MEGA PEACOAT THREAD - 61 threads merged - all Peacoat questions HERE

[wkt]

Any reply? Or people stop wearing pea coats this winter and moved onto a new trend?

 

[Thin White Duke]

Keep trawling eBay.
i was languidly looking and one day came across a 1968 USN one in Kersey wool for $40. Has to be one of my best bargains ever.

 

[wkt]

I recently got a 1968 Kersey in almost perfect condition.
It came with pewter buttons.
I’ve done some research and found that pewter buttons weren't in use until the seventies.
I’ve ordered some plastic fouled anchor buttons.
I wonder if there’s any consensus among the ‘pea coat community’ in restoring authenticity with the plastic buttons or just doing what you want. I have to admit the pewter buttons look kinda cool.
It also still has the first class gunners mate patch which also looks kinda cool - is this likely to get me the stink eye from ex sailors?
Thoughts welcome - cheers!

View attachment 1383811

nice find, looks large, i was wondering what is the pit to pit measurement on that? maybe that is why it didn't sell? and can a peacoat be worn a little bit oversized or should it be more on the fitted side?

 

[Thin White Duke]

nice find, looks large, i was wondering what is the pit to pit measurement on that? maybe that is why it didn't sell? and can a peacoat be worn a little bit oversized or should it be more on the fitted side?

Which pics are you looking et?
The fit is entirely up to you. I had the sleeves shortened and the sides taken in a bit on mine. My aim was to get it so that it would look fitted if I had a couple of layers including a heavy sweater but still have room for a blazer underneath and I reckon I got it right. Haven’t tried it out in the wild yet.

 

[wkt]

Which pics are you looking et?
The fit is entirely up to you. I had the sleeves shortened and the sides taken in a bit on mine. My aim was to get it so that it would look fitted if I had a couple of layers including a heavy sweater but still have room for a blazer underneath and I reckon I got it right. Haven’t tried it out in the wild yet.

i dunno what you mean, i just looked at the one pic that you posted above, the one i quoted with the coat on the wire hanger.

 

[Thin White Duke]

Yeah that pic was before alterations as you can see I turned the cuffs inward to get a feel for how much would need to be popped off! It’s now more fitted in the body with the right sleeve length but I don’t have pics yet!
Good luck!

 

[wkt]

one last question, is the coat you have a dark blue (navy) colour, or black? i strongly prefer a navy colour, but there seems to be some confusion between the navy COLOUR and how pea coats are worn in the navy, i really wish they should just describe the colour as blue instead of navy, then this problem wouldn't exist.

anyways, i strongly prefer a navy coloured coat, as wearing a black coat makes me feel like i am going to a funeral. but by looking at your pics i can't quite tell if your coat is black or a very dark blue (navy), so which is it and how do you feel about the colour? thx

 

[Thin White Duke]

one last question, is the coat you have a dark blue (navy) colour, or black? i strongly prefer a navy colour, but there seems to be some confusion between the navy COLOUR and how pea coats are worn in the navy, i really wish they should just describe the colour as blue instead of navy, then this problem wouldn't exist.

anyways, i strongly prefer a navy coloured coat, as wearing a black coat makes me feel like i am going to a funeral. but by looking at your pics i can't quite tell if your coat is black or a very dark blue (navy), so which is it and how do you feel about the colour? thx

I actually have a hard time distinguishing between dark navy blue / midnight blue and black especially in low light but this is definitely navy.
I used to have loads of black clothes and shoes and have hardly any now. It’s a very boring colour. Anyway I love this coat and when I see the eye-watering prices of replicas by Schott, Buzz Rickson and Real McCoy along with the usually inferior quality of the high street brands I would advise anyone to be patient and try their luck with vintage military.

 

[Peacoat]

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[Peacoat]

hi

i got a sterlingwear peacoat but i outgrew it and it is a bit tight on me now, looking to buy a replacement in a larger size but i checked the sterlingwear website and they dont make them anymore? is that true? are there any other places that i can buy the same brand of peacoats?

or can someone here suggest an alternative brand/model that is at the same level or better than sterlingwear? thx

Forget the fashion "peacoats;" get a real US Navy vintage peacoat manufactured before 1980. They are the best. Although one or two of the repros are nice as well.

To find out more about the vintage peacoats, visit my guide which should be linked below.

 

[classicalthunde]

Sorry if this is a dumb question - did Sterlingwear shutdown? didn't really see anywhere to buy them on google, but also didnt see any news articles about them shutting down?

I have an old USN surplus pea coat that I am looking to replace, its got the military/government tags in it, so I assume its sterlingwear.

If it is out of business, is a Schott 740 the next best thing?

