tweedydon
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2009
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I have a series of wonderful classic coats to pass along today--including vintage cashmere overcoats, a US Navy issue peacoat, a suede Harrington Jacket from Britches of Georgetown, a tweed coat from Paul Stuart, vintage topcoats, and more!
As always, I offer FREE SHIPPING ON EVERYTHING in the USA; International inquiries are very welcome, with shipping at reduced cost.
Also as always, ALL OFFERS ARE VERY WELCOME!
Please PM with interest and offers!
1) Swedish Military Utility Jacket
This is lovely; extremely well-designed, and very well made!
This is Swedish military issue, and retains all of its original Swedish Army buttons, featuring the Triple Crown of Sweden. The front features two flapped hacking pockets that are secured with military buttons; the placket is secured with four buttons at the top (as shown), and then further buttons at the bottom of the placket in the interior, giving this a very elegant silhouette. The interior features a flapped security pocket with button closure, while the back features two further utility pockets, with security hook and button closures. It features interior security pockets. This jacket is unlined, and would be perfect for warmer days.
This jacket is in Very Good/Excellent condition.
Asking just $29, or offer.
Tagged a 40, this runs smaller; it measures:
Chest: 19 1/2
Sleeve: 21 1/2
Shoulder: 17
Length: 25 1/2
2) LOVELY Made in Italy Full Length Belted Overcoat. Likely Cashmere and Wool.
This is lovely! A rare full length double-breasted belted overcoat in a classic dark navy, this could be worn either casually or over a suit. It's a truly beautiful coat, and you'll attar ct attention in it however it's worn. The fabric that it is cut from --likely a blend of wool and cashmere, judging by its softness--has a wonderful hand and drape. The coat itself is cut as a classic double-breasted overcoat with a belt for added panache. It is fully lined, and has a single center vent. It also features a lapped back seam, two deep front pockets, and straps on the cuffs. It was Made in Italy.
Although this appears to be in excellent condition it does have some minor issues. First, it has a few moth nibbles, as shown--although these are small and could be ignored. Second, it has some schmaltz near the hem, as shown, and a small white dot on one sleeve--these will all likely come out with dry cleaning. This is thus in Very Good condition, and so is a bargain at just $49, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 22 1/4
Sleeve: 23 1/2 (+2)
Shoulder: 21
Length: 49 (This is a traditional full-length overcoat!)
3) BEAUTIFUL Vintage Topcoat
Cut from a lovely classic charcoal tweedy cloth with a wonderfully subdued yet complex weave this is a classic American topcoat. It features a four button front--although the top button is traditionally left open at the throat--and ornamental straps at the cuffs. The shoulder seams are lapped, as is the center seam down the back; this coat also features raglan sleeves. This coat is half-lined and half-canvassed, and features a vertical security pocket set into the seam in the interior. It was, of course, Union Made in the USA, and is in excellent condition.
Asking just $45, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 22
Sleeve: c. 36 (+1 1/2) (Measured like a shirt)
Shoulder: NA--raglan sleeves.
Length: 40
4) VINTAGE Heavy Cashmere Overcoat. ABSOLUTELY LOVELY!
This is absolutely lovely! This is a vintage cashmere overcoat, cut from cashmere when cashmere was a seriously luxurious fabric indeed. This coat is beautifully soft, and extremely warm, and in a different class altogether from the cashmere topcoats and overcoats that can be found today. This is a very, very serious garment indeed, with a heft and gravitas that is simply lacking in most modern clothing.
This is cut as a traditional overcoat, with a three button front that, like a 3/2 sack jacket, has the lapel cut so that it rolls and the bottom two buttons are those that are primarily functional. It features wonderfully elegant lapels, as you'd expect from a coat of this quality and vintage, and two deep flapped front pockets that are lined in durable cotton duck. All of the external seams on this coat are lapped--the shoulder seams, the center back seam, the side seam, the sleeve seams, and even the seams that surround the pockets. This coat was made to last! It appears to be fully canvassed and is fully lined. The sleeves feature ornamental buttons on the turnback cuffs and it has a rear center vent. It was, of course, Union Made in the USA, and carries the Union label in its interior pocket.
This coat is in Very Good condition. It could do with a dry clean to freshen it up, and the lining is fraying at the hem; this could be an easy fix for your dry cleaner tailor who could patch this easily with a lining strip. The vent should also be resewn as the stitching is coming loose; again, an easy fix.
