Last edited by IvebeentoDuluth (2020-03-05 13:43:33)

Navy London Fog (with a saucy red removable wool lining)

Khaki John Simons (no lining)

I have a load of Macs/single breasted trench coats acquired over the years by various brands.  There is a rail up in my loft that I need to go through and send some to charity. It also has multiple Wolsey Car Coats, casual rubber rain coats and the like up there.  I used to like Jaeger when it was still the original company, with great quality at the price with their famed use of their own fabrics and patterns. I had a load of theirs in stone, blue and green.  I have some ones in such as herringbone (with button out liner and storm/gun flap) and Prince of Wales Check from T.M. Lewin (plus some cream/blue) that were excellent quality.  I know we are tempted to go up market and I haven't been near T.M.Lewin for a decade, but those macs are excellent. These were all bought a few years back, perhaps around a decade or more but individually don't get huge use so still in good condition.

I really do like wearing a mac over a sport coat/blazer so the number I have are of different weights and lengths to reflect the seasons - before moving to wool car coats at the coldest time (I have a heavy weight black one by Barbour that I have never seen by them since that is perfect, blue ones, peacoats etc).  It seems writing this - i do like a coat.  But then I'm out on business almost every working day.  My wife is a wizard at shopping and tracks such as Gloverall site where there are often bargains in their outlet, she got me two mac style car coats really inexpensively that I use for non-work walking around.  I do recommend keeping an eye on Gloverall and the macs by Dufflecoatsuk are good too (made in UK).

I hadn't bought a mac or car coat for at least five years when the itch to get a high quality green mac took hold.  I checked John Simons and Grenfell as my choices when after extensive searches online (such as SavyRow and TweedsMan Vintage etc) and in shops my wife found a perfect new-old-stock short Acquascutum mac in olive green. They do not make this anymore in that colour but there was one snag - although perfect and unused, it was absolutely huge in size.

I was all for trying to sell it on and keep looking, but she sent it off the wonderous ladies in a tiny local shop who do all my adjustments. After a fitting they got to work and it is now perfect size - they did everything for me, sides, shoulders, arms and said it was a labour of love for them.
With all the work the Mac has cost me £200, it looks new and certainly has never been worn once.  I'm delighted.  John Simons equivalent is £350 and Grenfall £500 or more (as is a new Acquascutum).

I'm away on business but happy to put up photos when back around at home end of next week onwards.

I haven't bought a coat for at least five years apart from the Grenfell harringtons last year, this Acquascutum mac should see me out now I guess.
I'm buying far less these days, there's little I need these days.  On ebay too there seems to be an endless array of Ivy style sport jackets turning up inexpensively for a tenner or so these days - so I have everything I need on that front too to my surprise. The wonderful ladies in the local tiny shop can sort out sleeves and fit for me and I can often have a perfect new 3/2 full Ivy sport jacket including the adjustments for around £30-£35.  I get the feeling there are a lot of collections being put up for sale these days on ebay.  I don't know how such as RL ever sell a jacket at or near full price, wait a week or two and a previous season's model will often appear for a tiny amount.  I've got RL made in Italy 3/2 sport coats from a few years back that seem fundamentally unused for £10 multiple times in the last year.

Last edited by An Unseen Scene (2020-03-08 14:40:54)

Mackintosh is now doing its iconic mac in a wide variety of colours including light blue, though the prices are high and the widest variety is in the women's range. Others will likely copy.

Manchester based Private White do make a ventile burgundy mac at a third of the price of Mackintosh. They used to be more expensive and it might be worth a look.
https://www.privatewhitevc.com/products/the-ventile%C2%AE-mac?variant=31438360150077

Last edited by An Unseen Scene (2020-03-09 09:47:00)

I agree, I do not like macs with a zip.

Gloverall put a load of their car coat macs on ebay yesterday in bright colours. Generally just clear some back stop, so when gone - they do not reappear.

I do remember enjoying reading somewhere, maybe in Fussell, that black raincoats were very KGB, which was funny as hell

definitely agree with Horace on the fly-front single-breasted cotton model, that's my favorite too, one of the quintessential Ivy items

unfortunately the good ones are very expensive

Just picked up a 1960s, olive, fly-fronted raincoat for £15.  Just walked through the door of the first charity shop on the high street five minutes walk away.  First time I've done this in years.  Made In England (or so it says); all that nice lettering on the labels (including the cleaning instructions); cuff buttons are missing but there are ladies who attend to that kind of detail.  I can't think now whether I bought that coat years back in Nottingham.  Pretty certain I saw one at Russell Street around 2008.  John used to nip in and out of charity shops.  If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me.  Maybe not Grenfell quality (or even Made In England) Burberrys' but certainly worth the price of a basic takeaway.

Good find. I managed to find an Acquascutum navy raincoat in a charity shop. Had a made in Japan tag which surprised me. It's a bit on the long side (just below the knee) but I couldn't resist it. I wore it to a family party in a social centre and one cousin took the piss asking me if I was on my way to school. Mind you he used to  mail orders his shoes from Next.

Olive is a fine colour for a raincoat. Cream or similar is best.

Talking of raincoat musings, I noticed a few years ago that in every single film I've seen that Lino Ventura appears in, he sports a cream sb raincoat in at least one scene. Often he wears it throughout the film. And it looks like he has a different one for each film. He was obviously a fan.

Rififi is good but, for me, it's not brilliant. My faves, and well worth getting if you can find them: Touchez pas au grisbi; Plein soleil; Classe tous risques; Bob le flambeur; Le rouge est mis; Le doulos; Tirez sur le pïaniste; 125, rue Montmartre; and L'Étrange Monsieur Steve. Incidentally, 125, rue Montmartre is notable in that Lino Ventura doesn't play the part of a complete psychotic bastard.

I don't speak French so maybe a lot gets lost in translation for me too. Finding some of them with English subtitles was a challenge. Others are easily available.

If Bop were here he might have a few to add to the list.

Last edited by Yuca (2021-09-25 13:33:41)

Remember 'Backlash'?  Up a long flight of stairs.  They used to sell a bit of Aquascutum, amidst the whiffy Harris tweed jackets and naff denim.  I once had a lovely soft Italian jacket out of there for about £10.  Wool and cashmere, I'd reckon.  I do miss old Celia and her camp brother, Frank.  Not much in the way of 'Ivy' in there but it had a lovely olde-worlde atmosphere and some very good quality heavy overcoats for between £60 and £80.

There was also a place that used to stick a board outside more or less opposite one side of the Council House.  You went up lots of stairs to the top floor.  The owner - for reasons best known to himself - was a collector of G9s.  They would trade with you.  Probably gone by now.