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

[Mercurio]

Actually, Kersey was used before Melton. The Navy changed over to Melton in 1980 to cut costs of the coats. Kersey is a superior fabric.

Thanks for your comment and opinion.

Somebody asked Schott a question on Melton or Kersey wool for peacoats. This is what they answered:

"I have listed a site that you can check, as I was not sure what Kersey wool was. From several sites, I could determine it was wool first made in England and was a poorer quality and less expensive wool.

If you check on our website under the option "About Schott" it confirms we produced the Naval peacoat in WWII for the Navy. We continue to make the Schott peacoat to the same "Naval Military Spec" of over 60 years which is 32 oz. Melton wool. With any military item, they require the highest standards in materials and workmanship. Also if you click onto the peacoat style 740 the description of the jacket gives an informative and great history review of the peacoat.

Our Melton wool peacoat is heavy, durable and very warm. Gail"

Melton wool or Kersey wool for a pea coat?

www.schottnyc.com

On the same subject, even though the same source:

A debate regarding the Kersey and Melton wool peacoats

I posted this comment in another thread, but Im hoping it might get a bit more attention in its own thread. Any help would be appreciated. Im...

www.thefedoralounge.com

 

[Peacoat]

Thanks for your comment and opinion.

Somebody asked Schott a question on Melton or Kersey wool for peacoats. This is what they answered:

"I have listed a site that you can check, as I was not sure what Kersey wool was. From several sites, I could determine it was wool first made in England and was a poorer quality and less expensive wool.

If you check on our website under the option "About Schott" it confirms we produced the Naval peacoat in WWII for the Navy. We continue to make the Schott peacoat to the same "Naval Military Spec" of over 60 years which is 32 oz. Melton wool. With any military item, they require the highest standards in materials and workmanship. Also if you click onto the peacoat style 740 the description of the jacket gives an informative and great history review of the peacoat.

Our Melton wool peacoat is heavy, durable and very warm. Gail"

Melton wool or Kersey wool for a pea coat?

www.schottnyc.com

On the same subject, even though the same source:

A debate regarding the Kersey and Melton wool peacoats

I posted this comment in another thread, but Im hoping it might get a bit more attention in its own thread. Any help would be appreciated. Im...

www.thefedoralounge.com

Unfortunately, none of that is accurate. I knew Gail, and she was knowledgeable about the current inventory of Schott. Beyond that, her knowledge base was limited.

I guarantee you that Schott does not use the same materials as was required by the government contracts during WWII. * I even have my doubts that Schott produced peacoats for the US Navy during WWII. A number of years ago I did research on exactly when Schott produced peacoats for the government. No one at Schott could answer the question or even had a guess. Gail had not a clue, and no one there she checked with could tell her.

Most of what you read on the Schott website about their peacoat is marketing misinformation. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

I own peacoats from WWII, and all the way up to 1986. The Kersey shells are much nicer than the Melton shells. The Melton is rougher than the Kersey which is smoother and much more dense. The coats produced under the 1949 contract have the nicest Kersey of all of the contracts.

You linked to comments by JL Storm at The Fedora Lounge. JL Storm knows only a little more about peacoats than my dog playing in the back yard. I should have moved his comments to the main Peacoat thread and answered them there. I would have put short shrift to that nonsense. Unfortunately I didn't see them and no one alerted me that I should move the posts. He, too, was led astray by comments on the Schott website. Unfortunately, people seeking information on vintage peacoats find their way to that site, read what Schott has posted and believe it. It gets passed on as the gospel and undermines the truth about peacoats.

Below is a link to the guide to US Navy peacoats on The Fedora Lounge. It is written by the one person who has a thorough understanding of the subject..

The Fedora Lounge Guide to Dating the United States Navy Peacoat

PEACOAT DATING I first became interested in vintage Navy peacoats while trying to replace a coat my brother-in-law had given me in about 1971 when he got out of the Navy. Initially, I bought two of them, one at an Army Navy surplus store and one on EBay. Neither had the same...

www.thefedoralounge.com

Here is a link to the Major Peacoat thread at The Fedora Lounge. There is a lot of misinformation in that thread until March 24 when the expert on peacoats chimed in.

