I love a good deck jacket, and whilst the blue jungle cloth jacket get most of the attention, it's the humble peacoat that really started it all. The word peacoat is stems from the Dutch word 'pije', which means a coat made of thick wool, and and likely comes from the early 18th century. But it was the British and the heyday of the Royal Navy which really made the peacoat synonymous with the sea. The US Navy, in the very late 1800s would take inspiration from the British reefer jacket and create their own style peacoat style which, though updated though various iterations, only ceased to be issued in 2020.
And this is probably the most beautiful, and certainly the most sought after of them all, the 1910 peacoat, also know as the WW1 peacoat. Distinct from its later siblings with four pockets (the two waist pockets would be removed in the 1930s), longer length, 10 buttons (it would later change to 8), and beautiful 13 star & anchor buttons. This style would be issued from around 1910 through until the 30s when it would be replaced by the a more simple garment.
Made of stunning thick wool, and with so many beautiful details like brown contrast stitching, buttoned neck flap and the triangular pocket reinforcement. This honestly has to be one of the most beautiful and stylish pieces of menswear ever made. This particular version I believe to be from the 1920s/30s and features the Naval Clothing Factory label.
Condition
For a garment approaching (or over) it's 100th birthday, this is really in amazing condition. The outer shell is almost perfect, and given most of these have been destroyed by moths, this is pretty amazing. The corduroy in the pockets is a little worn but completely intact and very strong, and as you can see the label is there. The button holes have some very subtle period repairs, but they all work perfectly. The lining has taken some wear over the years, and there are some small worn through areas around the collar and tail. There are a couple of repairs around the inner sleeves and a hole that has been patched. I have done some restoration work on this, opening the hem to reinforce all of the buttons, removing some old handmade repairs and redoing them, and invisibly patching some worn areas of the lining. The work has been done with the same colour and style thread to ensure it's as discreet as possible, and she's now ready for the next 100 years.
Size
- No tag, but fits like a modern 38
- Pit to pit 21"
- Shoulder to shoulder 18"
- Shoulder to cuff 24"
- Collar to hem 32"