Given these fixable flaws this beautiful, heavy, pure cashmere vintage coat is just $49, or offer, boxed and shipped in the USA.
Measurements:
Chest: 21 1/2
Sleeve: 24 1/2 (+1 1/2)
Shoulder: 19 3/4
Length: 39 1/2
5) VINTAGE WIndowpane Topcoat. Beautiful condition!
This is lovely! The cloth is a classic grey with miniature windowpane overchecking in charcoal--a quintessential look from the 1950s and 1960s. The coat is lined in a complementary dark loden green in "Midtown Satin" rayon. The cloth is lighter-weight than usual, making this perfect for today's climate-controlled commutes. The coat has two deep front exterior pockets, and a deep interior security pocket. It has lovely narrow lapels, appropriate for the middle of the last century, a lapped center seam down the back, and a single hook vent. It has raglan sleeves. It was Union Made in the USA, and is in absolutely excellent condition.
Asking just $39, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 22 1/2
Sleeve: 34 (+1 3/4) (measured like a shirt)
Shoulder: NA
Length: 39 1/4
6) Pure Cashmere "Kashmara" topcoat
Union Made in the USA, this wonderful coat is cut from the Old School version of cashmere--the thick, rich, soft, and luxurious fabric that gave cashmere its name for luxury, not the thin mall cashmere that is so prevalent today! The fabric is seriously heavy; this is a coat to be reckoned with!
The cut and construction of the coat do full justice to the beautiful fabric that it is cut from. A standard three button closure with two button cuffs, this coat features pick stitching on the lapels and on the flaps of the pockets. It is fully lined, and appears to be half-canvassed. It features a single centre hook vent at the rear.
It does have some minor moth nibbles, as shown, but these are not very noticeable when worn. Nevertheless, they are there, and as a result this wonderful vintage cashmere coat is likely best suited to events that are not office-related. It is accordingly in Very Good condition, and so is a bargain at just $49, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 23
Sleeve: 26 (+1 1/2)
Shoulder: 19
Length: 41
7) VINTAGE 1960s Herringbone Tweed Topcoat
This is lovely! Although this lacks any identifying labels, this coat was clearly Made in the USA sometime in the 1960s; it has a classic 1950s/1960s cut, with wonderfully high, narrow lapels and a sleek silhouette. The colouring of the tweed is also classically late 1950s 1960s, being a herringbone in dark brown and black; the sort of muted color combination that was typical of the mid-century.
This coat has a classic three button front with a concealed placket to ensure a sleek silhouette. It is fully lined, and appears to be half-canvassed. It has a single center vent and two button cuffs. The two slash front pockets can either be used to reach through the coat to your jacket pocket, or else used as deep pockets in their own right.
This coat has no damage of any sort, but I'm conservative in rating vintage pieces, so this is in Very Good/Excellent condition. As such, it's a steal at just $35, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 22 1/2
Sleeve: 24 3/4 (+2)
Shoulder: 18 3/4
Length: 39
8) WONDERFUL VINTAGE Dunn & Co. Tweed topcoat in West of England cloth
Dunn & Co. of England are among the stalwart makers of tweed clothing; their heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s, when their heavyweight tweed offerings became justly recognized as reprsenting superb value for money as well as evincing a particular form of British country style. So well known were they for their tweeds that no American academic visiting England could return without having bought at least one Dunn tweed jacket or coat!
This classic topcoat shows why Dunn were so well known. Dating from the 1960s judging by the classic vibrant 1960s lining and the muter earth tones of the tweed itself, this wonderful coat is cut from extremely hard-wearing and classic West of England tweed. The colourway and patterning f the tweed is wonderful, being a classic shepherd's check in tones of moss, light tan, and golden bracken.
It also has a lovely vintage Dunn & Co label, noting that they cater to clients in both London *and "the provinces"!
The coat features raglan sleeves for ease of movement, a three button front closure, and deep slash handwarmer pockets. It appears to be half-canvassed, and is fully lined. As is often the case with British coats it eschews buttons on the cuffs as unnecessary; it has a single centre vent. The lining is wonderfully 1960s... But, alas, it has multiple frays. These should be patched, but this would be an easy and cheap job. (Or you could have the lining replaced, but why would you want to lose it?) Given this, this coat is in very Good condition only--the tweed itself is in excellent condition--and so this is just $35, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 21
Sleeve: 35 1/2 (+2 1/4) (Measured like a shirt)
Shoulder: NA--raglan sleeves.
