Would like to buy a new pea coat not vintage

[Sertsa]

Yow. I ordered one from Sterling a couple of weeks ago (on the 17th). I haven't received a shipment notice, and I sent an e-mail Sunday night asking if I could get an estimate on when it would ship. No response.

 

[Jovan]

Very strange. Try calling if possible?

 

[Sertsa]

I may have to if I get some free time during daylight hours. I've been hoping to get it; it's getting pretty cold around here. Overall, though, the lack of any type of response to my e-mail bothers me.


Update: I called and spoke with them. I didn't ask about the lack of an e-mail response, but I was told that the color I ordered--Oxford Grey--would be cut in January, so the coat would ship a week or two after that. That was more of a delay than I wanted, but the rep. offered to see what was in stock in the warehouse, wrote back and said they have a Classic in black, so I asked for that instead. (I had ordered the Mariner).

 

[Sertsa]

I'm not the thread originator, and I hope no one minds my bumping up this thread, but I got my pea coat--which is great--but I wanted to share a brief story about it.

I went out to a nursing home yesterday to see some people, bring the nurses and staff some holiday goodies, help some people out, etc., and I wore my new pea coat. I got a few comments on it, but one of the elderly residents came up to me in his wheelchair and talked to me about it. He said it was a great coat asked and if I was in the Navy. I told him no. He then talked about how great the coat was and how, when he was up for shore leave, it was the one thing he'd grab to run out, hit the town and "have a hell of a time." Then he talked a little bit about how much his had been through. It was a pretty cool story, so I thought I'd share.

I just thought of something. It may be late, but I wonder if I can tell one of my friends there to let his family know how fondly he remembers that pea coat and to get him one.

 

[Peacoat]

Peacoats are probably the longest lived articles of military clothing remaining in inventory today. There are many memories, stories and lives wrapped in these great pieces of history. Thanks for sharing the story.

 

[Jovan]

I'm not the thread originator, and I hope no one minds my bumping up this thread, but I got my pea coat--which is great--but I wanted to share a brief story about it.

I went out to a nursing home yesterday to see some people, bring the nurses and staff some holiday goodies, help some people out, etc., and I wore my new pea coat. I got a few comments on it, but one of the elderly residents came up to me in his wheelchair and talked to me about it. He said it was a great coat asked and if I was in the Navy. I told him no. He then talked about how great the coat was and how, when he was up for shore leave, it was the one thing he'd grab to run out, hit the town and "have a hell of a time." Then he talked a little bit about how much his had been through. It was a pretty cool story, so I thought I'd share.

I just thought of something. It may be late, but I wonder if I can tell one of my friends there to let his family know how fondly he remembers that pea coat and to get him one.

That would be wonderful! Do it. The man will love you.

It's unfortunate you couldn't get 100% wool, but the blend should do you just fine. The Classic has the same lines as the Mariner. Post a picture of you in it sometime!

 

[Sertsa]

Thanks. I'll have to get a photo and mention the conversation to a couple of people. The conversation was kind of a nice touch on a very nice but somewhat draining day.

As for the difference, that's also what the Sterling rep. said: the Classic and Mariner were the same, except that the Classic was an 80/20 blend which made it somewhat softer.

 

[Jovan]

I wouldn't say softer... actually, the blended ones I've worn or tried on seem scratchier to me. [huh]

 

[Dalexs]

FYI, I just ordered a Sterlingwear pea coat from these folks, who are closing out their remaining stock of them for a mere $75 (scroll down past the Fidelity models):

http://www.vtarmynavy.com/pea_coats.htm

They don't have very many sizes left (at least in the 32oz ones I checked), but they shipped mine less than an hour after I put the order in...

They say that the Sterlingwears are extremely fitted.
Considering what sizes are available, how did your's wind up fitting based on what you ordered?

 

[Peacoat]

I agree with Jovan. The 100% wool jackets are a bit softer.

 

[Sertsa]

Jovan and Peacoat: Huh, she may have wanted me to go ahead and take the Classic. At any rate, it's a really nice coat, but it can be a little scratchy so far.

Dalexs: I ordered directly from Sterling, but I did order one size up and am glad I did. I wouldn't say "extreme" fitted, but more of the tight, uniform-style fit.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I went up two sizes on the Sterlingwear I just got, but I am finding the fit a bit strange. It is not the "military" fit I was expecting.

I would normally be a 46, though that's because of my 42+ waist, not my underdeveloped shoulders or chest. And at that size, the sleeves are always too long.

Since I was choosing from a limited group of clearance items and was warned how trim the cut on these Sterlingwears is, my choice came down to going up one size to a 48, or two sizes to a 50 Short. So I went for the 50 Short... and it fits me semi-well:

Sleeve length: Perfect. The additional inch on the regular 48 would have been too long.

Body length: A hair short, I think, but acceptable. It's falls about a half-inch above the bottom of my longest fingertips when I have my arms at my sides.

Shoulders/armholes: Perfect. The 48 would have been too tight in the armpits.

Chest/waist/bottom sweep: Clearly too big, obviously the 48 would have been better in this regard. The buttons could be nearly an inch further over. It's loose in the chest and downright huge in the waist/hips. (This model has no back vent: maybe these are always cut pretty large at the bottom to allow for freedom of movement?)

Anyway, it's my first pea coat, and I think it's an outstanding garment: solid, very warm, and nicely made. But I am perplexed how the narrow armholes and shoulders combined with such an oversized chest/waist/sweep equal a "trim military fit"!

 

[celtic]

What you want is the US 740N by Schott.

Mine has survived many winters from New York City to Washington DC to Cleveland, Ohio. My Schott is tough and warm as hell. It'll keep you dry too.

It's good looking and highly functional. I swear by it.

Schott Link

i just bought this exact coat at the local Burlington Coat Factory for $129.99
They also carry other cheaper, lighter coats for $79.99 (of course they're not Schott)

one of the local Army/Navy stores carries the Schott "Dur-O-Jac" for $99.99.
Almost as nice as the one I bought, but made in Canada.


and yes, as another poster mentioned, peacoats are really popular this year.
in the past, i would be one of the very few around who wore one...now i see them all the time!

 

[Sharpe]

For the Schott jackets, what is the sizing like? My chest is around 39 inches..so should I go the medium or small? I like a fairly trim look.

I'm thinking of buying one but if I get one from the website it'll cost me 84 dollars in postage (to Australia). Alternatively, is there anywhere in Melbourne I could try one on? Or a jacket that would be similarly sized?

 

[jonbuilder]

Here is a Coast Guard issued to my brother in the early 70s size 40 but fits like a 42

 

[Longshanks]

<snip>
I am perplexed how the narrow armholes and shoulders combined with such an oversized chest/waist/sweep equal a "trim military fit"!

I concur with Dr. Strange--I ordered a Sterlingware two years ago, in 46L--normally I'm 44L-- and the chest fit snugly yet well, but I was astonished at how expansive the waist/lower hem was, billowing about like a floppy sail.

The Schott peacoats I've tried seem to be a bit loose in the waist (and the arms are too short for me).

So, here's a question: are there are "civilian" cuts in peacoats and "military" ones?

 

[Doctor Strange]

One difference seems to be that my Sterlingwear does not have a vented back, but (according to Peacoat) the issue coats always do. I suspect that the extra fabric in the waist/hips serves the same function as the vent on a more trimly cut coat - allowing bending (and other) motion.

So, I suspect that a coat with a vented back might have a trimmer fit at the waist/hips. (Ironically, I was all excited that mine didn't have a vented back - it was that entrenched one-piece-back-A2-jacket thinking, I guess.)