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The pea coat or pea jacket rightfully brings to mind the vision of sailors on the docks as European navy sailors and merchants were the first to wear them. A pea coat is a heavy topcoat, commonly constructed from wool, short in length and navy blue in color. They have a set of eight anchor-inscribed buttons or eight large wooden buttons on the front. One column of buttons are only for decorative purposes. Pea coats have broad lapels and vertical or slash pockets. The broad lapels were often pulled up around the sailor’s neck to keep them warm when the winds and water were whipping around on deck. Double-breasted pea coats are constructed for warmth by helping to retain body heat. The name “pea coat” comes from either the Dutch or Frisian word “pijjjakker” or “pijjecker”, which “pij” refers to the type of coarse cloth that the jackets were made from. They were typically made from 30-ounce wool, which made them very warm. Beginning in the eighteenth century, the terms pea coat or pea jacket were used to describe this style of overcoat. By the nineteenth century, some referred to them as pilot coats. The United States Navy began to use these wool overcoats early in the twentieth century. The pea coat goes by several other names as well. In Britain, it is known as a reefer jacket and has been worn by members of the Royal Navy. In the Belgian Navy, the pea jacket is known as a pilot jacket. No matter what you call it, it is a classic and popular style of jacket worn by anyone nowadays, not just sailors or those associated with the seaside. Now made from 22-ounce to 32-ounce wool, they are still guaranteed for warmth. The colors available for women today not only include the traditional navy blue, but also colors such as red, dark brown, olive, loden (grayish-green), and camel. Women’s pea coats come with six anchor style buttons, rather than the customary eight buttons. They are typically short in length. When you purchase a brand new pea coat for a man, it comes with the classic number of eight anchor style buttons and is short in length. The bridge coat, is a longer version of the navy pea coat and fashioned after the coats that the chief petty naval officers wore. The bridge coat is also double-breasted but lengthwise extends halfway to the thighs. The bridge coat typically comes in the traditional navy blue wool, but rather than the anchor-inscribed buttons, it features gold naval insignia buttons. It also includes epaulets, a half belt in the back and a deep center vent. For those who would enjoy owning an authentic pea coat worn previously by a sailor, those can sometimes be found in navy surplus stores. Authentic navy peacoats would have the name of the sailor stenciled inside. Most of the pea coats you see today are not authentic, but the current fashions have kept the original style of the pea coat intact while keeping alive the nostalgia associated with sailors and the sea.
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For more information on Navy Pea Coats and Womens Pea Coats visit USNavyPeaCoat.com.
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