Length: 41
9) MADE IN ITALY Waxed Cotton Jacket
Just to break up the parade of topcoats and overcoats, here's something completely different--a Made in Italy waxed cotton coat! Made by "Island Jackets" and billed as being for extreme cold weather protection (something that I am doubtful is true), this is a lovely jacket that's rather a cross between a Barbour and a LL bean Field Jacket. The waxed cotton outer shell is 94% cotton and 5% resin, which no doubt makes for a shell that is more water resistant than those of Barbour--although this is rather "crinkly" as a result.
The jacket features deep lamb chop pockets, like a Bean Field jacket, which are located just above the deep expandable flapped pockets on the front. This jacket features a right-hand shooting patch on the shoulder, a corduroy collar, and a twin vent; this can be fastened shut with snaps. The cuffs can be buttoned shut. The interior is quilted, and features a deep zippered security pocket. The throat features a fully functional throat latch.
This jacket does have a few minor flaws, which add to its character. It has some minor scuffs and staining, especially around the bellows pockets and near the cuffs, and it has a small snag hole near the right hand cuff. At first I also thought that it was missing a button from each of the bellows pockets flaps, but close inspection reveals that it only came with one button each side, despite having two buttonholes! As such, this jacket is in Very Good condition, and so it priced very reasonably at just $25, or offer.
Tagged 56 (US 46), this measures:
Chest: 26 1/4
Sleeve: 25 1/8
Shoulder: 22
Length: 32 1/2
10) CLASSIC POLO COAT!
NOW JUST $45!
Not surprisingly, the Polo coat owes its name to the camelhair coats worn by Polo players between chukkas.... and as such it was originally an English, rather than an American, garment. But the English Polo had only a distant resemblance to what would quickly become an American style icon. They often lacked any form of buttoning, closing only with a belt, and were essentially glorified bathrobes..... which was fine for their original purpose of being casually tossed over the shoulders of unmounted players.
(Polos were also originally called "Wait Coats", as they were worn only while waiting.)
During the Edwardian era polo became popular with the East Coast establishment, and the polo coat quickly became popular with spectators and players alike. Guided by WASP frugality the original wrap coat was quickly improved to be a more useful garment, acquiring buttons, deep patch pockets, and the oversized Ulster collar, while retaining the functional half-belt at the back, and often shedding the original belt.
The American Polo Coat was born.
But being produced is one thing; becoming a style icon is quite another. The Polo was not long in securing this status. Its practicality and swagger was quickly noticed by the young men at Ivy colleges whose friends and cousins were associated with the polo set, and within a few years it became the coat of choice for the stylish Roaring Twenties, along with Stutz Bearcats, bootleg liquor, and--for the truly wealthy and adventurous--barnstormer biplanes sold off cheaply after the Great War. Indeed, at the 1929 Yale-Princeton game many noted that the Polo had supplanted the Raccoon coat among the Ivy set... and raccoons everywhere rejoiced.*
By the 1950s, alas, the Polo was in decline, supplanted by the double-breasted trenchcoat made popular by its Second War utility and style. It enjoyed a brief popular resurgence in the 1980s with its fascination with the romance and style of the 1920s and 1930s. Yet that it has declined in general popularity by no means detracts from its iconic status, and the Polo has since its inception always warranted a place in every well-dressed man's wardrobe.
Indeed, so classic is the Polo that a lovely example from 1915 (by Brooks Brothers) is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
And if you want one, they're available.... Brooks still stocks them, so does J. Press, Ben Silver, and O'Connell's, who'll be happy to sell you one for $1,400.
Or you could buy this!
Made by Taglianetti, this is a classic double-breasted Polo coat in the classic camelhair colour--please note, though, that I believe that this is a wool coat, although the fabric is not listed. It has a classic six button front, oversize collar, and two flapped patch pockets. It has the classic half-belt, and a horizontal lapped seam across the back providing a cape effect. The back also features a box pleat for ease of movement, and a deep single vent. The coat is fully lined, and appears to be half-canvassed.
