Questions About the United States Navy Peacoat

[Peacoat]

They are an add on, evidently to correct one of the design deficiencies of the peacoat. With large openings at the cuffs/sleeves and an unrestricted opening at the hem of the coat, a large amount of air transfer takes place. A properly fitted peacoat will reduce the air transfer around the body, but the sleeves are still open. This add on feature solves that problem. I would leave them in place, especially if you are in a cold climate.

BTW, welcome to the Lounge.

 

[C5Shark]

Thanks! Following your advice from the peacoat dating thread, I ended up buying two peacoats. A 42 circa 1949 and now this one from 1945 in size 40. The 42 looks fine over a t shirt, but is definitely better suited to having an additional layer underneath. Both seem to be unissued and aside from a couple loose buttons, in very good condition. I'll share some pictures when i get the 1945 back from the cleaners.

Maybe having a car hobby has given me the wrong expectation, but is there a source for used peacoat parts? The 1945 coat is missing its throat latch and though I think it's unlikely that I'll need it, I'd like the coat to have one so it's historically complete.

Also, is it possible to lengthen the sleeves like you could do with a suit jacket, or is that a bad idea because of the age of the wool?

 

[Peacoat]

The sleeves may be lengthened, depending on the amount of extra fabric available inside the cuff. After lengthening, there may be a mark going around the cuff where the old cuff ended, but it isn't very noticeable. I would rather have that than a sleeve that is too short. I had sleeves lengthened on one of my peacoats and am very happy with the results. If the coat has little to no wear, the line will be very faint, if visible at all.

 

[rk5n]

I have two peacoats, a mid 60's size 38 and a 1967 size 40. When comparing the two, the 38 must be unworn because it's much stiffer than the 40. The 38 fits much better but it a little awkward due to how stiff it is. How can I break it in? Would putting it in the dryer with no heat work?

 

[Peacoat]

That might work, but it might also cause unwanted wear on the high points of the outer shell, especially around the collar. Just wear it around the house and move your arms up and down and flex your elbows in front of you. It shouldn't take long to break it in. Don't know how long as I have never had a new peacoat, nor have I ever worn one.

Welcome to the Lounge. PC

 

[rk5n]

I'm reporting back already. Threw the size 38 peacoat in the dryer along with 5 towels to minimize wear. After just 20 minutes I could tell the wool was softer. I kept it in for just over an hour total and while it's not as soft was my size 40, it's much closer than it was. Will make wearing it easier now.

 

[Gamma68]

A moot point now, but dryers are tough on clothing. @Peacoat's advice to simply wear the coat would've been the best option. Best to be a little gentle on vintage clothing items so they can continue to be enjoyed decades from now.

 

[DrMacabre]

Very informative topic, i bought myself a WW2 peacoat but i think i should have gone for a 38 or even a 36 rather than this 40 that looks a little oversized to me :/ Will it shrink if i take a walk under the rain ?

 

[Peacoat]

You look quite the U-Boat commander. Excellent choice in a sweater. If you had asked me what I thought about the fit, I would have said it looks pretty good. These coats will shed water for a while, so a walk in the rain won't do a lot to it, unless it is a downpour. I have never much worn a peacoat in the rain. The snow, yes, but not the rain. I think I would leave it be rather than taking a chance on causing damage.

The p2p on a WWII size 40 is about 21", maybe just a bit more. The WWII size 38 is about 20", maybe a bit more, so use that as a guide. You will get about an extra 2" in the chest as you go up in size. The post war models will be about .25" bigger, such as 21.25" for a size 40 and 20.25" for a size 38.

When we get down to the size 36 and especially the size 34, the sizing is different. I have never understood it, but it seems to work. A post war size 34 will be right at 19" and the size 36 between 19.5" and 20", I believe. These measurements are from memory, so don't hold me to it. I think they are accurate, though.

If your chest circumference is 40", a size 40 WWII peacoat with a p2p of about 21" should have enough room for a sweater and still be a good fit. A size 38 WWII peacoat with a p2p or about 20" should give a trim fit with no room for a sweater. Remember I am talking about WWII peacoats, so the sizing will be just a bit smaller—perhaps 1/2 of an inch smaller in the circumference.

If your chest circumference is 40" a size 38 WWII peacoat with a p2p or about 20" should give a trim fit with no room for a sweater.

When we are measuring our own chest, we use the chest circumference and not the p2p measurement. The p2p is only used to measure the coat.

You may already know all of this, but if not, there it is. PC

 

[Salem]

Hi DrMacabre,

I have a 36 that is very snug, around 19.75 ptp. This coat becomes very tight when a sweater is worn but is still okay...at least till I get in the car where it becomes too much. I have to make sure the coat is unbuttoned and it's still tight. Also, bending forward to tie shoes it constricts again. This coat is best (but still very snug) with a t shirt but it is very cold right now and having a t only is not a option.
Recently I bought an unknown size peacoat (1950) that measures around 20.5 ptp this is looser in the pits but when I wear a sweater it feels great. Even a thick one. In the car it is snug but not uncomfortably so. When I bring my elbows forward it quickly tightens under the pits. So I know it's not too big.
Given the choice of the two I'd take the looser one as it is just a better more usable winter coat that is comfortable in whatever I'm doing atm. When I put on the 36 it really seems almost too tight. It is wearable though.

