Let's talk about wool coats, jackets, and vests

[Ben Langworthy]

Here are a few I can find pictures of. These Wools are my prized collection. I have others in storage, but no pictures I can find.

Hercules-I have 2 in this style

View attachment 632498 View attachment 632499 View attachment 632500


Not sure what brand this one is!?
View attachment 632502 View attachment 632503

This one came from England-Sportclad

View attachment 632504 View attachment 632507

Some really beautiful. jackets you've got there. got to be one of the best collections out there! I'm thrilled to have one of my own!

 

[tmitchell59]

Some really beautiful. jackets you've got there. got to be one of the best collections out there! I'm thrilled to have one of my own!

You are fortunate to own one. I obviously like them too!

 

[VansonRider]

I just looked at a little vintage advertising. You can hardly find a Woolrich ad without the inclusion of a shotgun, and in the few cases without a shotgun, they're backpacking a deer or dealing with a shot deer in some way. That's not the case for Filson advertisements. I'd be curious to see some laymen research on this. Did Filson never specifically hit the hunting market, or have they altered their marketing in the past couple of decades to be politically correct?

Buffalo plaid has become the "it" thing. I don't know about this season, but the past couple of seasons, it's been huge in fashion and home decor. It's weird. Urban Farmgirl country motif.

I don't believe any mill sells 100% wool anymore. I contacted Pendleton Woolen Mils a couple years ago, and they didn't sell any heavyweight/blanket weight 100% wool anymore. It was all a partially nylon blend, which isn't such a bad idea anyway, but finding fabric is probably very difficult.

I might be reviving an old thread, but about the vintage ads...
The woolritch buffalo plaid was specifically a hunting suit. The red and black was the equivalent of hunting in safety orange. Deer can’t differentiate between reds and greens so it was also Camouflage. (I don’t know when this was discovered, it was likely a happy accident) Those matching plaid coats and jackets were called a “Pennsylvania Tuxedo” and were seen all during hunting season.
Filson was marketed as North Western logging gear, and often worn with Wesco and similar boots. They also made US park ranger uniforms and canoeing gear. The wool whipcord they used to carry is amazing stuff. Rather than hunting clothing they were more like a proto-bushcrafting brand. Hunting was in there somewhere but not the main focus. Like the Nesmuck woodcraft book.

 

[TLW '90]

I might be reviving an old thread, but about the vintage ads...
The woolritch buffalo plaid was specifically a hunting suit. The red and black was the equivalent of hunting in safety orange. Deer can’t differentiate between reds and greens so it was also Camouflage. (I don’t know when this was discovered, it was likely a happy accident) Those matching plaid coats and jackets were called a “Pennsylvania Tuxedo” and were seen all during hunting season.
Filson was marketed as North Western logging gear, and often worn with Wesco and similar boots. They also made US park ranger uniforms and canoeing gear. The wool whipcord they used to carry is amazing stuff. Rather than hunting clothing they were more like a proto-bushcrafting brand. Hunting was in there somewhere but not the main focus. Like the Nesmuck woodcraft book.

They had some general winterwear, but you're right they primarily focused on outerwear for hunters.
Now they're just a hipster fashion brand and not only are their products overpriced they're also of fairly low quality.

I'm not sure if there's any traditional offerings out there these days that are on par with the vintage wool outerwear, even when the wool is dense and well milled 24oz is about the max with a couple 26oz wool hunting coats available a year or two ago.
I know modern woolrich is crap, Johnson woolen mills is okay for the money, and Filson is still decent quality though way overpriced, but I'm not sure about Bemidji woolen mills stormy Kromer or say Big Bill.

Bemidji could be a hidden gem if they're using the same Pendleton fabric as Filson, but I would not be surprised if it's a similar more loosely milled wool like JWM uses these days.

 

[tmitchell59]

Red, White and Blue wool.

 

[TLW '90]

That Field & Stream is an awesome pattern that you just don't see that often.

 

[TLW '90]

I just received this Pendleton vest that I snagged for $15 shipped on Ebay.

