It depends what you, first choice is eight or six button. Personally I prefer the latter for a cleaner look that fits in better with ‘civvy’ clothing.  If you want something that, like the Sterlingwear coat, pays tribute to the real US Navy item then there are a few replica type garments out there. This item from  Military First is probably as good as any although it is a wool mix. My nephew bought an M65 replica from them and it was excellent, hard to distinguish from the real thing.

https://www.military1st.co.uk/09015g-mfh-us-pea-coat-blue.html

Silvermans have the Schott offerings which look correct to me in terms of length and button placement although they are eight buttoners. There is mention of a Schott logo in the description but I can’t see it in the photographs.

The ultimate has to be the genuine US Navy Kersey wool item with the corduroy pockets, but they often have military shoulders and the chances of finding one of them in good nick are receding. Ebay is shark infested waters (maritime association) with many people attempting to pass off Schott etc as the genuine USN item.

If you’re prepared to go for more of a fashion orientated item then the choice widens, but it’s harder to pretend you are walking out through the gates of Brooklyn Navy Yard, turning your collar up to the wind as you go on shore leave in the city.

I was just checking Community Clothing and they do a 6 button peacoat based on a Dutch navy version. £199 but they only have xs size!
So many of CCs products seem to be out of stock or small sizes only

Authentic French Ivy

https://bretagneboutique2.com/epages/1b0746af-c81f-45ed-8941-6474c18e5a38.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/1b0746af-c81f-45ed-8941-6474c18e5a38/Products/0029

Chum — what flat6c references.

The wool is amazing.  Stunned that something like that could be produced during war time.

I think there were a couple naval clothing factories operating for these.

Melton wool?  An incredibly tight weave. And as above, corduroy pockets.

For USN and coast guard and prob merchant marine

Everything about it: the buttons the lining the stitching the collar was superlative.

I’ve never seen anything since it got close. Don’t know about British duffels during last war. 

I think they were rougher and the cut was huge. About 30 years ago I picked up a new Burberry duffel. Ridiculously luxurious. Almost embarrassingly so for the kind of jacket it is. I think it has horn toggles. And very well made but for me it never came close to the original pea coat Which I still have and can luckily fit into when I’m in fighting shape.

My understanding, and corrections are welcome, the pea coat was meant to fit closer than its British counterpart.

I have no idea where you get them. When I was a kid they were at surplus stores in same way that later Vietnam era stuff was in the stores.  I don’t remember if anything after Second World War / (maybe) Korea was nearly as good as those pea coats.  Maybe someone else does. 

I think it’s one of the great American designs.  Collar is cut big but adds to its appeal and of course had practical
Purpose of keep neck, back of head and sides of face warm.  Be it at sea or in a place like Chicago in winter. 

The originals also have the little band to keep the popped collar fastened. 

I bet there is some Japanese site with devotees of this that break down all the variations and productions during the last war. 

For me the the duffle didn’t come close to looking as good.

Last edited by Horace (2022-10-09 03:15:25)

I spent some time looking for a peacoat.

I looked at vintage and some good modern interpretations.

The best one I found was from Polo. (I can hear the sounds of shock and disagreement coming through the keyboard as I type)

It's made from a heavy melton wool, has a large collar that looks great when raised, cord lined pockets, it's not too boxy and it's navy - unlike some of the blue/black versions.

It wasn't silly money either.

Most importantly it's logo-less.

The peacoat was bought in store. They regularly do them. It's a Ralph classic.
Mine is about 5 years old but the style/material hasn't changed.

Quality is pretty much built into the DNA of Ralphy-boy.

Select purchases, always a winner.

I like many others used to dress a lot more formally than I do now. Suit and tie every work day. Most of it was Ralph. I shopped in the London store on Bond Street and over time through observation and conversation managed to get a really good appreciation of the business and brands.

Excuse me if most of this is obvious but some of you might find it of interest.

Ralph now is essentially is a Muti-billion dollar business. To get to this scale means it's very much a multi-layered operation with lots of different products, brands and routes to market. It's best not to think of it as one business but as an amalgamation just like Proctor and Gamble or GSK.

