http://www.ebay.com/itm/271206311852
This hat was made in Germany and sold by Henri Henri of Montreal, Canada. The raw edge brim with minimal flanging makes me think this hat was released in the wake of the release of Indiana Jones, when this style made a resurgence. The hat originally sold for $245.
Size: 7-3/8
Brim Width: 2-3/4″
Crown Height: 5-1/4″
Ribbon Width: 1-1/2″
Tom Mix, the king of the cowboys, was a fan of Hudson’s Bay blanket coats for decades of his career, wearing his in a variety of films as well as off the set.
The first picture I can find of him wearing one is in 1918, in the film Ace High. He seems to have worn the style for the next 20 years until his death. During this time, there were three coats that I have been able to track down. The first and the second one are the same pattern, with subtle differences in the way the stripes line up distinguishing the two. In particular, the stripes on the shoulder yoke are a giveaway. The earlier version had a dark stripe centered with the pockets, while the second version had a white stripe. There were also differences in the color of the belt loops, and how the stripes lined up with the pockets.
The second version was a departure. The overall cut is somewhat simplified, without the large bellows pockets. Notch lapels replace the shirt style collar of the first two. The edges are trimmed with sections of dark stripe, and a dark zig-zag stripe is sewn to the chest, an exaggerated version of the western scalloped yoke. I particularly like the multi-tonal arrows running down the sleeves. Like other elements on this coat, these are cut out from the different color fields of a blanket and applied to the coat, creating the unique pattern.
1918- Ace High.
1919 – The Wilderness Trail.
unknown date-
1923 – North of Hudson Bay
c.1926 – Though the same cut as the c.1918 version, the stripes line up noticeably differently, particularly in the shoulder yoke. On the earlier version, the dark stripe lines up with the center of the pocket. On this version, it is the light background stripe which is centered. This version appears to have a buckle on the belt instead of buttons. The stripes of the body line up differently with the pockets.
1928 – A different blanket coat comes onto the scene.
1930 – Nash Car ad. The old style coat is still in rotation, but this appears to be the second version of it. In this picture, another difference from the first version of the coat is visible- the belt loops. On the earlier version in the same cut, the belt loops are made of the white portion of the blanket. In this version, they are part of a dark stripe.
1931
Unknown Date
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271189228147
This vintage motorcycle jacket was made in Montreal, Canada by the British Mfg. Company under their “British Cycle Leathers” label. These are a copy of the Harley Davidson Cycle Champ design of the 1940s. It features a large D-pocket with cigarette pocket, a diagonal zipped front with snaps on the lapels, but not the collar, and studs on the pockets and epaulettes. The cuffs are zipped. All zippers are Canadian made Lightning brand, with oval pullers. Please note that all Canadian made zippers have the slider on the left track, in the European tradition. The liner is a plaid flannel, a real throwback to the 1940s roots of this design. The leather has some wonderful grain. While it has started to develop a nice patina, the usual spots (cuff, collar) are in great shape. There are several places where the stitching has let go, in particular the bottom of the zipper. These should all be easy fixes, though, as the leather and zipper tape are still in solid condition.
Tagged size: 38
Chest (pit to pit): 20″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 17″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Waist: 17-1/2″
Length (collar seam to hem): 21-1/2″
For another in this model, made a little bit later, please see This Jacket
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281078373691
This vintage coat was made in the 1950s. It is made from a red and black double-stripe blanket material. This particular coat no longer bears its original label, so the manufacturer is unknown. The Hudson’s Bay Company was the most famous maker of these blanket coats, but I have not seen a red double-stripe by them. This coat is the iconic cut for this blanket material: double breasted, belted, with handwarmer pockets and patch cargo pockets. These coats descended from the blanket capotes worn by fur traders in the 18th and 19th centuries. Due to the costly blanket material, these coats were extremely costly new. They were the ultimate in outdoors garments at the time, particularly in Canada, balancing style and rugged practicality. This example bears evidence of a lifetime of heavy use at a cabin in Ontario.
Chest (pit to pit): 25″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 21″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25″
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281078325621
This vintage coat was made by LL Bean. It is a classic striped point blanket style, made famous by the offerings of the Hudson’s Bay company. The HBC version had four stripes, of indigo, yellow, red and green. This version has broader stripes, of black, red and yellow. These coats were very expensive new, with their high quality blanket material, and were generally offered by the higher end outdoors outfitters of the time. This is a somewhat newer version, produced in the 1960s or 1970s, but its style is extremely classic with the biggest difference being its warm, bright red acrylic pile lining. It is a single breasted style with handwarmer pockets and flapped patch pockets.
