1940s Maine Guide Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket mackinaw coat

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271397856838
This vintage coat was made in the USA by Congress under the Maine Guide Sportswear label. It is made from English-made Hudson’s Bay point blanket material, one of the highest quality and most expensive wools on the market for this type of coat at that point. These coats were most popular in red and black stripe, and in multi-stripe (green red, yellow and indigo stripes on a white background). The green and black is rare.
The style of the Hudson’s Bay label and the (R) symbol on the Maine Guide label help to date this to the late 1940s, although the overall pattern of the coat belongs more to the 1930s. I like the way the Maine Guide coats use the pattern of the blanket to accentuate the details of their coats. The “points” of the blanket are right up front. The sleeves are defined by the stripe, as are the handwarmer pockets and the buttoned sleeve adjuster belts. The hip pocket flaps contrast against the main stripe. Some manufacturers of point blanket coats merely tailored their standard mackinaw pattern in a different material. Maine Guide went the extra step to take full advantage of everything the iconic Canadian fabric had to offer. It makes sense, as the company had a lot of experience with blanket coats. In the early 1930s, Maine Guide produced a model with a double breasted chest and a zippered bottom. A really unique look.
This coat is double breasted and belted, and has a stylish peaked collar that I’ve only seen on blanket coats made by Maine Guide. Another unique feature to Maine Guide is the bottom hem, which uses the edge of the blanket, instead of having a bottom seam. The coat is unlined, which is more typical of pre-war patterns. The blanket wool is thick and has a long nap, which is also more typical of earlier production blankets.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25″
Length (base of collar to hem): 34″

1920s / 1930s Olympic Cap

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271397653107
This vintage cap was made by Knox hats in the late 1920s or early 1930s as part of the uniform of the United States Olympic team. It’s difficult to say with 100% certainty, but this looks consistent with what was worn at either the 1928 St. Moritz or the 1932 Lake Placid games. It is made from white felt in a traditional flat-cap style, with an embroidered US Olympic shield crest consistent with the early games. The cap has a cream colored leather sweatband of the type typical of the late 1920s and early 1930s. The deep embossing is also typical of what Knox was producing in this era. The style of brim is something I have never seen before. Usually the brim on these flat caps is a separate piece, usually with a snap on the top. This is interfaced inside for a degree of stiffness, then decoratively stitched, presumably so that the cap can be rolled up and stowed easily. There is a remnant of the original size tag, but not enough to tell the size. The sweatband measures 22″ in circumference.

WWII Richmond Bros. shawl mackinaw

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271397626926
This vintage Officer’s Short Overcoat / Shawl Collar Mackinaw was made in 1942 by high-end clothier Richman Brothers under contract for the US Army. This style coat was a direct descendant of the shawl collar workwear mackinaws of the 1910s-1930s, and from the m-1926 mackinaw worn by the Army and the Civilian Conservation Corps before the war. It is a double breasted style, with a broad shawl collar, epaulettes, and a belted waist. The coat is fully lined with an interior breast pocket.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24-1/2″
Length (base of collar to hem): 33″

1930s Shanhouse Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket Mackinaw Coat

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281263182073
This vintage mackinaw coat was made around 1936 by W. Shanhouse and Sons of Rockford, Illinois. Shanhouse Sportswear was a well known maker of the time, producing high quality mackinaws, like this one, as well as a variety of leather jackets. At the time, the Hudson’s Bay Point blanket wool option was the most expensive mackinaw available from Shanhouse. Hudson’s Bay blanket wool was prized for its extreme warmth, wind blocking, vibrant color and luxurious nap. This red and black color scheme was probably the most popular, followed by the multi-stripe.

I’ve sold a lot of these blanket mackinaws, and I think this one may be my favorite design so far. It has wide, pointed lapels, with the black stripe positioned underneath for a bit of extra “pop”. This one retains its original hood, attached under the collar with a red knit wool panel for a bit of stretch when worn. The hood spreads when not in use, doing up with a Talon zipper with a rare sunburst bell-shaped puller. Whereas many of these coats had pressed metal buckles, or leather covered ones, this one has a high quality, heavy duty cast buckle. The buttons are original and have a nice red swirl pattern to them. The ones on the sleeves have turned a bit more brown over the years. Instead of regular patch pockets, this one has fancy saddlebag pockets, and uses the red and black of the stripe nicely for contrast.
As is typical on these earlier mackinaws, this one is unlined. The blankets used on these earlier Hudson’s Bay Blanket coats were of much higher quality than later ones, thicker, denser and with a deeper nap. Compare a 1930s coat to a 1970s one and you’ll see what I mean. The points on this coat are located on the side seam. This one features an extra-large version of the Hudson’s Bay label, and a wonderfully designed “Shanhouse” label. The coat bears a United Garment Workers of America “Duck Goods” union label.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled = 44″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 26-1/2″
Length (base of collar to hem): 33″

