“GREYHOUND” Product: Buzz Rickson Pea Coat, U. S. Navy Pre-WWII
The U. S. Navy’s original Pea Coat featured black urea buttons displaying an anchor surrounded by 13 stars; the 13 stars were derived from the original 13 states when the United States became an independent nation and broke its ties to England in 1776. The large-sized collar of the coat was designed to block strong ocean winds and the corduroy-lined side pockets helped thwart the numbing effect on hands from the biting winter seas. By the 1930's, the coats were redesigned: the extra lower pockets and longer length were gone, and the 13-star buttons were changed to a fouled-anchor design.
Clearly, it was WWII that catapulted the Pea Coat to iconic status as sailors home on leave or traveling to their next duty could be seen in every town, and then there was the war bond poster of the Five Sullivan boys; an inspiring image forever frozen in time with all five handsomely attired in their winter blues and Pea Coats. After WWII, the Pea Coat became widely worn among the civilian population of the USA due to the vast number of discharged sailors who continued to wear their issue coats and the availability of issue coats sold via Army/Navy surplus stores. The popularity of this coat design grew increasingly in the post-WWII decades and has remained an iconic staple in the wardrobe of any well-dressed man or woman to this day. Pea Coats exist in many forms now, most of which are some sort of fashion mutation, and all pale in weight and quality of fabric and construction to the issue garments produced prior to the late 1950's – except this Buzz Rickson’s masterpiece!
Once again, Buzz Rickson’s brand has resurrected a bygone treasure from the ground up, utilizing the vintage looms and know-how to craft fabrics not typically seen today, then deftly sewing the pieces together with vintage Union Special sewing machines to provide a finished product that comes very close to the vintage garment. What we end up with is a Pea Coat that transcends fashion by light years and bolts straight to the heart of classic style through the very functionality of the original design that has been so deftly reproduced.
You see, the glut of fashion Pea Coats found in catalogs and shopping malls the world over all have one big thing in common that separates them from a true Pea Coat of the Good Old Days: fashion Pea Coats aren’t designed to do anything more than look like a Pea Coat! Pick up any Pea Coat marketed today and feel the flimsy, sportcoat-grade poly-wool fabric, the knap of which pills into unsightly little balls with the first sign of hard use, condemning the coat to the trash within a few short seasons and never having kept anyone warm at latitudes further north than Miami.
This Buzz Rickson’s Pea Coat is no light-weight fashionista statement, sweethearts; it’s made from 36-ounce melton wool and lined with heavy rayon, both of which minimize loss of body heat and will wear as ferociously as did the Pea Coats that won WWII. This is top-quality vintage craftsmanship irreplaceable at any price – this is Buzz Rickson’s. Please take note of these authentic features:
• Exact copy of original U. S. Naval Clothing Factory contract label design woven on rayon
• Custom manufacturing of the correct, heavy-weight, 36-ounce, melton-wool outer shell in navy blue and produced on vintage looms
• Custom manufacturing of the correct, heavy rayon lining with two interior pockets
• Cotton thread construction
• Two external hand-warmer pockets lined in the original-spec. heavy-weight corduroy
• Original-spec.10-button front featuring the pre-WWII urea buttons displaying an anchor surrounded by 13 stars
• Large wind-blocking collar with throat latch
Even-numbered sizes 34-46. Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.
Buzz Rickson’s goods are imported from Japan.
“GREYHOUND” Product: Buzz Rickson Pea Coat, U. S. Navy Pre-WWII
SIZING TIPS
About this Style: This jacket provides a very easy-wearing fit that creates very few sizing issues for the overwhelming majority of individuals. It is important to keep in mind that while this jacket style has only a rayon lining, the Melton wool is quite thick, thus the external chest measures listed here are just that – EXTERNAL measures – and don’t account for the slightly lesser amount of room on the inside of the jacket. Likewise, if you plan to wear heavy layers under this jacket style, that application will further subtract from the room inside the jacket. Our customers almost unanimously prefer this style in a size 3” - 4” larger than their chest measure.
Tip 1: Follow the instructions entitled “How to Use Product Measures to Obtain a Good Fit” listed under the PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS tab for this product. After finding no substantive conflicts with your body measures obtained from the tab entitled BODY MEASURING, order this garment with no less than 3” - 4” of room in excess of your chest measure if you prefer a trim fit in the chest and shoulders. If a roomier or longer fit is desired, then order the next available size after reviewing all relative measures that pertain to that size. It is best advised for the vast majority of customers to order a size that directly equates to their chest measure: Chest measures 42”, order size 42. That size selection will maintain the 4” of room between the jacket and the wearer. Those whose chest measure falls on an odd number, such as 41” or 43”, will have to determine if they want less room or more room when selecting a jacket size.
Tip 2: Please note that your chest circumference measure is not necessarily the labeled size you wear in another jacket you may own from a different maker or even the same maker, so please take the time to obtain your true chest circumference measure so as to compare to our chart of jacket measures; this will enable us to perform a better job getting you the right size and minimize your chances in having to deal with the hassle and cost of exchanges.
Please ask us for fitting advice if in doubt.
Tip 3: Individuals who prefer looser fits and/or those with a waist measure that is nearly equal to or greater than their chest circumference measure may jump up one size in this jacket for comfort and desired fit (when we refer to waist measure we do not mean your trouser size; we mean the actual circumference measure of your waistline at its widest point). If you are unsure of the size to order we will assist you; please contact us with the following information: Height, waist circumference measure, chest circumference measure, body weight, and type of clothing to be worn beneath the jacket most of the time, as well as the type of fit you prefer: Trim, roomy or oversized.
