Robbie just reminded me of this old thread.  I remember discussing the wearing of a sheepskin coat with John Simons in the 'Barley Mow'.  'Well, I wore one', he said, 'and I was never a skinhead'.  Yet I couldn't get on with mine.  In a way, though, with the weather around freezing up here, I almost wish I'd kept it in the back of the wardrobe.  Truthfully, I don't even remember what happened to it.  Lightning will not, I don't think, strike twice.

From time to time I've been really tempted to splash out and buy a shearling coat from Orvis. Luckily the urge soon passes and the bank account doesn't suffer.

‘His and hers sheepskins’ used to be a big prize on Michael Miles ‘Take Your Pick’ TV quiz.

I think they were aspirational ‘gin and jag set’ apparel.

I have a Morlands single breasted dark wool sheepskin.

If anyone thinks it is ‘old skinhead’ then I take comfort in the knowledge that a regular in Spoons is the spit of Johnny Kidd of the Pirates. Drape jacket, bootlace tie, brothel creepers and a very elaborate brycreemed hairstyle which defies gravity but he never seems to have to comb. I recall old Teds used to comb their hair every ten minutes. This fellow even has the eye patch too !

As youth fashions go, skinhead can blend in a lot easier.

There's a photograph somewhere of an Ivy League student's ideal wardrobe.  A sheepskin coat is there, hanging on a rail.

Yes.  Thanks, Robbie.  It was perhaps reproduced from 'Esquire' or a similar publication.  I guess they endured some bitter winters at those north-eastern colleges and universities.

Stax it seems strange now but most of my mates left school as soon as they were 15 years old, went straight into work and brought home a wage. They had to pay their parents housekeeping money but had money in their pockets for clothes and a decent social life. I was lucky because I had a strong work ethic and managed to get jobs in school holidays and had different Saturday jobs.I never realised that mum and dad didn't have much money (all families were in the same boat in my area) yet they let me stay on at school and it paid off long term.

I really wanted the dark wooled sheepskin my mate had but I couldn't afford a sheepskin and a crombie and chose the later.

Stax, I was one of the first in my area (from my primary and junior school pupil) to go on to University. I had a knack of passing exams. Later on others followed. It was a shock when I got to university to discover that many of my mates who left school at 15 were just as bright as the students I mixed with. I carried a chip on my shoulder for many years.

Typical me wandering off the topic again but I consider the forum like a virtual pub where the conversation goes off in all directions.
Apologies

I’d look like Del Boy in a sheepskin, especially with a cap, wouldn’t need the gold chains haha,

I was out this morning wearing four layers of clothing, plus scarf, plus leather gloves lined with rabbit fur.  Saw the usual collection of halfwits, including one specimen in a polo shirt.