Classic Boys'Overcoats


Figure 1.--This American boy wears a classic dark overcoat. Note that thepeaked cap he wears matches the coat. The photograph was taken in 1951.

American boys wore their Eton suits during the winter with various types of coats. The classic winter coat came in a variety of styles and colors. There were both single and double breasted styles. Some of the double breasted coats had reefer styling, but the coat lenth was longer. These coats often had military styling, often epeulets and patch pockets. The coats were made in both single and double breasted styling--but the double breasted styling seems to have been the most common. This contrasts with the suit jackets for younger boys which were almost always single breasted. The coat, unlike the Eton jacket, has lapels with a "V" opening showing the boy's collar and tie. The coats were made in two popular colors. First was the natural tan or fawn color of the camelhair, although most were not really cammel hair. Second was the navy blue coat although some may have been black. The peaked cap might match the boy's tan coat rather than the material of his Eton suit. The coats were not long, but did extend below the length of the boy's shorts. As these coats were winter wear, they were normally worn with kneesocks.

Chronology

These coats seem to have been the most common from the 1930s through the 60s. HBC does not, however, have detailed information on the chronology yet.

Types

American boys wore their Eton suits during the winter with various types of coats. Boys wore both single breasted and double breasted styles. While the coats were made in both single and double breasted styling--but the double breasted styling seems the most common. This contrasts with the suit jackets for younger boys which were almost always single breasted.

Single breasted


Double breasted

HBC still has fairly limited information on classic boys' overcoats. Available information suggests that the double breasted coat with reefeer styling was the most common.

Syling Details

The classic winter coat often had military styling. Many coats had epeulets and patch pockets. The coat, unlike the Eton jacket, has lapels with a "V" opening showing the boy's collar and tie. The coats were not long, but did extend below the length of the boy's shorts.

Other Garments

The classic coat was commonly worn an English school peaked cap. Normally the cap was chosen to match the coat rather than the suit, at least during the winter. The cap was also matched the material of the coat rather than the material of his Eton suit. As these coats were winter wear, they were normally worn with kneesocks that in this case matched the suit rather than the coat.

Colors

Classic boys' coats came in two basic colors. The dark coats were navy blue or in some cases black and appear to have been the most common. The cammel hair coats were always made in the natural tan or fawn color of cammelhair. HBC at this time has no information on the conventions involved for these two different colors. The cammel hair coats may have looked more like the coats the boys' father may have worn.

Dark suits

The dark coats were navy blue or in some cases black and appear to have been the most common. HBC is not sure why that was. Perhaps it was because the boys' suits were usually navy or black. There were also white Eton suits, but these were normally worn during the spring and summer when coats were not needed. These colors are destinctly American. Black or even navy suits were much less common in Europe. HBC is less sure how country specific the dark classic coats were.

Cammel hair

The cammel hair coats were always made in the natural tan or fawn color of cammelhair. HBC at this time has no information on the conventions involved for these two different colors. The cammel hair coats may have looked more like the coats the boys' father may have worn. HBC believes that the classic cammel hair coat may have been seen as more stylish than the blue suits. The military styling like epaulettes and patch pockets appear to have been most common on the cammel hair coats.

Material

Overcoats for men were made in camelhair. Expensive overcoats for boys might also be made in cammelhair. Often boys coats, even expensive boys' clothes, were made in "cammel" color wool. The dark suits were always made of wool.

Social Conventions

These classic overcoats with an Eton suit is not what the average American boy wore. This was an outfit that would have been worn by a boy from an affluent family, especially when a mother was fashion concious and had the money to indulger her interest in fashion. It would have been seen as a conservative classic style.

Personal Experiences

HBC is collecting memories of HBC readers that wore these coats as boys.

The boy shown in figure 1 is the way a proper little gentleman looked in the 1950s. This could have been me. This was just typical of the type of suit my mother dressed me in at about the same timeframe. The only diffence is that this little boy looks about 5 years old, but I was dressed that way utill I was about 7 years old. I never had a cammel hair overcoat, but I did have a navy overcoat to wear with my Eton suit. Back at that time, Eton suits were still made in sizes large enough to fit boys up to 7 or 8 years of age. After that age, and up till age 10, I graduated, but only out of Eton suits. My suits after that were more like regular suits, no Eton cap, but still with short pants and knee socks. Regarding the shirts and ties I wore, I wish I paid attention to those details, but all I can remember is that the shirts were usually short sleeved, and the ties were bow ties.-- Ron






Christopher Wagner






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Created: March 14, 20001
Last updated: June 18, 2001