“GREYHOUND” Product: Buzz Rickson Pea Coat, U. S. Navy Pre-WWII
PRODUCT MEASUREMENTS
The following table provides actual product measures. These measures are provided as an aid because, in conjunction with the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab for each product, they can sometimes be very useful when comparing the measurements from this garment to the measures of your body; however, acting as an armchair tailor should be done with caution, as well as with knowledge of other important areas of fit that are not displayed here. Armchair tailors frequently fail to take into account other significant elements that impact fit; following the information found under the SIZING TIPS tab for each garment on this web site is strongly suggested, which can be very useful in supplanting or supplementing the listed measures below.
Our measures were derived from averaging measurements taken from many garments of the same size from each specific size in the range of any given product, thus the measures provided are representative for each size but they may not be exactly what you will receive. Some fluctuation in size is normal and to be expected, especially in these garments that have been manufactured on the bench by hand. Size fluctuations are rarely encountered in the width measures and more typically encountered in length measures, and particularly with respect to leather jackets and jackets with knit cuffs and waistbands. Fluctuations in width measures are very rare, and when they are encountered, are typically insignificant: 1/8” – ¼”. Normal fluctuations of measure in sleeve and/or body length + /- a ½” is more common but still rare, and such fluctuations in that increment range are within spec. for jackets of the same size and style.
| Size | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 |
| Chest width | 20" | 21" | 22" | 23" | 24" | 25" |
| Shoulder width | 16.5" | 18.5" | 19.5" | 19.5" | 20.5" | 20.5" |
| Arm length | 24" | 24.5" | 25" | 26" | 26.5" | 26.5" |
| Back length | 29" | 30" | 31" | 32" | 33" | 34" |
How to Use the Product Measures to Obtain a Good Fit:
1) Using the measurements listed for this product and information found under the tab entitled MEASURING GARMENTS to understand our measuring technique, please double the chest measure to obtain the total external chest circumference of this garment. For example: If the chest measure listed for size 42 is 23”, doubling this measure yields a 46” external chest circumference.
2) Measure your chest circumference as per the information found under the tab at the top of this page specifically addressing BODY MEASURING, then compare your chest measure to the chest measure of this product.
3) Many jackets are cut in such a way that the wearer requires no less than 3” of room in the jacket for a sleek fit that is also comfortable, while other jacket styles require the wearer to have more than 8” of room. If your chest circumference is 42”, a product with a 23” chest width has a 46” external chest circumference and would provide 4” of external room in this scenario (chest measures 42”, external chest measure of jacket is 46”, thus 4” of external room would be realized).
4) Again, using the measurements listed for this product and information under the MEASURING GARMENTS tab to understand our measuring technique, add half of the shoulder width to the arm length. For example: If the shoulder width is 19.5” and the arm length is 26”, adding 9.75” (half the shoulder width) to 26” (the arm length) will yield an overall sleeve length of 35.75” in this product.
5) Measure your overall sleeve length following the instructions on this web site under the tab specifically addressing BODY MEASURING, then compare your overall sleeve length to this product.
6) If desired, repeat the measuring comparisons for back length.
7) Compare your body measures to the listed garment measures and follow the advice found under the SIZING TIPS tab to obtain a good fit.
IMPORTANT: Because you need room in a garment for comfort, garments with a 44” chest circumference are NOT a size 44, nor are they intended for anyone with a 44” chest circumference. Tee shirts and thermal shirts tend to have the most body-hugging fits of our product offerings because these were originally intended to be undergarments, thus these can be ordered to stretch to fit if that is how you wish to wear such garments. Other shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, jackets, etc. will all have some amount of room incorporated in their designs, thus these will all measure larger than your actual chest measure by varying degrees.
Sometimes-Problematic Way to Determine a Good Fit:
Due to differences in how even near-identical garments are cut by different manufacturers, it is not necessarily a good idea to compare the listed measures of this product to the measures of an existing, similar product in your wardrobe to determine the correct size to order in this product. Though such comparisons can indeed work some of the time, and maybe even most of the time, vast experience with and knowledge of the products we market has proven such practices will sometimes fail. This inaccurate measuring methodology doesn't factor in other key variables of fit relative to you and the garment that includes: Armhole opening, shoulder slope, high-point shoulder, high chest, width of sleeves at all points including the all-important elbow, waist measure, and the thickness, plumpness, and rigidity of the material the garment is made from, naming just some variables influencing fit that do not appear on any list of measurements for a garment or that a customer is likely to account for.
It is best to compare your actual body measures to the listed measures of this product AND follow our advice listed under the SIZING TIPS tab specific to this product to obtain a good fit in this style.
A Good Fit:
This is highly subjective - what one person may think is too big, another may think fits perfectly. Some garments are cut quite generously and others are cut quite trimly. If comparing measurements of one of our products to another you may own, some individuals will surely find that none or maybe only one area of measure is commonly shared or remotely close to being the same. Ultimately, chest measure is the most important area to properly fit, then all other areas of measure will have to fall into place. And some individuals who are extremely tall may find that body and/or sleeve length are more important to accommodate than even chest measure.
It is best to compare your actual body measures to the listed measures of this product AND follow our advice listed under the SIZING TIPS tab specific to this product to obtain a good fit in this style.
We strive to create a crisp fit between our products and the customer, and not a loose, sloppy look. If you prefer your clothing to fit more loosely, then we will do our best to work with you to that end, though, by the very nature of our product designs and fits it may not be possible to duplicate the slack looks found in many mainstream clothing brands even if you go up one or two sizes in our products.
