10 CLASSIC COATS! 38 - 44: Vintage Cashmere & MINK; Cashmere; Chesterfields; Polo Coats, Tweeds, ++

[tweedydon]

I have a slew of wonderful topcoats and overcoats to pass on today--including two beautiful Chesterfields from Brooks Brothers and Tripler, cashmere overcoats, a Langrock Polo coat, a GORGEOUS overcoat cut from cloth that's a blend of cashmere and mink, Harris Tweed, West of England tweed, and more!

As always, I offer FREE SHIPPING ANYWHERE IN THE USA; International inquiries are welcome, with shipping at cost!

Also as always, ALL OFFERS ARE VERY WELCOME!

Please PM with interest and offers!

1) GORGEOUS Mid-Century "Kashlan" Overcoat (60% Cashmere, 40& wool)

This is absolutely gorgeous! Union Made in the USA around the middle of the century, this coat is in absolutely EXCELLENT condition; it was clearly worn sparingly, possible being kept for "best", and was also clearly very well taken care of. This could easily pass as a recently purchased coat, despite its age.

However, close examination of its quality will show that this is quite a different beast to the typical coat that can be purchased today. This beauty was made for cold winters; it has a heft and solidity that is almost never seen in contemporary clothing. It's cut from a blend of 60% cashmere and 40% wool--and the cashmere in this blend dates from when cashmere was a thick, luxurious material, quite unlike the thin mall cashmere that is so common now. This is a very seriously luxurious coat.

The cut and tailoring do full justice to the quality of its cloth. A standard three button closure, this coat is fully canvassed, and has ornamental turnback cuffs. It is fully lined, and has a single center vent. The two front pockets are lined in cotton duck for longevity, and the right-hand pocket has an interior change pocket on the inner edge of the interior. It has lovely natural shoulders--something that it again hardly ever seen in contemporary coats.

This coat was part of the "Kashlan" line from Hart, Shaffner, and Marx, and carries a wonderfully evocative vintage label to this effect. It was sold in Wallach's, a long-gone tradly store that served the East Coast.

This coat is, again, in absolutely excellent condition, and will easily serve you well for another half-century with care. As such, it's a steal at just $125, or offer.

Measurements:

Chest: 23
Sleeve: 24 1/2 (+2)
Shoulder: 18 3/4
Length: 42 1/2

 

[tweedydon]

2) Chesterfield topcoat by F. R. Tripler.

This a true Ivy classic! Founded in 1883, F. R. Tripler & Co of Madison Avenue New York was one of THE most traditional clothing stores in Manhattan, making Brooks Brothers look positively racy. Indeed, so iconic was Tripler's that in the movie *Cosmopolitan* one of the utterly WASPy characters recommends Tripler's as the best place to buy proper evening wear.... and what better coat to don over your black tie than a classic Chesterfield?

Just as Tripler's was an iconic store, so too is the Chesterfield an iconic topcoat. A classic wardrobe staple from the 1920s to today, the Chesterfield is characterised by its lack of darting; a characteristic that it now shares with many other types of topcoats, but which was highly innovative when it was first designed in the mid C19th as a reaction to the highly shaped coats that were then in vogue.

This Chesterfield is a true beauty. Cut from classic wool tweed in a dark charcoal herringbone, it features the classic velvet collar that gives an air of both loucheness and elegance to the wearer. It is fastened with three buttons, and has a concealed placket to ensure that its silhouette is elegantly sleek. This cuffs of this coat feature four ornamental buttons. It is fully lined, and fully canvassed, and features a single center hook vent. It was made in Canada, and is in absolutely excellent condition.

A Chesterfield from Tripler's is a rare treat, and so this is a steal at just $95, or offer.

Measurements:

Chest: 23
Sleeve: 25 1/2 (+2)
Shoulder: 20
Length: 48








3) CLASSIC Harris Tweed overcoat!

Every man needs a classic Harris Tweed overcoat in his wardrobe, and so if this is your size, grab it, as it's a beauty!

This Harris Tweed overcoat is absolutely beautiful. At first sight this appears to be cut from a classic grey herringbone Harris tweed, but on close inspection it becomes clear that the tweed is heathered throughout with subtle shades of moss green, dark blue, and winter bracken. This is an extremely versatile coat, being equally at home in the country at the weekend or in the confines of a less formal office. This is an extremely well-made coat; it features lapped seams along the sleeves, shoulder, and back, and a single centre vent with a hook vent. It has ornamental turn-back cuffs, as shown. It is also fully canvassed, and fully lined. In fact, this Harris Tweed has all of the tailoring features that you'd expect in a more formal coat, and which are often omitted in Harris tweed overcoats, whose makers often seem convinced that the sturdiness of the fabric can compensate for a lack of tailoring! This was, of course Union Made in the USA.