I'm looking to size down, and switch to a long so I can wear it over a sport coat

 

[RCD33]

Sorry if this is a dumb question - did Sterlingwear shutdown? didn't really see anywhere to buy them on google, but also didnt see any news articles about them shutting down?

I have an old USN surplus pea coat that I am looking to replace, its got the military/government tags in it, so I assume its sterlingwear.

If it is out of business, is a Schott 740 the next best thing?

I'm looking to size down, and switch to a long so I can wear it over a sport coat

Not sure where I remember reading this, but I think Sterlingwear and Fidelity merged a few years back, and now operate under the Fidelity brand.

This reminds me...I've got an older black Sterlingwear peacoat that I no longer use (upgraded to a Buzz Rickson's version) that I need to post to b-s-t. Great coat, but I couldn't find a Sterlingwear version in navy at the time.

 

[classicalthunde]

Not sure where I remember reading this, but I think Sterlingwear and Fidelity merged a few years back, and now operate under the Fidelity brand.

This reminds me...I've got an older black Sterlingwear peacoat that I no longer use (upgraded to a Buzz Rickson's version) that I need to post to b-s-t. Great coat, but I couldn't find a Sterlingwear version in navy at the time.

so what is the gold standard for a Mil Spec USN pea coat these days Fidelity or Schott 740? I don't need anything fancy, but want something heavy duty for the peak winter months

I'm a tough fit, so I'd rather avoid vintage on ebay and the lack of return possibilities

 

[Peacoat]

so what is the gold standard for a Mil Spec USN pea coat these days Fidelity or Schott 740? I don't need anything fancy, but want something heavy duty for the peak winter months

I'm a tough fit, so I'd rather avoid vintage on ebay and the lack of return possibilities

Neither Fidelity nor Schott make a Mil Spec pea coat. Fidelity has never made pea coats for the Navy. Schott may have had a contract back during the war, but no one at the company knew if, when or for how long it produced pea coats under contract.

Sterlingwear contracted with the government to make pea coats for the Navy back in 1968. At that time, the name of the company was Viking. The pea coats were produced under the ViMil label, which was short for Viking Military, the branch of the company making military clothing. Both Viking and Sterlingwear have been manufacturers of quality pea coats since the first contract.

In 2019, the Navy announced the pea coat would be phased out, replaced by a parka made of synthetic materials. This was a devastating blow to Sterlingwear and East Boston, the woolen mills in the NE and the sheep farmers around the country.

The 740 pea coat that Schott is selling is an 80/20 wool blend with a melton shell. This is not nearly as nice as the vintage (1979 and before) US Navy peacoats with the 100% Kersey wool. And not as warm either.

In my article about vintage peacoats on The Fedora Lounge, I tell how to date the coats, what to look for in a peacoat and how to get your correct size when ordering online.

The link to my article is below in my signature line. Any questions? Join the Lounge and ask there in the Peacoat Thread, or ask me here. PC

 

[classicalthunde]

Neither Fidelity nor Schott make a Mil Spec pea coat. Fidelity has never made pea coats for the Navy. Schott may have had a contract back during the war, but no one at the company knew if, when or for how long it produced pea coats under contract.

Sterlingwear contracted with the government to make pea coats for the Navy back in 1968. At that time, the name of the company was Viking. The pea coats were produced under the ViMil label, which was short for Viking Military, the branch of the company making military clothing. Both Viking and Sterlingwear have been manufacturers of quality pea coats since the first contract.

In 2019, the Navy announced the pea coat would be phased out, replaced by a parka made of synthetic materials. This was a devastating blow to Sterlingwear and East Boston, the woolen mills in the NE and the sheep farmers around the country.

The 740 pea coat that Schott is selling is an 80/20 wool blend with a melton shell. This is not nearly as nice as the vintage (1979 and before) US Navy peacoats with the 100% Kersey wool. And not as warm either.

In my article about vintage peacoats on The Fedora Lounge, I tell how to date the coats, what to look for in a peacoat and how to get your correct size when ordering online.

The link to my article is below in my signature line. Any questions? Join the Lounge and ask there in the Peacoat Thread, or ask me here. PC

@Peacoat thanks! I ran through the Fedora Lounge articles, they were very interesting and insightful! I didnt realize my current pea coat was a phony until I read your article about tags!

I'm basically looking for a coat that would be close to the recent military issue ones, doesn't have to be a perfect match just pretty close...I would prefer to spend in the $250-350 range, but could push it to the mid-400s if it was worth it. But the Buzz Rickson ones at 675 GBP are well out of range unfortunately

I used to have my eye on updating my current (phony) peacoat for a Sterlingwear one, but I put it on the backburner for a couple of years and I guess I waited too long