Double breasted peacoats

[CC-1]

Considering peacoats (pre-1966), what on earth was the purpose of fully functional double rows of buttons and holes? Faux double breasted front makes sense for extra protection. But the only reason I can think for two sets is to cover the egg you dropped on your coat at breakfast. (P.S. no women wore peacoats in the old days)

 

[captaincaveman1]

I'm guessing its primarily aesthetics.

Arguably, the second row could serve a functional redundancy too. Should a button or two pop off on one side the sailor could just button up with the other side. [huh]

 

[4spurs]

well, most of us . . .

Well, most of us are double breasted too . . . but I agree with caveman, if the buttons came off you could button the other way until yo were able to sew other buttons back on, and you also had a source of extra buttons which was probably needed because if one came off it might be lost too.

And remember this; the theme of redundancy runs deep in the Navy.

 

[Peacoat]

Brain Puzzler

This question is one of those imponderables that keeps me awake at night. I don't think it is aesthetics. Could be the button coming off theory, but I doubt the Navy was, or is, that concerned about the convenience of its sailors. A sewing kit was issued/available for that purpose. Perhaps a more likely reason was wear on the front of the coat? When a coat started showing wear, or was damaged on the front, it could simply be buttoned the other way to hide the damage.

Speaking of brain puzzlers, has anyone heard and figured out the current one on NPR's Car Talk? Two glasses, one 9 oz. another one 4 oz. . . . .

 

[pipe23]

I recall something about being able to button either side depending on which way the wind was blowing, don't know if this is true but it makes sense, many exposed positions on a ship entail long periods of watch-standing and although I've never been in the Navy I have used the either-side buttoning option while commuting to work in New York City, it works.

 

[WolfeMan]

It looks nice. Pretty much all Ive got.

 

[Peacoat]

Pipe, I think you got it. Makes sense and is nice and simple. I have spent a lot of time on sailboats on the open sea, and that damn wind is always blowing. If one is on watch on a Navy vessel, the wind is always blowing from the same direction. The extra layer of the double breasted coat would be negated if the wind were always blowing inside the chest. Good answer; I like it.

 

[CC-1]

I had a thought while adopting Peacoat's position on imponderables last night.
A peacoat is synonymous with "reefer." What if the double breasted thing is all about access. Sailors up on the yards of old sailing ships, reefing sails in the weather, would need something inside their jacket. They'd have to hang on to the rigging with one arm and unbutton with the other. Maybe it was easier if they were able to alternately button and unbutton from one hand or the other.