Gordon & Ferguson Field & Stream sheeplined mackinaw

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271397591682
This vintage coat was made in the 1930s by Gordon & Ferguson of St. Paul, Minnesota. At the time, this would have been sold as a “sheelpined coat”, though the term “shawl collar mackinaw” has come to also encompass this style. It has a broad mouton shawl collar, and is 3/4 lined with sheepskin. Consistent with the early dating, the sleeves are lined in a blanket material. The pockets all have triangular leather reinforcements at the corners. The leather loop closure for the buttons, as opposed to corded loops or buttonholes seems to be a uniquely Gordon and Ferguson detail. I have only ever seen it on coats made by them and by Guiterman Bros. after the G&F buyout in the late 1920s. See that Guiterman Town & Country here: https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2013/12/19/town-and-country-sheeplined-coat/

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 20″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 26″
Length (Base of collar to hem): 34″

Deadstock mid 1930s Talon Fantail Zippers

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281262585415
This rare vintage zipper was produced by Talon from the early to mid 1930s. In their advertising, this style was the style 110, while the slightly larger version was known as the style 109. The last photo shows a 110 and a 109 side by side for size comparison purposes. It is a pin lock style, with D-shaped stops at the top. According to original advertisements, these were sold with white cotton tape so that they could be dyed to match. These are a closed end, open top style, perfect for sleeve openings on motorcycle jackets and the like. The zipper track measures 3″, while the tape from end to end measures 4-1/2″.

1930s J.A. Brewster red mackinaw coat

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281262534629
This vintage mackinaw coat was made in Camden, Maine by the J.A. Brewster company. The company was founded in the 19th century by Jarvis Adelbert Brewster. The company produced high quality outerwear for the harsh Maine winters, with locations in Camden and Freeport Maine. The LL Bean flagship store would later be built at the site of Brewster’s Freeport location. Brewster produced the first run of red wool outdoorsman’s shirts for the Boy Scouts in the 1940s. This coat was made in the late 1930s. The style is pure function, with an oversized collar to block out harsh winter winds. A throat latch / chinstrap makes sure it stays snug when up. The coat is single breasted, with handwarmer pockets on the chest and patch pockets on the hips. As was the style up through the 1930s, this coat is unlined. To make up for the lack of lining and still retain warmth, these early coats were made of super thick wool. After WWII, when lighter weight coats began to be more popular, quilted linings made up for the lower quality of the shell. This one has some of the thickest wool I’ve seen on this type of coat. The tag position is consistent with the dating- later coats by this maker generally had the tag on the inside by the collar.

Chest (pit to pit): 24″ (doubled = 48″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25″
Length (collar to hem): 30″

R.H. Macy 1930s plaid workshirt

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281262488148
This vintage plaid wool workshirt was made in the early 1930s and was sold by R.H. Macy & Co., Inc. They later simplified their name to Macy’s. The design of the shirt, in particular the distinctive pocket flaps, are consistent with what was being produced by LL Bean at the time. It’s likely they had the contract for this Macy’s store labeled shirt.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled = 44″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 17″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length (base of collar to hem): 32″
Collar: 16″

Gray Blanket stripe coat

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281262510170
This vintage jacket was made in the 1970s or 1980s. It closely follows the pattern of Hudson’s Bay point blanket jackets of the time, with its shirt style collar and buttoned patch pockets. However, I don’t believe the Hudson’s Bay Company ever produced their jackets in this period with a gray background. I have seen this pattern of fabric made by Woolrich and by Pendleton, so possibly it’s one of theirs.

Chest (pit to pit): 23″ (doubled = 46″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 20″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 21″
Length (Base of collar to hem): 29″

White Selentino Fedora

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271396655847
This fedora was made by Selentino / Tonak. It is in a rare pure white fur felt, with an underwelt brim and a center dent. It has never been worn, with the tags and stickers still attached. But deadstock does not mean damage free, as you can see by the tracking to the felt.

Size: 7-3/8
Brim Width: 2-1/4″

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Vintage-Haberdashers Blog

Quality vintage menswear

1940s Maine Guide Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket mackinaw coat

1920s / 1930s Olympic Cap

WWII Richmond Bros. shawl mackinaw

1930s Shanhouse Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket Mackinaw Coat

Gordon & Ferguson Field & Stream sheeplined mackinaw

Deadstock mid 1930s Talon Fantail Zippers

1930s J.A. Brewster red mackinaw coat

R.H. Macy 1930s plaid workshirt

Gray Blanket stripe coat

White Selentino Fedora