Doctors, police uniforms and trench coats from the golden era?

[retrofashion]

Hi guys,

I just found out about this place while researching. Very nice. I’ve been an early 20th century era (1900-1950) lover for a long time now, so it’s cool to find a place like this.
I’m looking for some information on specifics golden age clothing. Maybe you guys could give me a hand?
How are the old fashion doctor shirts/jackets called? You know, those with a high collar and lots of buttons.
How about the slightly similar police uniform, like the ones worn in the 30’s (http://www.fairlawnpd.com/history/images_history/Photo_FLPD1924.jpg) and police trench coats for the same period (http://www.fairlawnpd.com/history/images_history/late_1930s.jpg . Is there a name for that type of uniform?
Lastly, is there any websites that shows the different types of trench coats in use in the 30’s and 40’s? I’m trying to find the name and type of trench the Shadow wore in the Alec Baldwin movie and other trench types from the era.
Thanks in advance. I tried searching for these before posting but couldn’t find anything. I hope I’m posting in the right sub-forum though.

 

[Gideon Ashe]

Old style police uniforms.

The type of coat/jacket I think you are talking about used mostly in the New York, Boston area(along with most of the NE USA) is called a "tunic" or "blouse". High collar with dual brass hooks at the neck with a soft leather lining and cross buttoning double breasted style with deep side vents for access to the issue or approved handgun. They had a grommet over the breast that a horse blanket pin could be inserted through to hold the shield/badge that was itself "pinless". (Expression to pull the pin, meant to retire or resign by pulling the pin and taking off the shield/badge.)
They (the officers) had two. One for everyday use(fall/winter)And one saved for formal or dress occasions.(called a"saver")

My father was dressed in identical uniform except for the badge shape and other identifying pins insignia, and white shirt, as a Court Bailiff.
Items were purchased in the shop (I simply cannot remember the name of that shop to save my ass )across the street from the Delehanty Police school in NYC(circa:1931 on) As far as I know the olny difference was in markings. Shoulder patches were not used until during or after WWII, being a carry over thought.
Police had to purchase their own gear as mandated and the 4inch .38spl by Colt or S&W in Blue or Nickel was the begining and end.
Bailiffs had a choice of Colt or S&W .45LC in blue or blue and in 5inch or 5inch bbl lengths(I did not make a mistake here)and holster by Bucheimer or Blaugher. Convoy (12 ounce) Blackjack by Bucheimer.
My father was a sturdy but slim to thin man and he would continually kvetch about losing his pants in court session one day. We kids would play off on that by dropping our pants every so often and screaming "Your Honor! Look what happened!" Pee in your pants funny to kids.lol

Now as for the trenchcoat.
Does it count as vintage if you buy it and it gets old with you?
I bought a pop out liner Burberry Trench coat in 1954 on Haymarket Street in Oxford. No. I was not reading for a degree. I was chasing "birds" like all the other fellows of my age and testostorone levels. I just happened to be there on an all expense paid excursion by a fabulously wealthy but not that bright "uncle" of mine, and of many of you, as well.
Sort of a darkish olive/tan. Double breasted. Center gored with a button and belted.
It has reinforced pockets, one onside on the left, with light brown leather.

Mine is a little rough around the edges and has a few small unknown tiny holes and some rust stains on the skirt but still has many years of life and use.
Ive got a bit heavier, but I always was big built, and it fits well enough to wear over a suit or sports coat for my very rare trips north, where it is welcome and needed. The accompanying hat that I wear with it, is an incongrous wide brimmed western style Montana peak of the type worn by 1900 to 1940's U.S.Cavalry. It is a light tan colored 20X beaver made for me by Mackay Custom Hats of Bozeman, Montana about twenty years back.
It too is getting a little burred, possibly because I wear it frequently here in Florida to keep the sun off of my non Rogained bald spot.lol

 

[retrofashion]

Thanks for the reply Gideon Ashe.
The type of police uniform and trench coat I mean is exactly as pictured in the links I gave.
I want to find out how they are called because I want to put a vintage looking police uniform in that style together. It doesn’t need to be real vintage. It can be new stuff if it looks right.
So tunic is the police uniform or the police trench coat? I didn’t quite get that.
Thanks again.