Chest (pit to pit): 24″ (doubled = 48″ = size 44)
Shoulder to Shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25-3/4″
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281078392961
This vintage coat was made in the 1950s by Canadian company “Mac-Mor”. This is another striped blanket coat, ala The Hudson’s Bay Company. The multi-stripe and red and black are the most common combinations on these Canadian blanket coats, which makes this one somewhat unusual. It has a white background with black and yellow stripes in differing widths and combinations. With the white background of this coat, there are scattered stains, the worst of which is on the left shoulder. The jacket has a gray quilted lining.
Chest (pit to pit): 23″
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 17″
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271165286417
This vintage shirt was made in Canada. It has a two pocket front, with cats eye buttons, and a fantastic label depicting a four motor airliner.
Chest: 25″
Shoulder to shoulder: 20″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 23″
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281067893704
This vintage jacket was made by the Hudson’s Bay Company from their iconic multi-stripe point blankets. It is single breasted, with a shirt style collar and cuffs, and flapped patch pockets. The lining material on the back side of the pocket flaps is heavily worn, as is typical. The jacket has taped seams and lined shoulders. It has a small variant of the Hudson’s Bay Company point blanket tag.
Chest (pit to pit): 27″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 20″
Shoulder to Cuff: 26″
Made from Hudson’s Bay point blankets, these striped coats are iconically Canadian. The blanket design was introduced in the late 1700s by the HBC, and the material was soon adapted into coats by fur traders. Point blanket coats remained popular in Canada, first as utilitarian garments, later as fashion. The true Hudson’s Bay blankets were made in England. Some were tailored for and sold by the Bay, others, while they bear the fabric tag showing they were made from Hudson’s Bay blankets, were made into coats by and were retailed by third party companies, as is the case with the red Maine Guide coat pictured below.
Right from the start, there were competitor companies with their own striped trade blankets, like Early’s Witney Point, Horn Brothers, Trapper Point, or Ayers. The list went on, each with their own variation on the basic striped scheme. Many of these also made their way into the production of coats and jackets. The classic 20th century point blanket coat is a double breasted, belted mackinaw style, though the fabric has been tailored into everything from a “perfecto” style motorcycle jacket to a pullover hoodie.
Recreation of HBC trading post, featuring point blanket capotes at left.
Hudson’s Bay Company Gallery, Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg
Examples from my collection
Top Row:
1950s Hudson’s Bay: The classic cut and colors. Interesting in that the orientation of the stripes is reversed from the usual
1960s Hudson’s Bay: Men’s shirt style. Also commonly seen in a women’s version.
Second Row:
c.1950s/1960s Mac Mor: Company founded in 1951, based out of North York, Ontario.
c. 1960s Gleneaton. Made of Ayers blanket. Milium insulated
Third Row:
1930s Hudson’s Bay. Very old one, with buttoned belt. Had buttons under collar for a hood
1940s Hudson’s Bay/ Maine Guide. Tailored by Maine Guide from HBC blanket
Fourth Row:
1960s Lakeland: Designed by Jeffrey Banks. 1949 union label. Same style blanket as the Buckskein, but reversed orientation
1950s Buck skein: Duffle coat style. “Thermalized” lining
The bold patterns and bright colors of these blanket coats put them squarely into the “love it or hate it” category of vintage menswear, and outside of their native Canadian habitat can seem a bit out of context. While they can seem a bit flashy by modern menswear standards, these coats came from a rugged outdoor tradition.
Photo from LIFE magazine photo archive
Men’s striped blanket coats are still available from a variety of makers, but they seem to have shied away from the traditional vibrant colors, opting instead for more subdued earth tones and shades of gray. While the Hudson’s Bay Company still retails their blankets (they now sell between $370 and $580), in an odd twist, their former competitors in the camp blanket market are now working with them. The material used in their current production blanket coats is made by Pendleton Woolen Mills. The blankets are distributed in the US by Woolrich Woolen Mills.
Current and recent offerings:
Freewheelers (Japan) BC Coat $990
Hudson Bay Company duffle $950
Whether vintage or modern, find your inner Canuck and give a blanket coat a chance.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271144848816
Chest (pit to pit): 24″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 27″
