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| What's a Pea Coat ? |
What's a Pea Coat ?
It seems as if were yesterday when I so my Dad in his tried-and-true pea coat. It actually meant quite a bit to him because that was the coat that he wore when you probably serve in the U.S. Navy back and the 1960's. He said that he had never worn a coat that kept him warmer, or one that had stood the test of time.
The pea coat is standard issue for the brave men and women of the U.S. Navy. These coats have been a staple for the Navy uniforms since the beginning of the Twentieth Century. Navy men designed the coats to endure harsh, cold temperatures that many of the men faced on the seas. And today many civilians can be seen wearing the coats, which really comes as no surprise to me.
Pea coats are always navy blue in color and double-breasted in style. They are made from worsted wool. Worsted wool gets its name because of the way the wool is processed for the coats. It is extremely durable because the fibers in the material are parallel in alignment. You will find few garments that are made better and performed to higher standards than the pea coat.
Another appealing element of the pea coat is its classic style. They really are immediately identifiable because of their distinct look. In addition to the traditional navy blue color and double-breasted construction, the coats are easily spotted by their wide, rounded lapels and their buttons. The buttons fittingly have anchors etched into the buttons.
The name 'pea coat' is said to have different origins. One such theory is that they are called pea because of the pea soup like fog that many sailors encounter. Others suggest that the name is derived from 'pilot' because the coats were originally made from pilot cloth. Pilot cloth is a heavy twilled cloth that is usually blue in color. Pilot cloth has been used to construct jackets since 1723. The cloth itself was nicknamed 'p-cloth' and the term 'pea coat' eventually made its evolution from that derivative. Yet others believe that it is actually from a Dutch word which means short.
Oh whatever it may be, it doesn't really matter how it got its name. The fact of the matter is that the pea coat immediately brings to mind an image of the traditional, double-breasted, durable, navy blue coat. Through the air is the pea coat has evolved to become a rather fashionable piece of civilian wear as well.
The civilian pea coat is not always Navy surplus. They may lack the quality of the wool original, but there is no denying the quality and durability of the original pea coat, standard issue of the U.S. Navy. It has stood the test of time and has served with honor.
Some Key Facts About Pea Coat
Pea coats are the best wear for the winters mainly. Women are more fashion conscious and they follow the trends of coats and jackets. But the women's coats are always in trend and always look classy and fashionable with the passage of time.
It was basically designed for the navy soldiers in the 19th century, from that period of time they are loved by every single woman. These coats provide warmth and look of the coat is too classy, due to these reasons they are versatile in nature. In early days, it was made in a double breasted coat form which made soldiers warm. It was made from 30 oz wool which was considered to be the best in providing warmth in winters to the soldiers. But today's designers upgraded the design and only warmth and versatile feature are taken into consideration.
There are various forms of pea coats available along with various colors and shades for pea coats. As per the choice women, they can select their coat. It is available in wool and even in tartan. The length of the coat varies from knee length or quarter length and full length; it can be worn upon your usual dress or even on your casual dress or jeans, over the skirts and on the slacks too. They are available in different forms like double and single breasted with removal of inner layers features, which make the use of coat for every season. They provide a stylish, glamorous and a classy look to your attire. Every woman has at least one of these coat in her wardrobe as it is essential to be there as it is all time trend and is very popular amongst them.
The demand of the pea coats is increasing on a daily basis and now they are becoming a fashion clip. Now the coats are not only being available in navy color as the color of navy dress, but they are available in bright colors also like red and yellow coats. Some designers use buttons and some use pins on the pea coat, and some coats of today's time come with big shiny buttons which gives a classy look to your coat. The coats are available in variation of the sleeves too. Every designer has its own choice of designing a pea coat. They use accessories even on sleeves and some prefer long kimono sleeves of the these coats.
Most important thing to be taken into account while purchasing pea coat for you is to make sure of the material of the pea coat; it should be wool and not a mixture of wool with cotton. Always buy 100% wool material as they are made to provide warmth. The cotton coats are not heavy in weight but they are not too warm. For the classy and the lavish look, choose cashmere material of your coat. They will provide you extra warmth and they are lighter in weight than wool pea coats. Manufactures of these coats still prefer wool material for the manufacturing of pre coat as they are still very useful and much in demand.
References :
What's a Pea Coat ?
Some Key Facts About Pea Coat