It does have a couple of minor issues; there are two tiny moth nibbles, as shown, but these are hard to spot and could be ignored. There is a tiny amount of loose stitching at the top of the vent in the lining; this is an easy fix, or else could be ignored. And there is wear to one of the buttonholes.
Overall, then, this is in Very Good/Excellent condition. Asking just $45, or offer.
Tagged 40--and this is repeated on the original paper tag affixed to the interior of the half-belt--this measures:
Chest: 20 1/2
Sleeve: 27 (+2)
Shoulder: 18 1/2
Length: 42 1/2
11) Paul Stuart Tweed Double Breasted Overcoat
This is wonderful! Cut from classic grey herringbone tweed, this beautiful coat by Paul Stuart is double breasted with peak lapels. It has four button cuffs, is fully canvassed, and fully lined. It has a chain handtag, that is intact, and a single centre vent. It also features a very deep interior game pocket--oddly, for a coat of this degree of formality--as well as the more usual interior pockets for your wallet. This coat was Made in Canada.
It does have some fraying at the bottom of the lining, as shown; it has also had a small repair done to the lining to reinforce the area where the interior button is located. Given these minor flaws, this is in Very Good condition, and so it is a bargain at just $39, or offer.
Tagged a 40L, this measures:
Chest: 20 3/4
Sleeve: 26 1/4 (+1 1/)
Shoulder: 18
Length; 45 1/2
12) WONDERFUL MADE IN ENGLAND Classic Grey Herringbone Topcoat in West of England Cloth!
This is lovely! A classic single-breasted topcoat cut from classic grey herringbone West of England cloth, loomed in Oxfordshire (which is in the east of England...), this was Made in England for Saks of Fifth Avenue. It has a three button closure and standard notch lapels, three button cuffs, and a single center vent. It is half-canvassed, and fully lined. This is a lovely, classic coat!
It has a couple of minor mars, however. There is some minor sag to the top of the interior breast pocket; this doesn't affect function, and can't be seen when worn. There are also three very small snag holes by the left hem at the bottom; these could either be rewoven, or else simply darned--or ignored!
Given these issues, this is in Good/Very Good condtion, and so it a bargain at just $30, or offer!
Measurements:
Chest: 22
Sleeve: 27 (+2)
Shoulder: 19 1/2
Length: 46
As always, I offer FREE SHIPPING ON EVERYTHING in the USA; International inquiries are very welcome, with shipping at reduced cost.
Also as always, ALL OFFERS ARE VERY WELCOME!
Please PM with interest and offers!
1) Swedish Military Utility Jacket
This is lovely; extremely well-designed, and very well made!
This is Swedish military issue, and retains all of its original Swedish Army buttons, featuring the Triple Crown of Sweden. The front features two flapped hacking pockets that are secured with military buttons; the placket is secured with four buttons at the top (as shown), and then further buttons at the bottom of the placket in the interior, giving this a very elegant silhouette. The interior features a flapped security pocket with button closure, while the back features two further utility pockets, with security hook and button closures. It features interior security pockets. This jacket is unlined, and would be perfect for warmer days.
This jacket is in Very Good/Excellent condition.
Asking just $29, or offer.
Tagged a 40, this runs smaller; it measures:
Chest: 19 1/2
Sleeve: 21 1/2
Shoulder: 17
Length: 25 1/2
2) LOVELY Made in Italy Full Length Belted Overcoat. Likely Cashmere and Wool.
This is lovely! A rare full length double-breasted belted overcoat in a classic dark navy, this could be worn either casually or over a suit. It's a truly beautiful coat, and you'll attar ct attention in it however it's worn. The fabric that it is cut from --likely a blend of wool and cashmere, judging by its softness--has a wonderful hand and drape. The coat itself is cut as a classic double-breasted overcoat with a belt for added panache. It is fully lined, and has a single center vent. It also features a lapped back seam, two deep front pockets, and straps on the cuffs. It was Made in Italy.
Although this appears to be in excellent condition it does have some minor issues. First, it has a few moth nibbles, as shown--although these are small and could be ignored. Second, it has some schmaltz near the hem, as shown, and a small white dot on one sleeve--these will all likely come out with dry cleaning. This is thus in Very Good condition, and so is a bargain at just $49, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 22 1/4
Sleeve: 23 1/2 (+2)
Shoulder: 21
Length: 49 (This is a traditional full-length overcoat!)