Questions About the United States Navy Peacoat

Vintage Navy pea coat -- dating? Hi all, I recently purchased a vintage U.S Navy pea coat, and was curious about its age. Are there any resources that could help me figure this out? The coat's inner markings by themselves don't reveal much of anything. Any help is appreciated.

www.thefedoralounge.com

Thank you for your interest in vintage peacoats, but please disregard what you read by Schott. It is all about marketing its product.
______
* I have researched the Naval Uniform Regulations from that era, and before, and they very clearly state that the peacoats shall be manufactured from Kersey Wool. Kersey was used, with a few exceptions, until 1980 when the Navy switched over to Melton to save money.

 

[jszair]

Asking for advice on fit check

(black) Bond peacoat vs (gray) Private White VC

My own take
- Black fits better and looks sharper because of the lapel design
- Gray looks more like a overcoat?
- Gray has room for layer but given where I am (NorCal), layering a thin sweater would be enough and Black can do that
- Gray material is soooo much softer and looks nicer being a cashmere blend

 

[Thin White Duke]

Pic of grey coat did not post.
One consideration is that I usually try to avoid putting my hands in my pockets but when wearing a pea coat I make an exception. The slash pockets were obviously designed with this in mind, so tarting up a ‘designer’ pea coat with flapped pockets kinda defeats the purpose for me. Worse still if they have hand warmer pockets so high it looks like you’re doing the funky chicken when you use them.

 

[WaIIace]

Hello, Peacoat. Do you, by any chance, know if these Naval Clothing Factory shirts were made from the kersey wool as well?

 

[Imperatores]

If anyone in Europe is interested in trying out a vintage navy peacoat, hit me up. I imported a 38R (from 1966 I believe, with the kersey wool, corduroy pockets etc.), but the fit didn't quite work for me. It's in surprisingly excellent shape, so it saddens me that it didn't work out. I can see why the kersey wool is so desirable. I'd rather pass it onto one of you guys who knows what you're getting, than trying to sell it to some random person.

 

[Ari_1981]

Hola. This is mine, a Fidelity by Gerald & Stewart.

 

[Peacoat]

Hello, Peacoat. Do you, by any chance, know if these Naval Clothing Factory shirts were made from the kersey wool as well?

I have no idea. This is the first one I have seen. I would think Kersey would be a heavy fabric for a shirt. Same with the Melton.

Are these currently being offered for sale?

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your question, but I didn't get email notice of it.

 

[WaIIace]

I have no idea. This is the first one I have seen. I would think Kersey would be a heavy fabric for a shirt. Same with the Melton.

Are these currently being offered for sale?

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your question, but I didn't get email notice of it.

No problem, thank you for responding. They can be found on eBay and various marketplaces at the moment. The tag says "Manufactured by Naval Clothing Factory" (that made peacoats), so I thought that maybe this shirt is made of the kersey wool as well

 

[Achilles666]

Can anyone comment on the fit of the Private White Peacoat? Tried one briefly in a size 6 (XL) but it felt tight in the shoulders and big in the belly, as if for pear-shaped folks. Considering keeping a Schott 782usa in size large, which seems to fit a bit better. Wondering if others have experienced the same sort of fit issues with the Private White Peacoat, or if perhaps I got a ringer. Preferred the Private White for everything but fit.

Edit: checked Private White's site again, and sure enough they list the garment measurements as being a couple cm larger in the waist than the chest! This seems pretty unusual to me. Would appreciate any feedback or input.

 

[Achilles666]

Figured I'd share my experiences with trying various peacoats in hopes of helping others. For some context, I wanted one that fit well over other considerations. I'm 5'11", about 193#, 43.5" chest, about about 34" waist.
o Private White V.C. Peacoat--great quality, loved the interior pockets, fabric was nice but didn't have much character. Fit was awful--seemed designed for pear-shaped folks, and indeed waist measures larger than chest. I got a size 6 in this. Apparently you incur duty over a dollar threshold around $800, so I wound up paying $182 in customs. Private White wanted to make me eat this after I returned the coat, but is refunding it at my insistence.
o Gloverall Churchill--lighter-weight fabric, floppy collar. Fit was decent. The upper pockets are weird in that they make your hands dive down instead of being able to insert your hands naturally. Coat came covered in lint, and overall seemed of middling quality. Return postage cost $78 with USPS. I'll never buy from a UK firm without a U.S. distributor again.
o Schott 740, slim-fit peacoat, leather-trim peacoat, 760, and 782USA: Schott shipped fast, excellent packaging (better than Private White by far), and seems to make solid stuff. I found their 740 too boxy (size 44). The leather trim jackets were far too wide in a size 46. Their all-wool peacoat (760) was pretty rough, itchy wool. I nearly kept the 782USA, but found a jacket that just fit better. I may still buy it on a Black Friday sale. My only complaint with Schott's construction was the cuffs, as they aren't stitched down on the inside and thus my watch catches on them. I liked the 80/20 fabric. Their pricing makes no sense to me. The fabric on the $350 740 and $545 782USA is identical as far as I can tell, and there's not a lot of difference in features. Schott's navy jackets all look black to me.
o Suitsupply 'Austin' peacoat. This was the easy winner. It fits like it's custom-made in a size 46. Got enough room in the shoulders but it tapers nicely and the sleeves somehow aren't too long. It's 100% wool is cheaper than Schott's 80/20 (but it's made in China). I personally like the lighter navy color and the design, but I get that it's not a traditional peacoat. I did have to return a couple of other Suitsupply jackets and found their return process in a store to be excellent.