However, it's not surprising that this coat has all of the tailoring details that you could want, for it was retailed at John Wanamaker's in Philadelphia. Wanamaker's was one of the great pioneers of the Department store. In 1874 he issued the first copyrighted store advertisement, which promised a lot.... and when it turned out that Wanamaker's made good on ALL of his promises (not something that all retailers did back then!) business boomed. In 1911 Wanamaker expanded his store, and installed in it the world's second largest organ. (This organ is still in the Wanamaker's store in Philadelphia--now Macy's--and is played regularly; this is something that you should most definitely hear if you're in Philadelphia, as it's spectacular!) Wanamaker also acquired a huge brass eagle from the 1903 World's Fair, and installed it on the first floor of the store--this became a popular meeting spot, and, like the organ, is still present in what is now Macy's.

This is a truly lovely Harris Tweed overcoat, and one that is far superior to most run of the mill Harris Tweeds. It does have one small flaw--the bottom button is snapped. However, if you wish, and are patient, I could no doubt secure you a replacement set of buttons for this coat, and have them replaced for $10--I'll send along the originals in the pocket if you so choose!

Given the quality of this coat, this is a steal at just $75, or offer.

Measurements:

Chest: 23 1/2
Sleeve: 27 (+1 1/2)
Shoulder: 18 1/2
Length: 43 1/3

 

[tweedydon]

4) Pure Cashmere "Kashmara" topcoat

Union Made in the USA, this wonderful coat is cut from the Old School version of cashmere--the thick, rich, soft, and luxurious fabric that gave cashmere its name for luxury, not the thin mall cashmere that is so prevalent today! The fabric is seriously heavy; this is a coat to be reckoned with!

The cut and construction of the coat do full justice to the beautiful fabric that it is cut from. A standard three button closure with two button cuffs, this coat features pick stitching on the lapels and on the flaps of the pockets. It is fully lined, and appears to be half-canvassed. It features a single centre hook vent at the rear.

It does have some minor moth nibbles, as shown, but these are not very noticeable when worn. Nevertheless, they are there, and as a result this wonderful vintage cashmere coat is likely best suited to events that are not office-related. It is accordingly in Very Good condition, and so is a bargain at just $59, or offer.

Measurements:

Chest: 23
Sleeve: 26 (+1 1/2)
Shoulder: 19
Length: 41

 

[tweedydon]

5) Faconnable Duffle Coat. MADE IN ENGLAND!

This is WONDERFUL! Cut from a very thick and heavy loden green wool cloth in a wonderful broad herringbone weave this was made in England. The quality is outstanding--in addition to the thickness and warmth of the cloth the workmanship is absolutely first rate, and the front is closed by a RiRi zipper--the Rolls Royce of zippers than only appears on the best clothing. (Eastman use RiRi for their leathers.) The coat features two deep front pockets with lapped seams at the edges; it also has lapped seams along the two traditional shoulder front capes that are a feature of duffels, as well as around the rear shoulder cape, down the sides, and also down the sleeves and along the placket. The coat closes with a RiRi zipper as well as buttons, and is, of course hooded. There are ornamental sleeves closure tabs at the cuffs.

The coat is unlined, as is traditional, and the interior seams all feature contrast piping in British Racing Green.

This coat is in excellent condition except that it is missing a button. This does not affect closing the coat, as it also has a zipper, and could be easily disguises by moving the bottom button up to replace the missing one. The coat could also use a dry clean just to freshen it up.

This truly is beautiful, and given its quality and condition is a steal at just $50, or offer.

Measurements:

Chest: 24 1/2
Sleeve: 25 1/2 (+2)
Shoulder: 21
Length: 36

 

[tweedydon]

6) WONDERFUL Vintage "Great Western" Jacket!

This is absolutely wonderful, and if it were smaller and fit me it wouldn't be here! Likely dating from the 1960s this is a classic and utterly wearable piece of Americana, being a thick and wonderfully warm wool Rancher coat in a bold Western plaid in grey, cream, moss and peat. It features two deep slanted and flapped pockets on the front and a classic faux-fur collar, as well as oversized buttosn fro ease of closure when it's bitterly cold on the prairie. The cuffs have functional cuff strapsn to tighten the cuffs against the cold. It features a quilted lining for warmth. The collar is designed to stand up, and there is a locker loop on one side and a button on the other so that it can be fastened into place.

This was sold by Gimbels, which closed in 1987 and was famous for having the largest Thanksgiving Day parade in the country.

This was, of course, made in the USA.

It is in excellent condition, with two minor flaws; a very, very small moth nibble on the top of one sleeve, as shown, and one of the buttons for the left cuff strap is missing; this could be easily replaced.

Asking just $45.

This is tagged 46. Measurements:

Chest: 26 1/2
Sleeve: 26 1/2
Shoulder: 20 1/2
Length: 35 1/2







7) VINTAGE 1960s Herringbone Tweed Topcoat

This is lovely! Although this lacks any identifying labels, this coat was clearly Made in the USA sometime in the 1960s; it has a classic 1950s/1960s cut, with wonderfully high, narrow lapels and a sleek silhouette. The colouring of the tweed is also classically late 1950s 1960s, being a herringbone in dark brown and black; the sort of muted color combination that was typical of the mid-century.

This coat has a classic three button front with a concealed placket to ensure a sleek silhouette. It is fully lined, and appears to be half-canvassed. It has a single center vent and two button cuffs. The two slash front pockets can either be used to reach through the coat to your jacket pocket, or else used as deep pockets in their own right.

