Peacoat Guide - A Classic Wool Overcoat For Fall & Winter (2024)

Peacoat Origins: The Dutch Version

The Oxford Dictionary dates the origin of the term pea jacket or peacoat to the early 18th century, claiming that it was most likely derived from the Dutch word pijjakker, from “pij” for ‘coat of coarse cloth’ +jekker for ‘jacket’. Since the Dutch were a naval power for many centuries, and the peacoat is commonly associated with seafaring, it does not seem far-fetched that the jacket was in fact from the Netherlands.

Peacoat Origins: The Camplin Version

According to Camplin, a heritage British clothing brand that is now based in Italy, Mr. Edgard Camplin founded a store in 1850 in which he sold uniforms to the British Royal Navy. Apparently, the article sold particularly well in India, starting in 1888. After that, Mr. Camplin supposedly suggested – at an unknown date – creating a coat for the uniform of petty officers, who had the same uniform as sailors up until then.

Instead of the officer’s greatcoat, Camplin designed the Petty Coat, which was also known as a P. Coat. The name eventually was popularized as Peacoat for phonetic reasons. This version of the story may be true, but it does not name any sources or dates other than the company’s own records; the company still sells peacoats based on the story that Mr. Edgard Camplin “invented” the peacoat.

Peacoat Origins: The Tailor & Cutter Version

The Tailor & Cutter used to be the leading tailor trade magazine in England in the 19th century. It was published weekly and in addition to focusing on tailoring and cutting, it also featured fashion trends and etiquette. For example, if people began wearing new styles, Tailor & Cutter would comment on the clothing, which was particularly true for anything a Royal wore. In an issue from October 1868, they report about the so-called “the Prince of Wales Jacket” emerged, which characterized it as a loose double-breasted jacket with three pairs of buttons, two cross pockets, and wide piping.

When intended for rough use, the coat was made of blue pilot cloth lined with wool. For town wear, it was made of blue witney or another soft material with silk-faced lapels and a velvet collar. It was tailored with or without a back seam and with short vents at the bottom. The illustration is from 1869 and describes it as a “Prince of Wales pea-jacket”. Chances are, the PoW was not the inventor, but rather he was the person who popularized it.

Why the US Navy Peacoat is

Discontinued

In 2018, United States Navy high command decided to replace the traditional peacoat with a synthetic-material black parka. This decision was made to update the image of the modern American sailor and from a “desire to reduce current Navy sea bag uniform component requirements and reduce cost to the Navy’s annual uniform budget,” according to USNI News.

Peacoat FAQs

Why is it called a peacoat?

There are several different versions of how the peacoat got its name. In one instance, it may come from the Dutch word pijjakker meaning “coat of course cloth”, another instance sees the peacoat derive its name from the brand Camplin who called it a “petty” coat, and a third possibility sees a coat of similar construction described in the Tailor & Cutter magazine as being a “pea-jacket”. Whichever is true, the name remains consistent!

How should a man wear a peacoat?

A peacoat is a great piece of outerwear for lovers of classic style, as it allows you to dress down (or up!) depending on the occasion. It can be smartened with flannel trousers and fine knitwear, or relaxed with corduroys and a chunky sweater. As a general rule of thumb, avoid wearing a peacoat with anything formal, such as a suit, as this will create a clash in formality.

Who made the first peacoat?

It’s difficult to say who made the first peacoat, as there are three possible origins to the garment. Whether it was at the hands of the Dutch or the English, the peacoat’s general design has remained largely unchanged. This means it won’t be hard to find an authentic peacoat that you like.

What is the difference between a peacoat and an overcoat?

Mainly, the length is the largest difference between a peacoat and an overcoat. A peacoat is designed to be much shorter than an overcoat, finishing around the seat. This is because of the naval heritage of the garment; a longer coat would be hazardous on treacherous sea voyages.

Are peacoats supposed to fit tight?

Historically, peacoats were cut to fit quite close, but certainly not tight. Therefore, you want there to be enough room under your peacoat for a thick sweater, but you shouldn’t have so much room that you’re drowning in it – peacoats are not designed to be worn oversized! Aim for that comfortable middle for the best fit.

Can you wear a peacoat unbuttoned?

The military dress code states that all buttons save for the collar button should be fastened on a peacoat, with the collar button being allowed in particularly bad weather. For civilians, however, there are no hard and fast rules about how to button a peacoat. Bear in mind that as it’s a double-breasted garment that’s designed to keep you warm, it can look a little odd to wear it unbuttoned, but it makes sense to do so if you’re feeling warm and don’t want to carry it.

How do I get my peacoat collar to stay up?

The collar on a peacoat should be created in the ulster style, meaning the collar points face down, rather than up as if they were on a suit jacket. This is essential in keeping you warm in inclement weather, as you can flip up the collar and allow the points to cross over in the front. If the collar doesn’t stay up by itself, it’s worth taking your peacoat to an alterations tailor so they can insert some stiffer interlining into the collar. This will help your peacoat collar to stand proud and keep you warm!

