Pea Coats?

[Whilliam]

I have two from Grenfeld of England. One is cashmere with gold buttons; that you can wear anywhere with any thing. The other is a cashmere blend that looks killer over blue jeans.

Great coats. Great cut. And--if you know where to look--great fabrics.

[packersfan117]

A really nice version of the Pea Coat is the Navy Officer Bridge Coat. Same basic design, but longer and more buttons.
Nice split in the back hem for walking or sitting comfort.
They look pretty good with the gold buttons replaced with traditional black round anchor embossed buttons.

I have a Swiss Air Force trench coat that I wear with dress attire, as it seems too nice to wear casually. It's much like your bridge coat, but a medium grey-blue color. I can also only wear it when it gets positively frigid, and as I live in Kentucky and shall soon move to Florida, I doubt my coat will see many more miles before hitting the storage circuit.

[razumny]

My old navy one has been worn with anything from my dress blues to blue jeans, and works well with just about anything. In fact, when it got to be so worn that I needed a new one, I went to the surplus store and got another one...

[mhdena]

I was looking at one but the Sterling Navigator seems to have a nicer hand/sheen.

[carldamnit]

I still have the pea coat I was issued in Boot Camp, years ago. I took the "crow" off the left sleeve and used it for a few years after I got out.
I had forgoten all about the poor old thing till you guys and this thread. Looks like it is headed to the dry cleaners.

Silly question, should I put the crow back on if I am just going to use it for casual dress?

Thanks

[johnniegold]

The Navigator made its first appearance of the season over this past weekend. Just a great coat.

[Graybeard57]

Interesting thread. I had no idea there were so many makers and styles. The one with the gold buttons are worn by officers and chief petty officers in the Navy, and also the Coast Guard. Silver buttons are for enlisted. I cannot speak for the Merchant Marines, but they are usually quite similar to the military. Plastic means civilian, but that's where the multitude of styles come in. The longer officer/chief style drapes well, and looks more dress than casual, to me at least. All styles work well as casual wear, IMO. All are warm.

This makes me want to dig around in the basement closet and find my silver buttoned peacoat. Been years since I wore it.

[Crixus]

Silver buttons are for enlisted.

Plastic means civilian, but that's where the multitude of styles come in.

The peacoat I was issued in bootcamp in the early 1970s had black plastic buttons with an anchor embossed on each one. That was at the Navy Recruit Training Center in San Diego. But I was also issued "Cracker Jacks" for my dress and undress uniforms. There was a big uniform changeover (to coat and tie instead of jumper) at the end of the Vietnam Era, so perhaps the silver buttoned peacoats came in then. I remember seeing them.

[professorchaos]

Pea Coats are definitely making a comeback among those who follow trends. Seeing them all over Boston this winter.

[craig87c]

Anyone have any tips on keeping the buttons on? I'm a bit rough on the peacoat buttons apparently

[rushchairman]

pea coats are casual. for anything "dressier" than jeans, cords, chinos etc i would probably opt for the even more versatile top coat, which can be dressed down or up.

[David in Boston]

Anyone have any tips on keeping the buttons on? I'm a bit rough on the peacoat buttons apparently

Had that problem with all my peacoats. The solution was getting a tailor to put the buttons on with stronger threads.

[xraygun]

I've been wearing my Schott one a bit so far this year. Wish they made the leather one in long.....
The East coast Schott salesman tells a story of how he was in a retailer when a guy came in to buy another one, his had saved his life when attacked by a guy with a knife. The story earned him a free one.

[jpakstis]

Pea Coats are definitely making a comeback among those who follow trends. Seeing them all over Boston this winter.

Thats just me. I'm all over the place! One of my favorite things of winter is breaking the peacoat out (JCrew Bayswater with thinsulate).

[Giant Kiwi]

I was given a Schott by a colleague recently that his mother got for him stateside a while back.
I wore that at the Ireland v Argentina rugby match last week over t-shirt/rugby jersey/woollen jumper and was just about warm enough.
Never been to a warm game though.
Great coat to have in the arsenal

[tinashubby]

Going shopping for one tomorrow! I see many brands are going with the s/m/l sizing rather than number sizes. I know nothing about buying clothes. How long should the sleeves be with my arms relaxed in the extended position by my sides? I fear that in order to get one to fit my girth the sleeves will be a bit long...Is this something that can be cheaply and easily altered?

[JHCC]

I was in the Navy in the 1970s and the Pea Coats issued then were Melton Cloth and they were not very warm. In a wind the wind would cut right through it. The "real" Pea coats were issued during WWll and before and they were made from a very heavy wool material called pilot cloth which is where the "P" comes from. The navy stopped issuing those after WWll in favor of the one I was issued in the early 70s because of cost.

+1 on this. Pilot cloth is is a heavy woven wool cloth that's been boiled to shrink it and felt the wool fibers together (Melton Cloth is similar, but a lighter weight).

[professorchaos]

Thats just me. I'm all over the place! One of my favorite things of winter is breaking the peacoat out (JCrew Bayswater with thinsulate).

To be fair, it is me too. At least until I see too many others wearing them. Then mine might get stored for the rest of the winter.

[JoshuaNY]

I guess I am following the trend this year, but to be fair I have wanted one for awhile, but I did not want to purchase another wool coat when I had one that was perfectly serviceable. Unfortunately, my coat is a bit threadbare this winter and I was in the market for a new coat.

I got the one from Lands End. I usually wear XL's as I am a bit heavy in the belly unfortunately I sized down to a large, fits great in the shoulders, chest and mid section, but I am worried it is to long.

I know Pea Coats should just cover your butt, like a sport coat. To me it seems to be about an inch to inch and a half below that.
I included two pictures, they are mirror cell phone pics as I do not have a camera. Hopefully, they are not too terrible to offer an opinion.

What do you gents think about the length?

[A3M0N]

I just picked up a peacoat at Old Navy for $20. They're on sale right now from $69, in store and online.