Double Breasted Shell Jacket

[k6j3p]

I have a double breasted shell jacket made of cadet grey kersey. It is a nice looking coat but there is something bothering me about it. It has 9 VA state buttons on each side, all other shells I have seen only have 7. I have tried in vain to find any documentation for the 9 buttons, any thoughts?

Keith Pavulak

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

Re: Double Breasted Shell Jacket

Who was the maker of the jacket? A reputable maker would have no problem providing documentation for his or her products. Suggest you go to its source.

As a maker of uniforms, I enjoy discussing how I arrive at my replicas with those who care enough to listen. Perhaps the maker of this jacket will be the same way.

[Tom Ezell]

Re: Double Breasted Shell Jacket

I have a double breasted shell jacket made of cadet grey kersey. It is a nice looking coat but there is something bothering me about it. It has 9 VA state buttons on each side, all other shells I have seen only have 7. I have tried in vain to find any documentation for the 9 buttons, any thoughts?

Just because you have a repro jacket doesn't mean it's documented anywhere. There are a lot of fantasy vendors out there making this stuff for the less-than-mainstream market.

[k6j3p]

Re: Double Breasted Shell Jacket

I should have added this info on my first post. I bought it used from Regimental Quartermaster, it was not expensive so I have some doubts about authenticity. The 9 buttons are all evenly spaced, the only other references to 9 buttons on a Confederate jacket I have seen is for General officers with 3 groups of 3 buttons not evenly spaced..... Just don't wanna be laughed at if I wear it on the field. It does not have any sort of rank insignia on the collar or sleeve. I have looked at: A SURVEY OF CONFEDERATE CENTRAL GOVERNMENTQUARTERMASTER ISSUE JACKETS
by Leslie D. Jensen online. Time and knowing where to look for info probably my biggest road block in research. I use the internet primarily for information and would hope that I could find my sources online, either here or on another website. Thanks for all the help.....
Keith Pavulak

[Tom Ezell]

Re: Double Breasted Shell Jacket

Keith:

When considering any repro garment, you want to consider the "Three C's" -- CLOTH, CUT, CONSTRUCTION.

CLOTH: Is it made out of period materials, e.g., jeans, cassimere, kersey, or broadcloth, etc.? A great deal of the less-than-authentic vendors (which I am sad to say often includes the Regimental Quartermaster if it's not a custom-made garment directly from RQ) use melton wool, about the consistency of a blanket. What the garment is made of should set off the first flag.

CUT: Is the garment based on a documented pattern or original item? Here's where getting close and familiar with the Jensen articles comes in. You need to know what right looks like, which implies studying as many originals as you can, or at least doing the literature research in order to be familiar with the characteristics that differentiate, for example, a Mystery Jacket from a Richmond Depot, etc.

CONSTRUCTION: Is the garment assembled using period-appropriate techniques? E.g., visible stitching hand-sewn when appropriate, are the pattern pieces put together correctly, is it lined and trimmed appropriately?

The Confederate uniform regulations called for the enlisted uniform coat to be double-breasted, but as you get into the Jensen articles and the Arliskas book, you'll find that virtually none of these were ever made because of contract cost overruns. Instead, individual clothing depots often tended to draft their own patterns based on common civilian garments, thus the variability in surviving jackets.

Confederate regulations called for officer's coats (the term "coat" implying what we refer to as a "frock coat") to be double-breasted with seven buttons on each lapel. Jackets by "definition" are usually single-breasted, approximately waist length, and it was common for these "roundabouts" to have 9 (sometimes 8) buttons. Western jackets such as the Columbus Depot pattern, Alabama, and "mystery" jackets typically had six buttons.

Hope this helps, but your best bet is to hit the books... and I wish you luck -- sounds like you might have a pig in a poke there. In that case, there's always some SCV guy or somebody who's not that concerned about authenticity, and you can sell it off and re-invest the proceeds in a better jacket.

[NC5thCav]

Re: Double Breasted Shell Jacket

Tom, that was some very sound advice. Just remeber guys, if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, walks like a duck, etc. Do your homework and you'll notice the difference in crap and a good reproduction.