FWTW, I have another 36 that is getting cuffs altered right now and that is slightly looser then my other 36.

 

[EmergencyIan]

I own a size 38 WWII, made in Brooklyn, Pea Coat. It's chest circumference is just about 41 inches...NO larger, going from memory. It's just slim fitting, but there is room for a sweater underneath. Oh, and I'm sure it's a size 38, because it still has the rare gauze size and place of manufacture tag just beneath the inside collar.

- Ian

 

[Peacoat]

Hi DrMacabre,

I have a 36 that is very snug, around 19.75 ptp. This coat becomes very tight when a sweater is worn but is still okay...at least till I get in the car where it becomes too much. I have to make sure the coat is unbuttoned and it's still tight. Also, bending forward to tie shoes it constricts again. This coat is best (but still very snug) with a t shirt but it is very cold right now and having a t only is not a option.
Recently I bought an unknown size peacoat (1950) that measures around 20.5 ptp this is looser in the pits but when I wear a sweater it feels great. Even a thick one. In the car it is snug but not uncomfortably so. When I bring my elbows forward it quickly tightens under the pits. So I know it's not too big.
Given the choice of the two I'd take the looser one as it is just a better more usable winter coat that is comfortable in whatever I'm doing atm. When I put on the 36 it really seems almost too tight. It is wearable though.

FWTW, I have another 36 that is getting cuffs altered right now and that is slightly looser then my other 36.

Your " . . . unknown size peacoat (1950) that measures around 20.5 ptp . . . . " is a size 38 peacoat. Mystery solved.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Peacoat's advice to simply wear the coat would've been the best option. Best to be a little gentle on vintage clothing items so they can continue to be enjoyed decades from now.

I have issues with too much cleaning and too much alterations on vintage clothing, since it "ruins" it for the next person and I think voids whatever value it might have. I would never take a WW2 era anything and modify it. But hey, I guess there's a lot of these old coats floating around, so it's not like we're talking about modifying a Mona Lisa or something.

 

[DrMacabre]

You look quite the U-Boat commander. Excellent choice in a sweater. If you had asked me what I thought about the fit, I would have said it looks pretty good. These coats will shed water for a while, so a walk in the rain won't do a lot to it, unless it is a downpour. I have never much worn a peacoat in the rain. The snow, yes, but not the rain. I think I would leave it be rather than taking a chance on causing damage.

The p2p on a WWII size 40 is about 21", maybe just a bit more. The WWII size 38 is about 20", maybe a bit more, so use that as a guide. You will get about an extra 2" in the chest as you go up in size. The post war models will be about .25" bigger, such as 21.25" for a size 40 and 20.25" for a size 38.

When we get down to the size 36 and especially the size 34, the sizing is different. I have never understood it, but it seems to work. A post war size 34 will be right at 19" and the size 36 between 19.5" and 20", I believe. These measurements are from memory, so don't hold me to it. I think they are accurate, though.

If your chest circumference is 40", a size 40 WWII peacoat with a p2p of about 21" should have enough room for a sweater and still be a good fit. A size 38 WWII peacoat with a p2p or about 20" should give a trim fit with no room for a sweater. Remember I am talking about WWII peacoats, so the sizing will be just a bit smaller—perhaps 1/2 of an inch smaller in the circumference.

If your chest circumference is 40" a size 38 WWII peacoat with a p2p or about 20" should give a trim fit with no room for a sweater.

When we are measuring our own chest, we use the chest circumference and not the p2p measurement. The p2p is only used to measure the coat.

You may already know all of this, but if not, there it is. PC

thanks, I guess i have a size 38 then since it's 20 at the chest. It was described as a 40 but there is no size on the tag and i bought it based on the measurements. I'm just very skinny and i even lost some weight lately. That's probably why i feel kinda funny into the coat but the more i check on ebay, the less i think i will find a better deal. I've seen a lot of coat with weird alterations on the buttons or pretty beatup for some extravagant prices. I paid $120 for this one and it shows very little wear.

 

[Peacoat]

I own a size 38 WWII, made in Brooklyn, Pea Coat. It's chest circumference is just about 41 inches...NO larger, going from memory. It's just slim fitting, but there is room for a sweater underneath. Oh, and I'm sure it's a size 38, because it still has the rare gauze size and place of manufacture tag just beneath the inside collar.

- Ian

On your size 38 WWII, I think you will find the p2p is a little over 20", maybe as much as 20.25"? As it still has the neck tag, It probably has very little wear as those old tags in the WWII coats are the first to disintegrate. I imagine you need to wear a sweater under the coat when you wear it out at night because it is generally cold up there on those winter nights. At least it was when I was there; doubt that much has changed.