This coat has no damage of any sort, but I'm conservative in rating vintage pieces, so this is in Very Good/Excellent condition. As such, it's a steal at just $49, or offer.

Measurements:

Chest: 22 1/2
Sleeve: 24 3/4 (+2)
Shoulder: 18 3/4
Length: 39

 

[tweedydon]

8) WONDERFUL VINTAGE Dunn & Co. Tweed topcoat in West of England cloth

Dunn & Co. of England are among the stalwart makers of tweed clothing; their heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s, when their heavyweight tweed offerings became justly recognized as reprsenting superb value for money as well as evincing a particular form of British country style. So well known were they for their tweeds that no American academic visiting England could return without having bought at least one Dunn tweed jacket or coat!

This classic topcoat shows why Dunn were so well known. Dating from the 1960s judging by the classic vibrant 1960s lining and the muter earth tones of the tweed itself, this wonderful coat is cut from extremely hard-wearing and classic West of England tweed. The colourway and patterning f the tweed is wonderful, being a classic shepherd's check in tones of moss, light tan, and golden bracken.

It also has a lovely vintage Dunn & Co label, noting that they cater to clients in both London *and "the provinces"!

The coat features raglan sleeves for ease of movement, a three button front closure, and deep slash handwarmer pockets. It appears to be half-canvassed, and is fully lined. As is often the case with British coats it eschews buttons on the cuffs as unnecessary; it has a single centre vent. The lining is wonderfully 1960s... But, alas, it has multiple frays. These should be patched, but this would be an easy and cheap job. (Or you could have the lining replaced, but why would you want to lose it?) Given this, this coat is in very Good condition only--the tweed itself is in excellent condition--and so this is just $49, or offer.

Measurements:

Chest: 21
Sleeve: 35 1/2 (+2 1/4) (Measured like a shirt)
Shoulder: NA--raglan sleeves.
Length: 41










9) 38S Classic Grey Herringbone Tweed Topcoat

This is a lovely, classic, grey herringbone tweed topcoat! It has a standard three button closure, three button pockets, and a single center vent. It is subtly darted to give it a sleek silhouette, and features four very deep interior pockets, so all of your items will be very secure! Very well made in Czechoslovakia--which dates it, as that country no longer exists!--this is in absolutely excellent condition. Indeed, since it contains both its original inspection tag as well as the original spare swatch of cloth for use if any repairs are needed, and the original two spare buttons, I would venture to guess that this was worn rarely, if at all.

Asking just $35, or offer.

Tagged 38S. Measures:

Chest: 20
Sleeve: 24 1/2 (+1 1/4)
Shoulder: 17 3/4
Length: 40 1/2

 

[tweedydon]

10) CASHMERE AND MINK Topcoat, from cloth made by Dawson's of Scotland!

This is absolutely STUNNING! First, the cloth was woven by Dawson's of Scotland, THE premier Scottish cashmere specialist. Dawson's--most recently trading as Dawson's International, until it went into receivership in 2012--was founded in 1878, and quickly established itself as specializing in the most luxurious cashmere, a reputation that it sustained until its demise some 140 years later. The cloth that this coat is woven from is not, however, merely cashmere, but a blend of cashmere and MINK, which is quite simply one of the most luxurious fabrics around. (To be sure it's not vicuna... But it comes pretty darn close!) Moreover, this cloth was made when cashmere from any sources was seriously thick, warm, and luxurious--add in that this is Dawson's cloth, and the heft and luxury of the material becomes apparent the first time that you touch it. This is no thin contemporary Chinese cashmere, but the real thing from one of the premier Scottish cashmere specialists.

The cut and construction of this coat do full justice both to the cloth, and to the fact that this was originally retailed at Brownings, of Fifth Avenue--a store founded in 1934 that specialized in high-end traditional clothing. This coat is, first, double breasted--which, given the cashmere-mink cloth that it is cut form, makes it likely to be the warmest garmet you'll ever own! As befits its formal style it has peak lapels, which are beautifully shaped. It is fully canvassed, and fully lined, and has a single center vent. It features two button cuffs. It also features a deep side-built security pocket on the interior, and pick stitching on the lapels.

It was Union Made in the USA--although this is noted on the size tag, there is no interior Union label, so it is difficult to judge its age. It is, however, clearly a vintage piece, and has some minor roughening to the fabric, as it to expected with a blend of this sort, and because of this--and this alone--I rate it as being in Very Good/Excellent condition, as I reserve the grade of excellent for vintage pieces that are essentially mint.

This is truly a wonderful piece of sartorial history, and one that will give you decades of warm and faithful service if you care for it with the most minimal of attention.

This truly beautiful coat is a steal at just $145, or offer..... or, to put it another way, you could own a beautiful cashmere and mink coat from one of the best cashmere houses the world has ever known for roughly the price of a Chinese-made cashmere sweater from Brooks!

Tagged 42R, this measures:

Chest: 21 3/4
Sleeve: 26 (+1 1/2)
Shoulder: 19
Length: 41

 

[tweedydon]

1 and 10 have sold.

 

[tweedydon]

3 is sold.