Starius
Practically Family
- Messages
- 698
- Location
- Neverwhere, Iowa
I recently purchased a 1955 Belgian Greatcoat from ArmyNavyDeals.com.
Now, I should inform you that I am not super enthused about vintage clothing. I do like retro and vintage inspired clothing... but when it comes to actually wearing something aged I feel (like a lot of folks do) that it could be more trouble than its worth in terms of keeping it in wearable condition. However, I must admit, a lot of those fears I've had have been alleviated thanks to many knowledgeable first hand discussions here in the lounge.
Perhaps that is in part to why I went ahead and ordered this coat from the online military surplus store. The exact reasons why I actually wanted this greatcoat are a bit vague even to myself. But, all I can say is that I liked the cut of it and the price seemed right. My family, however, thinks that buying it was weird and pointless. *
My one true fear about receiving this coat was if it had a musty odor to it and I had asked in another thread if dry cleaning it would be the solution. A response from Edward set those fears aside... fears that did come to fruition however. Upon arrival, I found the coat to have a pungent odor... that lingered on your very touch after handling the coat. I didn't try it on, I took it straight to the dry cleaners.** That did the trick, the musty odor was gone once I got the coat back.
The greatcoat itself is a very thick wool and quite heavy. In fact, the weight of the coat bent the hook of a wire coat hanger straight after it was hung up on it for a day. It will most definitely keep you warm in a cold blizzard.
One surprise, at least to me, was the color of the coat. The pictures on the surplus website suggested it was more of a brown in color but mine is definitely predominantly green. While I was attracted to the idea of it being more brown, I find I am not any less disappointed in this greenish color.
The buttons are metal and feature a sort of lion emblem design. The stitching of the coat has held up quite well, there were just a couple long threads I had to snip off. The sizing of this coat is also perfect for me. I chose a medium. I wasn't sure if that was a great idea, people generally being larger these days than back then. In this particular case I do think that a large would have been too big for me. At 6 foot 1 inch, but with a slimmer build, I tend to bounce back between medium and large clothing sizes but I found this coat at a size medium to be perfect for me. Though, if I was wearing a suit underneath with a jacket of thicker material, I might find it a bit too snug. But this coat is so thick itself, I don't foresee having to wear many thick layers underneath it.
So, all in all, I have to say I am very satisfied with this purchase. I like having a authentic military style great coat yet it isn't recognizably associated with any military branch by anyone, in these parts at least. I am still shocked that it is from 1955 because of it's such good condition. I'm certain it looks as good now as it did back then. I'm sure it will serve me well for years to come.
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* Of course, they think me weird in general. Thus, by the family laws of physics, just about anything I do will be classified as weird by default.
** Being the first garment I've personally had dry cleaned, I was naturally curious about the process and did a little research. Ignorance may have been bliss for I was a bit disturbed about the dry cleaning chemical "perchloroethylene." Wikipedia had this to say about it:
"Perc is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and exposure carries risks to both those who work in the dry cleaning industry as well as consumers. People who wear one dry-cleaned garment one day a week over a 40-year period could inhale enough perc "to measurably increase their risk of cancer" by as much as 150 times what is considered "negligible risk." Perc exposure has been shown to cause liver cancer in mice and kidney cancer in male rats.[2] According to California's South Coast Air Quality Management District(SCAQMD), people who live near dry cleaners have a higher risk of cancer than those who live near oil refineries or power plants.[3]
Women who work in dry cleaners are 2-4 times more likely to have miscarriages than women in other professions.[4] Prolonged exposure to chemical fumes or direct contact can cause liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage, especially to those with preexisting conditions."
I just hope I chose the lesser of two evils.
"Perc is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and exposure carries risks to both those who work in the dry cleaning industry as well as consumers. People who wear one dry-cleaned garment one day a week over a 40-year period could inhale enough perc "to measurably increase their risk of cancer" by as much as 150 times what is considered "negligible risk." Perc exposure has been shown to cause liver cancer in mice and kidney cancer in male rats.[2] According to California's South Coast Air Quality Management District(SCAQMD), people who live near dry cleaners have a higher risk of cancer than those who live near oil refineries or power plants.[3]
Women who work in dry cleaners are 2-4 times more likely to have miscarriages than women in other professions.[4] Prolonged exposure to chemical fumes or direct contact can cause liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage, especially to those with preexisting conditions."
I just hope I chose the lesser of two evils.