3) BEAUTIFUL Vintage Topcoat
Cut from a lovely classic charcoal tweedy cloth with a wonderfully subdued yet complex weave this is a classic American topcoat. It features a four button front--although the top button is traditionally left open at the throat--and ornamental straps at the cuffs. The shoulder seams are lapped, as is the center seam down the back; this coat also features raglan sleeves. This coat is half-lined and half-canvassed, and features a vertical security pocket set into the seam in the interior. It was, of course, Union Made in the USA, and is in excellent condition.
Asking just $45, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 22
Sleeve: c. 36 (+1 1/2) (Measured like a shirt)
Shoulder: NA--raglan sleeves.
Length: 40
4) VINTAGE Heavy Cashmere Overcoat. ABSOLUTELY LOVELY!
This is absolutely lovely! This is a vintage cashmere overcoat, cut from cashmere when cashmere was a seriously luxurious fabric indeed. This coat is beautifully soft, and extremely warm, and in a different class altogether from the cashmere topcoats and overcoats that can be found today. This is a very, very serious garment indeed, with a heft and gravitas that is simply lacking in most modern clothing.
This is cut as a traditional overcoat, with a three button front that, like a 3/2 sack jacket, has the lapel cut so that it rolls and the bottom two buttons are those that are primarily functional. It features wonderfully elegant lapels, as you'd expect from a coat of this quality and vintage, and two deep flapped front pockets that are lined in durable cotton duck. All of the external seams on this coat are lapped--the shoulder seams, the center back seam, the side seam, the sleeve seams, and even the seams that surround the pockets. This coat was made to last! It appears to be fully canvassed and is fully lined. The sleeves feature ornamental buttons on the turnback cuffs and it has a rear center vent. It was, of course, Union Made in the USA, and carries the Union label in its interior pocket.
This coat is in Very Good condition. It could do with a dry clean to freshen it up, and the lining is fraying at the hem; this could be an easy fix for your dry cleaner tailor who could patch this easily with a lining strip. The vent should also be resewn as the stitching is coming loose; again, an easy fix.
Given these fixable flaws this beautiful, heavy, pure cashmere vintage coat is just $49, or offer, boxed and shipped in the USA.
Measurements:
Chest: 21 1/2
Sleeve: 24 1/2 (+1 1/2)
Shoulder: 19 3/4
Length: 39 1/2
5) VINTAGE WIndowpane Topcoat. Beautiful condition!
This is lovely! The cloth is a classic grey with miniature windowpane overchecking in charcoal--a quintessential look from the 1950s and 1960s. The coat is lined in a complementary dark loden green in "Midtown Satin" rayon. The cloth is lighter-weight than usual, making this perfect for today's climate-controlled commutes. The coat has two deep front exterior pockets, and a deep interior security pocket. It has lovely narrow lapels, appropriate for the middle of the last century, a lapped center seam down the back, and a single hook vent. It has raglan sleeves. It was Union Made in the USA, and is in absolutely excellent condition.
Asking just $39, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 22 1/2
Sleeve: 34 (+1 3/4) (measured like a shirt)
Shoulder: NA
Length: 39 1/4
6) Pure Cashmere "Kashmara" topcoat
Union Made in the USA, this wonderful coat is cut from the Old School version of cashmere--the thick, rich, soft, and luxurious fabric that gave cashmere its name for luxury, not the thin mall cashmere that is so prevalent today! The fabric is seriously heavy; this is a coat to be reckoned with!
The cut and construction of the coat do full justice to the beautiful fabric that it is cut from. A standard three button closure with two button cuffs, this coat features pick stitching on the lapels and on the flaps of the pockets. It is fully lined, and appears to be half-canvassed. It features a single centre hook vent at the rear.
It does have some minor moth nibbles, as shown, but these are not very noticeable when worn. Nevertheless, they are there, and as a result this wonderful vintage cashmere coat is likely best suited to events that are not office-related. It is accordingly in Very Good condition, and so is a bargain at just $49, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 23
Sleeve: 26 (+1 1/2)
Shoulder: 19
Length: 41
7) VINTAGE 1960s Herringbone Tweed Topcoat
This is lovely! Although this lacks any identifying labels, this coat was clearly Made in the USA sometime in the 1960s; it has a classic 1950s/1960s cut, with wonderfully high, narrow lapels and a sleek silhouette. The colouring of the tweed is also classically late 1950s 1960s, being a herringbone in dark brown and black; the sort of muted color combination that was typical of the mid-century.