 

[Gideon Ashe]

Thanks for the reply Gideon Ashe.
The type of police uniform and trench coat I mean is exactly as pictured in the links I gave.
I want to find out how they are called because I want to put a vintage looking police uniform in that style together. It doesn’t need to be real vintage. It can be new stuff if it looks right.
So tunic is the police uniform or the police trench coat? I didn’t quite get that.
Thanks again.

Sorry. I'm a long winded clown on occasion.
The high necked uniforms in the photo are exactly as I have described.They are called (depending on where you are geographically) "tunics or blouses".

The long coats are not trench coats and are called Overcoats, Overblouses or Reefers, and are of a very heavy wool material.
Hope I cleared that up. You may be able to get some of that stuff from Modells in NYC, or by checking with John Jay College of Criminal Justice (NYC)Historical department for further leads.

Have a nice day.

 

[retrofashion]

No problems. All in good spirits.
So for the overcoats, should I just look for double breasted overcoats for a simiar look then?
Also, any ideas of the Doctor uniform I mentioned?
Thanks a lot.

By the way, 37 views and only one person replied? Come on guys, is it because I'm new

 

[Gideon Ashe]

Doctor uniform?

This will have to be from memory.
When I was a kid the only doctors we saw were wearing single breasted dark grey pencil striped three piece suits or the navy pin with a vest. And before the war(WWII) with cuffs. After the war began, no cuffs. All carried a little knife in their vest pocket that had a small blade and one with a little spatula on the end. (for measuring powders or pills on a house call.) House call? Geeeeze. I AM old!!

I never saw a wrist watch. All had a pocket watch on a chain that they wore across their bellies.
Most drove the "Doctor's car." A Buick. Black or Navy.

In a hospital they wore a full cut long lab coat kind of cover like a white cowboy duster without a vent. A chest pocket for the "Ahhh Sticks" and deep pockets for the stethoscopes. In hospital they wore a mirror lamp on their heads to check for strep throat of scarlett fever or whatever.
Itf you blinked; BAD NEWS! Out came your tonsils.

Why you do not get more responses? Maybe most folks herein are too young to know or have never been interested in that particular element of "Vintage".
It is nothing personal. That I can say comfortably.

Have a lovely day.

 

[retrofashion]

Thanks again.
The Doctor uniform or lab coat I mean closes on the side instead of in the middle and normally has a high collar that buttons up to till the neck. The only picture I could find was this cartoon picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...-Mad_scientist_transparent_background.svg.png

I wonder how this type of lab coat or doctor's uniform is called.

 

[metropd]

The shorter double breasted tunics were for year around use where the longer over coats that were double breasted are for winter use. If you've watch Serpico the NYPD patrolman in the summer time wear a white t shirt or flannel shirt under it to prevent sweating. They were worn in the NYPD on PATROL TILL THE EARLY 80's. I like the round service caps in the picture you posted more than the
8 point service caps of the NYPD. During the 1950's most departments switched to the 8 point, and then in the mid to late 60's The LAPD switched to the new signature LAPD round service cap( wider preportions in the brim band and crown) and led many department to switch to the LAPD round service cap style all over the country. Today no department I know of wears the tunic on patrol and most departments have an optional service hat(round or 8-point) policy. Some departments thankfully still premote a professional authoritative image of what a police officer should look like and require them to be worn at all times.

The Korean police in the 1940's had avery similar uniform with the tunic to what you posted but included a mandatory Sam Browne belt with the soulder strap of course and knee high boots. The service cap on the korean police had a higher serge on the crown than you posted and was more like a german army officer in ww 2 or a modern italian police officer.

 

[BeBopBaby]

A friend of mine got the Doctor's jacket that you describe from on online lab supply or uniform type site. He used it for a Dr. Frankenstein costume at Hallowen and it looked great. I can't remember the name of the online store, but it might be worth doing some google searches to find it.

