Discover more about the iconic peacoat - its history, sizing, style tips, and where to buy.
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I'll briefly discuss the peacoat's history, its characteristics, the fabric, and how you can buy one and what you pay attention to.
It's not entirely clear where the peacoat actually came from:
- There is a Dutch version that says it came from the word "pijjakker"
- There is a Reefer version which came from the men who climbed up the mast
- Others say it was the British manufacturer Camplin in the 1850s who invented it
- Some others argue that it first appeared in the tailor and cutter in 1869 as a pea jacket
One of the most important parts of the peacoat is its fabric. The fabric used for peacoats is called Melton, which is a woven fabric usually made of a 100% wool sometimes with a cotton weft. I suggest you go with a 100% wool versions which are higher quality and overall the coat is not that expensive.
One of the defining parts of the peacoat is its collar. It's called an ulster collar, it's very wide and it allows you to actually pop it up and button, that way you're protected from the elements and it keeps you really warm when it's raining or when it's windy.
A peacoat has 8 buttons, it's always double breasted so four on one side and four on the other side. Then, you have a 9th button on top that allows you to wear your collar closed. The traditional peacoat buttons have a little anchor on them and are black plastic buttons, which are very popular today.
Even brands like Ralph Lauren have come up with their own interpretation of that style but if you go to a regular military surplus store, they will definitely have the original navy issue pea coat. Of course, they've changed a bit over the years but there's basically two options: the black plastic buttons or gold brass buttons. The black plastic buttons are reserved for sailors at the US Navy whereas the gold buttons with the eagle on them are reserved for officers and chiefs.
The traditional cut of the pea coat is rather slim and it's actually wide at the bottom because the reefers had to move up and down the mast so they need a little bit more space. Usually, you will either see two short side vents, or no vents, or center vents for peacoats.
The length of the peacoat is very important - it reaches down to your hips, maybe a little past your hips but not any longer.
Peacoats have been around for a long time and even today, you can find old ones from the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. Every peacoat comes with a little bit of history, you can usually find the owner's last name in there and if it was a US Navy peacoat, you can always find the four last digits of the social security number.
There is a store called Sterlingwear in Boston, I suggest you look on eBay, military surplus stores or consignment stores, you'll always find them there and they are usually well under a hundred dollars and considering the quality and the warmth, it's an amazing deal. Make sure you get the heavy about 24 ounce, 750 grams melton cloth.
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10 ноя 2015