This coat has a classic three button front with a concealed placket to ensure a sleek silhouette. It is fully lined, and appears to be half-canvassed. It has a single center vent and two button cuffs. The two slash front pockets can either be used to reach through the coat to your jacket pocket, or else used as deep pockets in their own right.
This coat has no damage of any sort, but I'm conservative in rating vintage pieces, so this is in Very Good/Excellent condition. As such, it's a steal at just $35, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 22 1/2
Sleeve: 24 3/4 (+2)
Shoulder: 18 3/4
Length: 39
8) WONDERFUL VINTAGE Dunn & Co. Tweed topcoat in West of England cloth
Dunn & Co. of England are among the stalwart makers of tweed clothing; their heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s, when their heavyweight tweed offerings became justly recognized as reprsenting superb value for money as well as evincing a particular form of British country style. So well known were they for their tweeds that no American academic visiting England could return without having bought at least one Dunn tweed jacket or coat!
This classic topcoat shows why Dunn were so well known. Dating from the 1960s judging by the classic vibrant 1960s lining and the muter earth tones of the tweed itself, this wonderful coat is cut from extremely hard-wearing and classic West of England tweed. The colourway and patterning f the tweed is wonderful, being a classic shepherd's check in tones of moss, light tan, and golden bracken.
It also has a lovely vintage Dunn & Co label, noting that they cater to clients in both London *and "the provinces"!
The coat features raglan sleeves for ease of movement, a three button front closure, and deep slash handwarmer pockets. It appears to be half-canvassed, and is fully lined. As is often the case with British coats it eschews buttons on the cuffs as unnecessary; it has a single centre vent. The lining is wonderfully 1960s... But, alas, it has multiple frays. These should be patched, but this would be an easy and cheap job. (Or you could have the lining replaced, but why would you want to lose it?) Given this, this coat is in very Good condition only--the tweed itself is in excellent condition--and so this is just $35, or offer.
Measurements:
Chest: 21
Sleeve: 35 1/2 (+2 1/4) (Measured like a shirt)
Shoulder: NA--raglan sleeves.
Length: 41
9) MADE IN ITALY Waxed Cotton Jacket
Just to break up the parade of topcoats and overcoats, here's something completely different--a Made in Italy waxed cotton coat! Made by "Island Jackets" and billed as being for extreme cold weather protection (something that I am doubtful is true), this is a lovely jacket that's rather a cross between a Barbour and a LL bean Field Jacket. The waxed cotton outer shell is 94% cotton and 5% resin, which no doubt makes for a shell that is more water resistant than those of Barbour--although this is rather "crinkly" as a result.
The jacket features deep lamb chop pockets, like a Bean Field jacket, which are located just above the deep expandable flapped pockets on the front. This jacket features a right-hand shooting patch on the shoulder, a corduroy collar, and a twin vent; this can be fastened shut with snaps. The cuffs can be buttoned shut. The interior is quilted, and features a deep zippered security pocket. The throat features a fully functional throat latch.
This jacket does have a few minor flaws, which add to its character. It has some minor scuffs and staining, especially around the bellows pockets and near the cuffs, and it has a small snag hole near the right hand cuff. At first I also thought that it was missing a button from each of the bellows pockets flaps, but close inspection reveals that it only came with one button each side, despite having two buttonholes! As such, this jacket is in Very Good condition, and so it priced very reasonably at just $25, or offer.
Tagged 56 (US 46), this measures:
Chest: 26 1/4
Sleeve: 25 1/8
Shoulder: 22
Length: 32 1/2
10) CLASSIC POLO COAT!
NOW JUST $45!
Not surprisingly, the Polo coat owes its name to the camelhair coats worn by Polo players between chukkas.... and as such it was originally an English, rather than an American, garment. But the English Polo had only a distant resemblance to what would quickly become an American style icon. They often lacked any form of buttoning, closing only with a belt, and were essentially glorified bathrobes..... which was fine for their original purpose of being casually tossed over the shoulders of unmounted players.
(Polos were also originally called "Wait Coats", as they were worn only while waiting.)