 

[retrofashion]

Hi guys.

Nice to see more people participating.

Thanks for the extra info on the police uniforms metropd. Very useful.
I have been looking for the tunics and overcoats online and the closest thing I found was a Chicago cop costume for $300 and it looks like a Halloween costume. I’m almost giving up. L

I would love to know where your friend got that doctor's jacket from BeBopBaby. I have googled to death and can't find anything. The main problem is that I don't know what's the proper name for it. So I googled lab coat, mad scientist coat and yes, Frankenstein coat too, among several other terms. No luck.

By the way, about the Shadow, does anybody know what coat Alec Baldwin wears under his cape when he's the Shadow? It seems to be thicker than just a trench, but has a similar collar.

 

[dhermann1]

1942 Honolulu ambulance

Here's a nice shot of a brand new 1942 Buick ambulance in Hawaii, with its attendants:

From this really cool website, http://www.prewarbuick.com/cars/256/1942-Buick-Flxible-ambulance
.
Maybe not exactly what you're looking for???

 

[retrofashion]

Hi dhermann1.

Thanks for the picture.
Actually what I'm looking for looks quite different. It has a higher collar.
I just found a new picture of it that shows exactly the Doctor coat I'm looking for, but it doesn't mention how it's called.

http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/25/05/23210525.jpg

 

[metropd]

First of I have been collecting police uniforms since I was 4years old. Retrofashion wait 2 days and I will give you all the places to get that exact style uniform including the tunic and hat with the same exact style badges( be prepared to shell out alot more than $300 but on halloween you won't have a costume you will have the real thing and NO ONE CAN TOP THAT). By the way the NJSPD use that exact style(I mean exact) service cap today and so do many New Jersey and Pennyslvania Municapal Police Departments which require it to be worn at all times on patrol.:eusa_clap :eusa_clap They still even have the chinstraps but I have never seen them pull them down.

Unfourtantetly the rest of the uniform(tunic) is not still used. If you have any question regarding any police uniform in history from a Roman Imerial Urban Cohort to a 1750's Austrian Police officer to Tito's 1970s Bulgarian "militia" (police)..... I can answer almost all of your questions, unfortunatley I know nothing about doctors uniforms.

 

[metropd]

What CPD era uniform are you looking for?

If you are looking the tunic the Chicago police abandoned the double breasted tunics in the late 1920's for the navy blue v neck 4 button Sb tunic with the black sam browne soulder strap white shirt navy blue tie and a navy blue round service cap with a silver "snake expansion band) and the old city of Chicago seal with a unit number below for patrolman. In the 50's they switched to the 8 point service cap and in the 60's they switched back to the round service cap with diffrent preportions and the now famous navy and white checkers on the band. Tell me what you want and I can help you get it.

I went to Chicago looking for CPD uniforms with my SDPD cadet Id and badge and they said even though I was an SDPD cadet I had to be a CPD officer to purchase the uniform and round service cap with checkers. So Some nice CPD officer broke the law and secretley bought me the uniforms. Now that I'm back in
Cali the law no longer applies, how ironic is that story? I can lone you the offical uniform and offical service hat without the badges if you want but it is the current uniform?

 

[retrofashion]

Hi metropd,

Really ironic story. I guess sometimes that’s how it works. I often find stuff only when I’m no longer looking for them. But at least you got the uniform in the end.
I’m not specifically looking for a Chicago uniform, just a double breasted police tunic and overcoat, doesn’t matter what department.
It would be great if you could tell me where to get the stuff. That would sure help a lot. I don’t need the whole uniform, just the tunic and overcoat. The rest I can manage.
I appreciate all the help. Thanks a lot.

 

[retrofashion]

I decided that a Halloween costume could do the trick for what I need after not being able to find a decent replica of a double breasted police costume. What I found was incredibly expensive for what it is. So I started to look for a costume, but all I could find was a keystone cop costume or modern day cops. Does anybody know of a double breasted police costume or maybe something that could do the trick? Thought of a chauffeur costume but they are not quite right.
Thanks again.