Civilian Fleece coat with trim

[Greg Barnett]

Does anyone produce a coat such as the one in the pictures?

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Civilian Fleece coat with trim

Greg,

Are you going to explore the frozen tundra of the Great White North?

[Ian McWherter]

Re: Civilian Fleece coat with trim

That smart gentleman is wearing a paletot overcoat made out of chinchilla cloth, which is a heavy, spongy woolen overcoat fabric with a long nap that has been rubbed into a curly, nubby finish. Often it is double faced with a knitted or woven, plain or fancy back. Chinchilla cloth is usually made from wool or blends of wool and cotton in twill weave. The name has been derived from 'Chincha', the South American Indians who used the hair of a rodent for cloth. The term 'Chinchilla' is also used to refer the woven woolen fabric which has a napped surface, as it is in this case. Chinchilla cloths are very difficult to manufacture, and are very expensive!

I posted that image on Elizabeth Clark's forum, thesewingacademy.org, (the image was originally listed on ebay some while back) as an example of some of the really neat textured fabrics that were available at that time, I'll also be reproducing that very coat as an example garment sometime in the near future. I was able to locate and purchase some Chinchilla fabric that matched the photograph very well while hunting down new sources for cloth at a high-end woolen cloth retailer (I'm kinda' like Indiana Jones when it comes to tracking down rare hard to find fabrics). I warn you, be prepared to pay quite a bit for this fabric, your looking at $100+ a yard. For example, they had a particularly fine bolt of this fabric, it was priced at $275 a yard. That's because the majority of this fabric available is a merino/alpaca wool blend, making the fabric incredibly fine and soft (it's heavenly).

The trim on his coat is probably a mohair braid. I imported some beautiful mohair wool braid from England for the project.

[Greg Barnett]

Re: Civilian Fleece coat with trim

Pat,
I just think it would make a fine image and a possible trek to the Yukon maybe at hand. This is dependent upon the upcoming election. A man of my beliefs may have to leave the country. I can't live with out my liberties.

Ian,
I am guessing that a proper reproduction might be prohibitive based upon your statements. I would always keep my options open though.

Cheers

[Ian McWherter]

Re: Civilian Fleece coat with trim

Ian,
I am guessing that a proper reproduction might be prohibitive based upon your statements. I would always keep my options open though.

Cheers

Nice things cost money. There might be a more affordable outlet for this fabric yet, but so far I haven't found a retailer selling this fabric for less than a $100 a yard. You never know though, you might find one.:)

When you consider the total cost for a proper reproduction of this coat: silk blended or alpaca lining (like most originals have), mohair trim, proper hand-made cloth covered buttons, wool chest padding, silk thread for the seams, buttonhole twist silk thread, wool interlining, Irish linen canvass interfacing, polished cotton pocket lining, sateen sleeve lining, quilted chest and back, hand applied trim and all the tricky bulk reducing measures that are found on original (and modern) coats for that crisp look, the costs start to add up.:)

Oh yeah, and a custom drafted pattern to boot!

There is a reason why there's a dearth of properly constructed civilian clothing out there.