want to carry something that lost usefulness agains the cold winter winds in the mountains. The point is, not all uniforms got messed up (granpa's unit mate had a perfectlygood coat), some even hitting the surplus bins and not seing action. Not to mention the French had to surrender (both wars) and those coats might as well have been used in the civilian life.
What a stunning / handsome wool greatcoat! I LOVE the quality, durability, and functionality of such garments. Unless you have something made bespoke, you REALLY don't find anything close to this "off the rack."
I've been seeing a lot of new overcoats that have the 20s-50s style.. I'm happy when the 20/50s comes back into style. I've always enjoyed the style of that time...
Thrift shops are amazing. I have a vintage three piece suit from the 40’s in excellent condition. Got it for like 25 bucks and it always get attention if I wear it.
@@tracy85777 I know it's rude to point someone's spelling mistakes or other stuff out, but I love how you said "I *wii!* ", when I'm pretty sure that's not what you wanted to say
Yeah, I bought a similar looking coat (but green) in a military surplus some years ago for a costumed party. Fantastic quality, very thick, dense wool. Very heavy... It's from WW2 and has never been worn from what I can tell. I even found a paper in one of the pocket with the initial order, measurements etc.
BTW: the really old coats have a long folded up sleeves and collar. You could expand them so that the sleeve covers your entire hand and the collar would go up to your nose! That's also meant for protection against the elements.
Canadian Army still uses a greatcoat as a part of cold-weather ceremonial uniform. I can attest to the fact that warm air rises from your legs, torso, and arms, and gets stopped by the collar, therefore you feel warm. Plus the belt, and the double-breasted design makes you look really snappy! RCAF and RCN officers were jealous of me when I wore it. Best item of clothing during 11 November ceremonies.
oh yeah, November 11th ceremonies suck when your uniform isn't weather appropriate... Did some ceremonies when I was younger and the older guys told us to never stop wiggling your toes while standing still so they wouldn't be stiff and painful once we started marching
That's a magnificent coat. I work in men's wear, and I really wish we could get back to more classic garments like that. And if I may say so, you always dress so well in your videos, my appreciation, sir.
clothes these days arent made the same. ones made then were meant for function and longevity while stuff these days sacrifice those for style and replaceability. military gear does an amazing job on functionality and durability. civilians might find them a little pricey but it lasts and is easily servicable. combat boots are an amazing example. it performs well in almost every situation once broken in.
@@JazzerciseJustice nike sf AF1s are styled after combats for example. camo patterns, bomber jackets on high end fashion brands etc. it can be 'made' to look fashionable with some effort by the person who owns it without needing a professional tailor. im a huge fan of military issued rain gear and coats. some variants have that down to business, professional look. subtle, tasteful and makes an impression. saw some during service but wasnt issued them because they are actually quite expensive and not essential to my role. civilians usually pay a $100-$300 premium if they were to get it from non-military sources. good stuff. military gear's real versatile if you know how to pick your outfit.
Everyone saying "i hope these come back in fashion", heres a life hack, you can still wear one even if its not popular. There's literally no law stopping you.
Why is it so many men and women admire the quality of products of the past and today’s factories refuse to make what is in demand? SMH there is profits to make from happy consumers.
@@davidthedeafdo the maths. Sell one item at a higher price to one customer - and then never again. OR keep selling a much cheaper item at a somewhat lower price every other year for decades, sustainability and the environment be damned. Capitalism, baby.
@@davidthedeaf bro, factories and manufactures all over the world still produce stuff like this. It is just that you have to specifically look out for it and pay a decent amount of money for it. You wont get such a piece of clothing under 200-300Euros where i come from (germany and i bought a similar coat 10 years ago) and even then its not the same quality as the shown one here. Most people dont want and cannot afford this.
I guess it had to be. Otherwise they'd need to make coats for lefties separately or they would be significantly hindered in handling their rifles while wearing the coat.
@@zagrizena Speaking as a left handed person... lol are you serious? Never in in the history of mankind have any clothes makers ever given a shit about that. We adapt and overcome. Doing up a jacket is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
@@zagrizenain addition to tue previous comment, left handed people where actively seen as freaks at the time, an actual insult to god, and where forced to do everything with the right hand in school and onwards, with strict punishment (like hitting the pupils on the fingers with sticks) if they didn't. It wasn't until the 60s or 70s where that slowly changed. They where strongly discriminated against lol
I have a green one!!! I bought it from a costume shop for a student film I was making and found out it was the real deal. Decided to wear it one day during a blizzard and was amazed. I had no idea how awesome a real wool overcoat is, its easily my warmest gear. Sometimes its even too warm. I dunno if yours has it but mine has through pockets so you can reach into your pants pockets without opening the coat.
My Dad’s WW2 Army overcoat had all those features , plus it had leggings attached, that dropped down , wrapped around boots and buttoned tight. Like you said the back and front could be opened for more mobility. And they would also fasten around the leg. Also Dad’s was a cotton material that could be waxed to repel water. Also , the double breasted buttons can be buttoned left hand or right hand , depending on wind direction. To keep the wind out.
I thought about making a collar flap like that for my hoodie before, and seeing someone else thought it was a good idea too almost 100 years ago is so cool.
I own a vintage soldier's coat from WW2 that look similar to this. But in green. The wool is so thick and dense. It's cool but it makes the coat incredibly heavy. I can't imagine how much it would weigh when soaked by the rain...
@@AxLWakeI had a pair of heavy swiss military wool pants from the 50's. I used it for a 6 months hiking and hitchhiking trip around the borders of the United States. They were the best piece of equipment I had, especially in the rain. The material is still warm when wet and it doesn't feel wet even when it is soaked. No modern cloth comes close to this comfort. Next thing is, if it gets dirty, just let it dry and brush it off. You really don't need to wash it very often.
How do you know all the fabrics across all prices in all clothing markets across the world? To even say something through a screen is definitely nicer than anything in your city alone is absurd. How can you know whats out there? Let alone in the entire world.
What a terrific find! The functional double breast is especially nice and surprisingly uncommon. My pea coat has that flap too, it's stored underneath the collar normally. And yes, it does get that cold where I'm from.
Thank you so much for sharing this, although I can't immagine how much such a thing cost you. 80 years, good condition, era of historical obsession, even if were a reproduction it looks incredibly high quality. Plus it looks good on you, although it does make you look more like a dad than you already do.
@@TheInvisibleCactusYT that's not too bad then, though I imagine if you aren't muscular like an army dude/robinswords then you might disappear into the coat lol
I got this for $50. It has a small tear in the back that I'm going to fix - it's hidden under the belt. I suspect it was overlooked by folks because the seller attributed it to the Women's Army Corps, but it's a unisex design.