There's nothing wrong with it and I'm happy with the fit, but I am extremely glad that I only paid $15 for it because I didn't know that it was essentially a suit vers made of a fairly thin wool flannel weight fabric .

I actually kind of like that it's a thin light vest though, because I can wear it when I don't want to feel like I'm wearing a vest and because I don't think I should have any problem wearing it under every jacket I own.
I like vest as an extra layer but most of all I like the vest pocket to put my wallet in.

 

[tmitchell59]

That Field & Stream is an awesome pattern that you just don't see that often.

It is a unique pattern. I have to watch myself looking at the Vintage Wools. So many great looking garments and not often expensive. The same with Vest. There are so many cool vest for not a lot of $. Easy to accumulate a nice pile.

 

[tmitchell59]

I'd like to own this Seattle Woolen, I don't have any green.

 

[TLW '90]

It is a unique pattern. I have to watch myself looking at the Vintage Wools. So many great looking garments and not often expensive. The same with Vest. There are so many cool vest for not a lot of $. Easy to accumulate a nice pile.

Oh vests are extremely easy to acquire for little money, and they're right up my alley because of it.

 

[TLW '90]

I'd like to own this Seattle Woolen, I don't have any green.

View attachment 640039 View attachment 640040 View attachment 640041

The green stuff always seems to command quite a premium, that's why I had finally broke down and ordered the Johnson woolen mills that I have.
It's definitely nowhere near as good as the pre 70's wool, but I've been happy with it.

 

[Aleksio]

Meet the Filsons

View attachment 370121

The vintage 32oz isn’t much thicker than the 28oz from 10 years ago, but both are a lot thicker than the current 24 oz.
The Made in Nicaragua mackinaw shirt is thicker and warmer than the made in Seattle ones now. But it’s also lined.
Best Filson products are the Jac shirts. Period. 21oz luxury wool. Feels soft like cashmere, but thick like mackinaw.
Blanket type wool advertise as 100 percent wool but it’s more like 80/20 or worse. Pendleton did a press on that before. They still supply Filson with the thicker wool cloth. Nylon is used to lock the wool fabric ends, hence no 100 percent wool possible in cloth form. Some are more honest than others.
Filson vests are overpriced. I have them but they are not worth it. Your
C&C will be better choice.

Blanket type wool coats are really for the outdoors. It’s like wearing a blanket. The ultimate Mackinaws would be made from Hudson Bay blankets and sewn together by the Natives. Mackinaws actually evolved from British great wool coats to the shortened version we see today. Crombie still makes the original great coat. Heirloom quality stuff.

Harris Tweed is the underdog here in the world of wool clothing. It’s more sweater like, worsted wool. 18oz Harris Tweed outperforms any blanket wool coats. Period. It’s what I wear most days now. Some of the older ones can have a funky smell due to sheep urine. But that’s rare in today’s supply. Go Harris tweed!

You want to say that Filson had Macinaw Cruisers in the 32 oz. and 28 oz. fabric? Where did you get that information? This is the first time I hear that. I thought that vintage Filsons were 26 oz and newer actual ones were 24 oz?

 

[Peacoat]

You want to say that Filson had Macinaw Cruisers in the 32 oz. and 28 oz. fabric? Where did you get that information? This is the first time I hear that. I thought that vintage Filsons were 26 oz and newer actual ones were 24 oz?

My vintage Woolrich is about 30 oz. I imagine the vintage Filsons were similar.

 

[TLW '90]

My vintage Woolrich is about 30 oz. I imagine the vintage Filsons were similar.

How do you determine?

 

[Aleksio]

My vintage Woolrich is about 30 oz. I imagine the vintage Filsons were similar.

I have both and would swear that my 80s Filson feels thicker, maybe because the wool fabric is different; Filson feels more blanket-like compared to the more felted 60s Woolrich hunting coat. Where did you get this numbers, are there some historical writings, catalogues and such?

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

I've handled quite a few Woolrich wool coats and own a couple of their cruisers. They are neither heavier weight fabric, nor thicker than Filsons. I own several cruisers and double mackinaws from various makers. The closest maker to Filson, in fabric and weight, aren't even close in fabric, weight, or density. Talking old Filsons.