Imagine a matrix of quality/design on one side and volume sales on the other.

First of all the quality/design stuff. This is the good end of the spectrum. English bench made shoes from Crocketts and Edward Green, tailoring from amongst others Cornealani, Saint Andrews and Hickey Freeman. The merchandise is typically only sold through the stores RL owns that are designated as flagship stores.

You will find some pony logo'd merchandise but the majority will be logo-less. The Purple Label menswear is beautifully made using quality fabrics and mainly comes from Italy. It's silly money but well worth hunting out in sales, eBay and factory outlets. The flagship stores carry a cross section of his premium brands only. Purple label, RRL and Polo.

Polo in the flagship stores is well worth looking for as it contains a lot more pertinent stuff to the things we all like here - soft shouldered tailoring, shetlands, flap pocket ocbd, nice raincoats, etc

They ran/run a twice yearly made to order programme that was superb as you paid off-the-peg prices to get suits and sports jackets made to your own specs. Hundreds of fabrics to choose from and a wide range of different blocks.

The merchandising is superb with no expense spared. The art on the Bond Street store alone contains work by many famous photographers including Horst, Slim Aarons, Sheila Metzner and Ormond Gigli. Antiques silverware and tables, rare art books and curios complete the look

They tried a few years ago to create large stand-alone Polo retail stores on Madison Avenue and Regent Street but they were a bit confusing. They currently appear to be trying the Polo concept again but in much smaller footprint stores. I admire their commitment to bricks and mortar retail.

The next level down is department stores. What consumers are looking for in House Of Fraser and John Lewis is the reassurance of a brand so this is where the logo'd stuff comes in. Sadly so does the Far East manufacturing. Yes, you will be able to pick up the occasional sports jacket but often this is manufactured for a lower price point and so too in the construction. In the States as well as Polo they have Lauren for this segment.

The bottom rung of the ladder is the outlets. When Ralph was smaller in the UK the Bicester Village store simply carried old seasons merchandise. As Ralph sticks to pretty narrow design parameters it was well worth a visit. The merchandise now is manufactured for the outlets. How can you tell?

Just look at the point-of-sale. You don't produce in-store graphics depicting the few bits of merchandise that is left over from last season. Occasionally you might hit upon something here that is a genuine bargain but as the number of outlets stores have grown it's hard. I think this where some of TK Max get product from.

Add into this two different homewares brands and a massive online presence and you soon see how hard it is to describe Ralph quality, manufacturing sources or prices in a singular way.

Robbie B - ‘ I was just checking Community Clothing and they do a 6 button peacoat based on a Dutch navy version. £199 but they only have xs size!
So many of CCs products seem to be out of stock or small sizes only’

True, that lonesome  XS size one is still there waiting for a petite Ivyist to come along. CC have advised me they are hoping to re-stock with peacoats mid-December.

Tim

I was in there last Saturday for a quick mooch.

Ignore the coffee shop that sits in the middle of the store. As you go in through the Bond Street entrance on the left hand side there are some lovely items - a check shetland wool soft shouldered jacket, made with Moon fabric, a tartan wool Harrington - sadly adorned with a red Polo logo, a great rig featuring a purple shetland sweater and washed green cords.

A lot of the Autumn collection would appeal to many of us on here. Sadly the prices are on the high side but you get what you pay for.

In the background Sinatra was crooning All of Me.

Due to time I didn't bother with the tailoring and Purple label on the first floor.

In the basement the Home Collections looked superb. Tasteful room sets - one in an Art Deco style reminiscent of a Fred Astaire movie and a smaller set that captured the eclectic mix of Ralph's take on English country house style.

FlatSixC -' that lonesome  XS size one is still there waiting for a petite Ivyist to come along. CC have advised me they are hoping to re-stock with peacoats mid-December.'

CC is a very frustrating company to deal with. It almost seems to be run as a hobby. I'd like them to re stock quicker than they do. I've been waiting a long time for certain items in my size. I leave my email but never hear anything

How long has the RL store been on Bond St?

Bought a beautiful tight chambray weave BD at an (the only) RL store in about 1985 I believe.