Which do you find warmer, the deck jacket or the peacoat worn with a sweater?

I have issues with too much cleaning and too much alterations on vintage clothing, since it "ruins" it for the next person and I think voids whatever value it might have. I would never take a WW2 era anything and modify it. But hey, I guess there's a lot of these old coats floating around, so it's not like we're talking about modifying a Mona Lisa or something.

Agreed on the alterations on vintage clothing. I have seen some pretty stupid things done on these coats.

There are fewer and fewer of these old WWII coats. Not so many floating around now. We need to preserve what is left.

 

[Salem]

Your " . . . unknown size peacoat (1950) that measures around 20.5 ptp . . . . " is a size 38 peacoat. Mystery solved.

What I should have written was that the size on the tag was unreadable. I did figured it was a 38 but I appreciate yours and EmergencyIan's help!

thanks, I guess i have a size 38 then since it's 20 at the chest. It was described as a 40 but there is no size on the tag and i bought it based on the measurements. I'm just very skinny and i even lost some weight lately. That's probably why i feel kinda funny into the coat but the more i check on ebay, the less i think i will find a better deal. I've seen a lot of coat with weird alterations on the buttons or pretty beatup for some extravagant prices. I paid $120 for this one and it shows very little wear.

No problem. I tried to describe how mine fit to maybe help you determine yours. I have found buying online to be challenging. My first coat is very snug but it was valuable in making further online purchases.

 

[Peacoat]

In my peacoat dating guide, I have a section toward the end on sizing. If you haven't already, it might be helpful to take a look at it. I have posted the link below.

Two important points we sometimes lose sight of is that we take the actual measurement around our chest to obtain the circumference. This is expressed as inches and a fraction of an inch, such as 40.75" (40 3/4"). We never express our chest circumference as a p2p measurement. That only induces more error in the measurement. Secondly, the chest measurement of a peacoat is expressed as a p2p measurement. With this measurement we know the chest size of the peacoat and how it will probably fit us. In the sizing section I explain how to take these measurements and what they mean.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/thre...-dating-the-united-states-navy-peacoat.72058/

 

[EmergencyIan]

On your size 38 WWII, I think you will find the p2p is a little over 20", maybe as much as 20.25"? As it still has the neck tag, It probably has very little wear as those old tags in the WWII coats are the first to disintegrate. I imagine you need to wear a sweater under the coat when you wear it out at night because it is generally cold up there on those winter nights. At least it was when I was there; doubt that much has changed.

Which do you find warmer, the deck jacket or the peacoat worn with a sweater?

The Pea Coat with a sweater is pretty warm. The have the BR "heavy" N-1, which is the proper weight and density of an original, from my experience and it's very warm. Between the heavy alpaca/wool lining to the storm cuffs, it's one that does the trick. The Pea Coat is good, however. Mine is in very good condition. It was never even written or stenciled in. I have the feeling that it wasn't issued. I tend to baby it much more than the N-1 and it's not meant to really be the work coat that the N-1 is. I think that the N-1's jungle cloth shell is nearly indestructible. In saying all of that, I have a BR repro WWII US Navy Transport coat which is shearling lined with a mouton collar and a mole skin shell...just as the originals. I wore it out today in 13 degree -2 windchill and was warm. That's the coat! The N-1 isn't far behind, however. The Pea Coat is a classic and very functional, of course. The inside pockets come in very handy while walking around in NYC.

- Ian

 

[Peacoat]

Your BR "heavy" N-1 may be more coat than the original. I have a mid 60s model, and it is warm with the Alpaca lining. I believe it has a drawstring waist, which helps tremendously. I can't imagine how warm that Transport coat is, though. You will need it when you are out New Year's eve. I saw your forecast this morning and it will be colder than normal. When I spent time in the City, all I had was a peacoat. It did me well as we walked everywhere when above ground. I wish I would have had a sweater to wear under it, but somehow that didn't happen.

Stay warm. PC

 

[EmergencyIan]

Your BR "heavy" N-1 may be more coat than the original. I have a mid 60s model, and it is warm with the Alpaca lining. I believe it has a drawstring waist, which helps tremendously. I can't imagine how warm that Transport coat is, though. You will need it when you are out New Year's eve. I saw your forecast this morning and it will be colder than normal. When I spent time in the City, all I had was a peacoat. It did me well as we walked everywhere when above ground. I wish I would have had a sweater to wear under it, but somehow that didn't happen.

Stay warm. PC

It’s very cold here, right now, and will be for the foreseeable future. I mostly welcome it.

Generally, during the winter in NYC, the Pea Coat with a scarf and gloves is more than sufficient. With a thick sweater, you’re almost always good to go. Back to those inner pockets, they’re swell when your a pedestrian in NYC.

It’s just that right now we’re getting near upper Midwest winter weather, at least for 10 to 14 days, unless it decides to stick around longer. So, things like the transport coat and the rough and ready “heavy” N-1 are go to’s.

- Ian