1

The Peacoat Cut

The peacoat of today has a specific cut that reflects it’s functional origins. The peacoat is a simple jacket with a straight cut down the body. The length is slightly longer than a regular jacket, but it remains shorter than an overcoat like its predecessor.

2

The Peacoat Collar & Buttons

An oversized wide collar, typical of an Ulster coat, allows the wearer to button up the collar around the face for extra protection from the elements, using the 7th button (and occasionally the cordage, depending on the brand). If seafarers wore many layers underneath, they were sometimes unable to button that 7th button and so they used cordage. The remaining 6 buttons are arranged traditionally on the double-breasted silhouette.

3

The Peacoat Details

The very first peacoats seem to have had short side vents or no vents, whereas current US Navy peacoats feature a centre vent. The vertical slit pockets were designed for easy access, and they usually also feature a little change pocket on the inside because US Navy pants did not have pockets. On the inside, you will find two pockets on either side for storage of your everyday carry items.

Most peacoats have

Deep Pockets

Both as a safe haven to protect the hands from the elements and as a location for the storage of extra items, most peacoats feature voluminous, welted pockets. The pronounced slant typical of these pockets ensures that whatever is placed inside of them will not fall out.

Terms to Know: Ligne

A “ligne,” which means “line” in French, is a pre-metric system unit of measurement for very small lengths. Originally one-twelfth of a French inch, the standardized conversion for a ligne is 2.2558291 millimeters. Today, ligne is still used as a unit of measurement in some trades, including watchmaking, ribbon cutting, and button making, although in the button trade, a ligne is defined as one-fortieth of an inch, or 0.635 millimeters. Standard button sizes include 16 ligne for shirts, 24 ligne for jacket cuffs, and 32 ligne for jacket fronts. Coat button sizes can vary greatly, from 36 ligne to over 50 ligne.

What on earth is a

Fouled Anchor?

In nautical terms, something that is “fouled” is wrapped up or tangled with ropes. According to tradition, this emblem dates back to the personal seal ofLord Howard of Effingham, the Lord High Admiral of England, when the British defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. Following the victory, the design was then adopted as the official seal of theLord High Admiral of Great Britain.

A Military Bond

In the 2012 film Skyfall Daniel Craig’s James Bond wears a peacoat while on a mission in Shanghai, as an homage to the character’s naval background. The coat in question is the “Bond” model by Billy Reid and features a more tailored fit than a traditional peacoat might. Also featured in this design is a streamlined collar with broad lapels, nothing like an oversized collar that you might see in more fashion-forward collections.

The Peacoat as fashion

Inspiration

Many fashion brands offer their take on the peacoat, which features design elements from the original but with additional elements or ahistorical materials. These “fashion” peacoats may have flap pockets or cashmere blends, and while they may look very similar to a peacoat, technically speaking, they are not. If you like their look, however, they can be a great buy.

World War I

Peacoats have been around for longer, but it is difficult to find older pictures. During this era peacoats typically had 10 or more buttons, and they were longer. It featured handwarmer pockets as well as flapped pockets. The original buttons featured an anchor with 13 stars around them, and the color was midnight blue. These unique features make it relatively easy to identify a WWI-era peacoat.

World War II

Compared to the WWI peacoats, the hand warmer pockets were placed a bit lower, and the flap pockets disappeared, but it still maintained the 10-button front. The buttons changed considerably and now featured the fouled anchor you may be familiar with today. At the same time, the stars were removed.

The outer shell was still 100% midnight blue Kersey wool, and the pockets were lined with tan or light brown corduroy: inside the chest pocket you can find a label stating“Manufactured By NAVAL CLOTHING FACTORY.”

The fit of WWII peacoats was very tight compared to the ones that followed.

Postwar

Traditionally, the peacoat had 10 buttons, 8 of which were visible. Shortly after World War II the number was reduced to 8 with just 6 visible ones and eventually, just 7 with 6 visible ones.

Because of the reduction in buttons, the lapel got slightly bigger, and you could now see more of the chest or tie. Of course, you could still button it up all the way to keep you warm when needed. This style of the coat was maintained between1946 and 1979, though the tags were often different, thus making it difficult to differentiate between peacots from these years. Up until the1970s the 100%, Kersey wool remained unchanged. At some point after that, poly-blended wool was offered.

However, there were some minor differences during this period. For example,in 1968, the corduroy pocket lining was substituted with a soft blue, white, off-white cotton lining.

From 1974 to 1984 the buttons were exchanged once again, so the shape would match the gold bridge coats but the color was pewter. In 1984, the black fouled anchor button was reintroduced but the bridge coats kept their gold buttons.

During that same period,Melton was introduced along with some other changes.