Fashion
March 6, 2015
Part 11: The U.S. Navy's Peacoat
Part 11: The US Navy P-Coat
This time, we introduce a vintage P-coat.
This piece is presumed to have been manufactured around the time of World War I (1914-1918),
and is the US Navy P-coat that is generally considered the prototype for today's P-coat.
Photo by JAMANDFIX
Why the Front Can Be Fastened on Either Side?
There are several differences between this coat and P-coats made in later periods.
Typically, P-coats have two "muff pockets" with vertical slits on the front to warm the hands, but this P-coat has two additional "handwarmer pockets" with flaps.
Additionally, the wide collar, known as a "reefer collar," designed to block cold wind from the chest, is exceptionally broad, and the reinforcing stitching seen in later models is absent.
A major characteristic of the P-coat is its ability to fasten the front on either side. This is because,
originally, it was designed for use in harsh weather conditions on bridges and decks, allowing it to be fastened on either side depending on the wind direction, and also to ensure redundancy in case one set of buttons was damaged.
While this first-type P-coat shares that characteristic, its silhouette differs from later models, with a longer length and a more defined waist shape.
Furthermore, in the 1940s models, the lining material for the body was silk, and the pockets were corduroy, but
here, both the body and pockets feature wool lining, with only the sleeves using cotton silk.
All ten resin buttons remain original, each engraved with "13 Stars," representing the number of states at the time of the United States' founding.
The size is 40-42, which is slightly large, but
the condition is excellent, with virtually no damage to the buttonholes, which are typically prone to wear.
However, the chin strap appears to be made of a different fabric than the body, suggesting it may have been added by a previous owner.
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