During the Edwardian era polo became popular with the East Coast establishment, and the polo coat quickly became popular with spectators and players alike. Guided by WASP frugality the original wrap coat was quickly improved to be a more useful garment, acquiring buttons, deep patch pockets, and the oversized Ulster collar, while retaining the functional half-belt at the back, and often shedding the original belt.
The American Polo Coat was born.
But being produced is one thing; becoming a style icon is quite another. The Polo was not long in securing this status. Its practicality and swagger was quickly noticed by the young men at Ivy colleges whose friends and cousins were associated with the polo set, and within a few years it became the coat of choice for the stylish Roaring Twenties, along with Stutz Bearcats, bootleg liquor, and--for the truly wealthy and adventurous--barnstormer biplanes sold off cheaply after the Great War. Indeed, at the 1929 Yale-Princeton game many noted that the Polo had supplanted the Raccoon coat among the Ivy set... and raccoons everywhere rejoiced.*
By the 1950s, alas, the Polo was in decline, supplanted by the double-breasted trenchcoat made popular by its Second War utility and style. It enjoyed a brief popular resurgence in the 1980s with its fascination with the romance and style of the 1920s and 1930s. Yet that it has declined in general popularity by no means detracts from its iconic status, and the Polo has since its inception always warranted a place in every well-dressed man's wardrobe.
Indeed, so classic is the Polo that a lovely example from 1915 (by Brooks Brothers) is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
And if you want one, they're available.... Brooks still stocks them, so does J. Press, Ben Silver, and O'Connell's, who'll be happy to sell you one for $1,400.
Or you could buy this!
Made by Taglianetti, this is a classic double-breasted Polo coat in the classic camelhair colour--please note, though, that I believe that this is a wool coat, although the fabric is not listed. It has a classic six button front, oversize collar, and two flapped patch pockets. It has the classic half-belt, and a horizontal lapped seam across the back providing a cape effect. The back also features a box pleat for ease of movement, and a deep single vent. The coat is fully lined, and appears to be half-canvassed.
It does have a couple of minor issues; there are two tiny moth nibbles, as shown, but these are hard to spot and could be ignored. There is a tiny amount of loose stitching at the top of the vent in the lining; this is an easy fix, or else could be ignored. And there is wear to one of the buttonholes.
Overall, then, this is in Very Good/Excellent condition. Asking just $45, or offer.
Tagged 40--and this is repeated on the original paper tag affixed to the interior of the half-belt--this measures:
Chest: 20 1/2
Sleeve: 27 (+2)
Shoulder: 18 1/2
Length: 42 1/2
11) Paul Stuart Tweed Double Breasted Overcoat
This is wonderful! Cut from classic grey herringbone tweed, this beautiful coat by Paul Stuart is double breasted with peak lapels. It has four button cuffs, is fully canvassed, and fully lined. It has a chain handtag, that is intact, and a single centre vent. It also features a very deep interior game pocket--oddly, for a coat of this degree of formality--as well as the more usual interior pockets for your wallet. This coat was Made in Canada.
It does have some fraying at the bottom of the lining, as shown; it has also had a small repair done to the lining to reinforce the area where the interior button is located. Given these minor flaws, this is in Very Good condition, and so it is a bargain at just $39, or offer.
Tagged a 40L, this measures:
Chest: 20 3/4
Sleeve: 26 1/4 (+1 1/)
Shoulder: 18
Length; 45 1/2
12) WONDERFUL MADE IN ENGLAND Classic Grey Herringbone Topcoat in West of England Cloth!
This is lovely! A classic single-breasted topcoat cut from classic grey herringbone West of England cloth, loomed in Oxfordshire (which is in the east of England...), this was Made in England for Saks of Fifth Avenue. It has a three button closure and standard notch lapels, three button cuffs, and a single center vent. It is half-canvassed, and fully lined. This is a lovely, classic coat!
It has a couple of minor mars, however. There is some minor sag to the top of the interior breast pocket; this doesn't affect function, and can't be seen when worn. There are also three very small snag holes by the left hem at the bottom; these could either be rewoven, or else simply darned--or ignored!
Given these issues, this is in Good/Very Good condtion, and so it a bargain at just $30, or offer!
Measurements:
Chest: 22
Sleeve: 27 (+2)
Shoulder: 19 1/2
Length: 46
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