Pea coat

Last updated
Military surplus coat, produced for the US Navy US Navy p coat wiki.jpg
Military surplus coat, produced for the US Navy

A pea coat (or peacoat, pea jacket, pilot jacket) is an outer coat, generally of a navy-coloured heavy wool, [1] originally worn by sailors of European and later American navies. [2] Pea coats are characterized by short length, broad lapels, double-breasted fronts, often large wooden, metal or plastic buttons, three or four in two rows, and vertical or slash pockets. [3] References to the pea jacket appear in American newspapers at least as early as the 1720s, [4] and modern renditions still maintain the original design and composition. [1]

Contents

A reefer jacket is an officer's or chief petty officer's pea coat, with the same design but bearing gold buttons and epaulettes. [2] A bridge coat is a reefer jacket which extends to the thighs, giving greater protection to an officer who does not need agility to climb the rigging. [5]

Etymology

According to a 1975 edition of The Mariner's Mirror , the term "pea coat" originated from the Dutch or West Frisian word pijjekker or pijjakker, in which pij referred to the type of cloth used, a coarse kind of twilled blue cloth with a nap on one side. Jakker designates a man’s short, heavy coat. [6]

Another theory, favoured by the US Navy, is that the heavy topcoat worn in cold, miserable weather by seafaring men was once tailored from "pilot cloth" a heavy, coarse, stout kind of twilled blue cloth with the nap on one side. This was sometimes called P-cloth from the initial letter of pilot, and the garment made from it was called a P-jacket later a pea coat. The term has been used since 1723 to denote coats made from that cloth. [7]

Characteristics

Today, the style is considered a classic, and pea coats are worn by all manner of individuals. The style has evolved to the addition of hoods.

While some of the jackets seen on the street are genuine navy surplus, most are designs inspired by the classic uniform and available from retailers with design variations that reflect current fashion trends, including a variety of fabrics and colours. The standard US Navy-issued pea coat uses Navy blue wool and sports buttons (brass for officers, black plastic for enlisted) decorated with an anchor motif. The standard fabric for historical pea coats in the 20th century was a smooth and heavy, dark navy blue Kersey wool, which was dense enough to repel wind and rain, and able to contain body heat without further insulation. This wool was left lightly treated after being sheared to retain much of the natural lanolin oil from sheep, thus increasing its water-repelling and insulating properties. [8] [9] Kersey was gradually replaced in the U.S. Navy through the 1970s by the rougher black Melton cloth (also lightly treated), a lighter wool that requires a quilted lining to match the warmth of the original Kersey. [10]

Russian armour junior officers (centre) wearing double-breasted leather coats during the 1939 Invasion of Poland Sustrecha nemtsau i bal'shavikou pad Dabuchynam.jpg
Russian armour junior officers (centre) wearing double-breasted leather coats during the 1939 Invasion of Poland

A black leather version of the reefer jacket was worn by Kriegsmarine U-boat officers during World War II, including Admiral Dönitz. [11] It was also worn with a peaked cap by Red Army commissars, [12] tank commanders, and pilots. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trench coat</span> Belted waterproof coat

A trench coat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches, hence the name trench coat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacket</span> Clothing for the upper body

A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear. Some jackets are fashionable, while others serve as protective clothing. Jackets without sleeves are vests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabardine</span> Tough, tightly woven fabric used to make suits, trousers and some other garments

Gabardine is a durable twill worsted wool, a tightly woven fabric originally waterproof and used to make suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, windbreakers, outerwear and other garments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blazer</span> Striped or bright, solid-color informal jacket

A blazer is a type of jacket resembling a suit jacket, but cut more casually. A blazer is generally distinguished from a sport coat as a more formal garment and tailored from solid colour fabrics. Blazers often have naval-style metal buttons to reflect their origin as jackets worn by boating club members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duffel coat</span> Coat made of heavy, coarse woolen fabric with toggle closures

A duffel coat is a coat made from duffel cloth, designed with toggle-and-rope fastenings, patched pockets and a large hood. The name derives from Duffel, a town in the province of Antwerp in Belgium where the manufacturing process of this kind of fabric, a coarse, thick, woolen cloth originated. Duffel bags were originally made from the same material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Army M1943 uniform</span> U.S. Army combat uniform

The U.S. Army's M1943 uniform was a combat uniform manufactured in windproof cotton sateen cloth introduced in 1943 to replace a variety of other specialist uniforms and some inadequate garments, like the M1941 Field Jacket. It was used through the remainder of World War II and into the Korean War with modifications before being replaced by the OG-107 uniform beginning in 1952.

The United States Army in World War II used a variety of standard and non-standard dress and battle uniforms, which often changed depending upon the theater of war, climatic environment, and supply exigencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniforms of the United States Navy</span> Clothes worn by members of the United States Navy

The uniforms of the United States Navy include dress uniforms, daily service uniforms, working uniforms, and uniforms for special situations, which have varied throughout the history of the navy. For simplicity in this article, officers refers to both commissioned officers and warrant officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eisenhower jacket</span> Type of waist-length jacket

The Eisenhower jacket or "Ike" jacket, officially known as the Jacket, Field, Wool, Olive Drab, is a type of waist-length jacket developed for the U.S. Army during the later stages of World War II and named after Dwight D. Eisenhower. Intended to be worn on its own or as an insulating layer beneath the M-1943 Field Jacket and over the standard wool flannel shirt and wool sweater, it featured a pleated back, adjustable waist band, fly-front buttons, bellows chest pockets, slash side pockets, and shoulder straps.