Hope that helps someone in future.

 

[DapperPhilly]

Figured I'd share my experiences with trying various peacoats in hopes of helping others. For some context, I wanted one that fit well over other considerations. I'm 5'11", about 193#, 43.5" chest, about about 34" waist.
o Private White V.C. Peacoat--great quality, loved the interior pockets, fabric was nice but didn't have much character. Fit was awful--seemed designed for pear-shaped folks, and indeed waist measures larger than chest. I got a size 6 in this. Apparently you incur duty over a dollar threshold around $800, so I wound up paying $182 in customs. Private White wanted to make me eat this after I returned the coat, but is refunding it at my insistence.
o Gloverall Churchill--lighter-weight fabric, floppy collar. Fit was decent. The upper pockets are weird in that they make your hands dive down instead of being able to insert your hands naturally. Coat came covered in lint, and overall seemed of middling quality. Return postage cost $78 with USPS. I'll never buy from a UK firm without a U.S. distributor again.
o Schott 740, slim-fit peacoat, leather-trim peacoat, 760, and 782USA: Schott shipped fast, excellent packaging (better than Private White by far), and seems to make solid stuff. I found their 740 too boxy (size 44). The leather trim jackets were far too wide in a size 46. Their all-wool peacoat (760) was pretty rough, itchy wool. I nearly kept the 782USA, but found a jacket that just fit better. I may still buy it on a Black Friday sale. My only complaint with Schott's construction was the cuffs, as they aren't stitched down on the inside and thus my watch catches on them. I liked the 80/20 fabric. Their pricing makes no sense to me. The fabric on the $350 740 and $545 782USA is identical as far as I can tell, and there's not a lot of difference in features. Schott's navy jackets all look black to me.
o Suitsupply 'Austin' peacoat. This was the easy winner. It fits like it's custom-made in a size 46. Got enough room in the shoulders but it tapers nicely and the sleeves somehow aren't too long. It's 100% wool is cheaper than Schott's 80/20 (but it's made in China). I personally like the lighter navy color and the design, but I get that it's not a traditional peacoat. I did have to return a couple of other Suitsupply jackets and found their return process in a store to be excellent.

Hope that helps someone in future.

I bought 4 peacoats this year.
1. J Crew new on sale for $100. It fit well. Was an 80/20 and the build was OK. It had a good looking herringbone.
Size M. I returned it.
2. Spier & MacKay size 42S. Beautiful coat but a little short for me and didn't care for the button band on the back
Well made and very nice fabric. Sold it.
3 & 4 Both Spier & MacKay (different model) Size 42R in Grey and Navy. Nice heavy fabric, well made and fit well allowing some room for layering. 740grms-90%wool 10%cashmere by Zanieri. Very happy with them. All bought on sale About $300 each

I'm 5'11 185-190lb

The pics are in order of purchase. No pics of the S&M Navy but its the same as the Grey in every way but color.

 

[Ed_96]

Hola. This is mine, a Fidelity by Gerald & Stewart.

Hi there, where can i find one like this ? I searched all over the internet but there were only some vintage in very used conditions and the official website of Gerald and Stweart seems to be down for some reason.

 

[Ari_1981]

Hi there, where can i find one like this ? I searched all over the internet but there were only some vintage in very used conditions and the official website of Gerald and Stweart seems to be down for some reason.

the brand no longer sells, I found it on Vinted, new. You should look on eBay.

 

[WaIIace]

@Peacoat , hello. I see that some of the kersey peacoats have the chin strap and some aren't. Do you think that it is better to buy the peacoat with it or it doesn't really matter?