THE MACKINAW COAT

We love the Mackinaw coat. I found mine at a vintage retailer at Wheels and Waves. I’ve been looking for one for years.

So what is a Mackinaw Coat? It is the archetypical coat. It is named after the Mackinaw region in present-day Michigan. The original Mackinaw coats were made from wool for the British Army in the early 19th century. Special treatment made the wool rainproof and kept the cold outside. The coats were quickly adopted by native Americans, fur traders and lumberjacks.

The one we found for the shop, and that ‘s for sale here is an extraordinary example of how the coat developed in style and material over time. This one is the post-war mouton collared sheepskin lined canvas coat. You’ve seen James Dean, Daniel day Lewis, Jean Paul Sartre wearing one.

Our coat probably originates from the WW2 era and is in remarkable good condition. The fabric is very similar to “jungle cloth” of which the famous N1 deck jackets were made.

Joop