Kersey is a kind of coarse woollen cloth that was an important component of the textile trade in Medieval England.

The manufacture of textiles is one of the oldest of human technologies. To make textiles, the first requirement is a source of fiber from which a yarn can be made, primarily by spinning. The yarn is processed by knitting or weaving, which turns yarn into cloth. The machine used for weaving is the loom. For decoration, the process of colouring yarn or the finished material is dyeing. For more information of the various steps, see textile manufacturing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariner's cap</span> Cap of type originally often worn by seafarers

A mariner's cap also called a skipper's cap,sailor's cap,Dutch Boy's cap, or fiddler's cap, is a peaked cap, usually made from black or navy blue wool felt, but also from corduroy or blue denim. Originally popular with seafarers, it is often associated with sailing and maritime settings, especially fishing, yachting and recreational sailing. It has sometimes become a fashion item in the West, for example being worn by John Lennon in the mid-1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workwear</span> Clothing that is worn in the exercise of a service profession, a craft or an engineering profession

Workwear is clothing worn for work, especially work that involves manual labour. Often those employed within trade industries elect to be outfitted in workwear because it is built to provide durability and safety.

The Richmond Depot, or the Richmond Clothing Bureau, was a clothing and equipment facility located in three primary facilities, in and around Richmond, Virginia, established late in 1861, that supplied uniforms, footwear, and other equipment to the Confederate States Army, primarily the Army of Northern Virginia, and the surrounding region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Richmond Depot uniforms were not issued to western or Deep South Confederates, such as the Army of Tennessee.

The military uniforms of the Union Army in the American Civil War were widely varied and, due to limitations on supply of wool and other materials, based on availability and cost of materials. The ideal uniform was prescribed as a dark blue coat with lighter pants, with a black hat. Officer's ranks were denoted with increasing levels of golden decoration. Specific jobs, companies, and units had markedly different styles at times, often following European customs such as that of the Zouaves. Officers uniforms tended to be highly customized and would stray from Army standard. Ironically, several main pieces of gear had been created by order of the U.S. War Secretary Jefferson Davis before the war; he later became Confederate President.

Each branch of the Confederate States armed forces had its own service dress and fatigue uniforms and regulations regarding them during the American Civil War, which lasted from April 12, 1861, until May 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barathea</span> Soft fabric, with a broken twill weave giving a surface that is lightly pebbled or ribbed

Wool barathea evening waistcoat with silk collar and lining]]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loden cape</span> Austrian overcoat of dense woollen fabric

A loden cape is an overcoat of Tyrolean origin, made of a thick, water-resistant woolen material with a short pile known as loden cloth, first produced by peasants in Austria. This fabric is derived from the coarse, oily wool of mountain sheep and has a traditional earthy green colour. The name is derived from Middle High German "lode" or from Old High German "lodo", meaning "coarse cloth". It is a cloth of traditional Tracht worn in Tyrol.

Melton cloth is traditionally made of wool and is woven in a twill form. It is thick, due to having been well fulled, which gives it a felt-like smooth surface. It is napped and very closely sheared. Meltons are similar to Mackinaw cloth. It is a very solid cloth in which the twill weave pattern is completely concealed due to the finishing processes. Because of its dense, quasi-felted texture it frays minimally or not at all. It is hard wearing and wind and weather resistant. Its main use is for heavy outer garments and coats and for blankets. In lighter weights melton cloth is traditionally used for lining the underside of jacket collars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniforms of the United States Coast Guard</span> Uniforms worn by the US Coast Guard

The Uniforms of the United States Coast Guard include dress uniforms, daily service uniforms, working uniforms, and uniforms for special situations, which have varied throughout the history of the USCG.

References

  1. 1 2 "US Navy-style Pea ("P") Coat". US Wings Inc. 2008. Archived from the original on 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  2. 1 2 Josh Williams (2013). "The History of the Pea Coat". Tails. Archived from the original on 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  3. Stilson, Sam (2007). "The Perfection Of The Pea Coat". The Soko. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  4. "untitled". Boston Gazette. No. 22. May 9–16, 1720. p. 3.
  5. "What is a Reefer Jacket?". 2015-04-22. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  6. Leonard George Carr Laughton; Roger Charles Anderson; William Gordon Perrin (1975). "The Mariner's Mirror". The Mariner's Mirror. 61: 26.
  7. Origin of Navy Terminology, LT John W. Alexander, Director, Navy Internal Relations Activity, Office of the Chief of Information{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. "Waterproofing a wool coat".
  9. "PEACOAT DATING". The Fedora Lounge. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  10. "§5 Article 3501.41 Peacoat (E6 and Below)". U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  11. Hoyt, Edwin P. (March 4, 2002). The U-Boat Wars. Cooper Square Press. ISBN   9781461661306 via Google Books.
  12. Stites, Richard (November 14, 1991). Revolutionary Dreams: Utopian Vision and Experimental Life in the Russian Revolution. Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780199878956 via Google Books.
  13. Chamberlin, William Henry (July 14, 2014). The Russian Revolution, Volume II: 1918–1921: From the Civil War to the Consolidation of Power. Princeton University Press. ISBN   9781400858705 via Google Books.