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Specialty Jackets |
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Jackets as we know them differ from coats in that the former are generally both shorter and lighter. There are, of course, exceptions to this as with nearly everything else! Included amongst the “cold weather” category are the anorak, bomber, ski, parka, and “Eisenhower” jacket.
The Anorak jacket, described elsewhere in this site, is a pull-over garment [usually], different from the more ordinary full-zip jacket, open in front. They’re fairly light weight, and quite obviously did the trick for lots of people in the northern climes, the Eskimos in particular! A fine example of this jacket is the LA Loving style 3385, pullover but with a half-zip front. It’s constructed with a windproof and water-resistant 100% nylon taffeta shell with half-zip front and button-close collar for extra protection against the elements. Comes with kangaroo pouch pocket and drawstring hood. Great embroidered jacket.
A jacket with a mildly interesting history is the bomber jacket, so called because of its connection to aviators involved in World War II, in the U.S. air war over northern Europe. It’s a warm jacket with a style somewhat shorter than most standard jackets [in the Fourties] and very comfortable in tight, cramped places [cockpits come to mind here!]. Following WWII the bomber jacket continued its popularity in the U.S., and in recent decades has become more commonly known as simply a leather jacket. The Tahoe polyester fleece-lined bomber jacket from LA Loving [style 2110] is both windproof and water-resistant, has a PU-coated Taslon® nylon shell, and comes with interior right chest security pocket. It spans three seasons from all reports, and has timeless styling! Best of the bomber jackets here.
Another jacket with a World War II connection is the Eisenhower jacket, aka “the Ike” style jacket. It’s on the shorter side, is snug fitting, and with a style believed to be inspired by the British “battle jacket”. Whether or not this is the case, General Eisenhower apparently wanted a smart-looking jacket that his men [and women?] could wear for dress occasions, and he himself often wore this style which – to Eisenhower’s credit – became named for him. Two styles, in two different brands, of “the Ike” jacket are available on site – one from Dickies and the other, Garment Corporation of America. The Dickies Ike jacket, style JT15 is constructed as a 7.5 oz. vat-dyed twill with 65/35 Fortrel® polyester/combed cotton. This Ike-style twill jacket is designed with a quilt-lined polyurethane fill, slash front pockets, pencil pocket on left sleeve, heavy duty brass zipper front closure and adjustable tabs at waistband. The GCA brand is a permanent press, 7.5 oz. twill with 65/35 cotton-polyester. It has GCA's Softwear Treatment, heavy-duty brass ratcheting zipper, waist-length w/ 2-position adjustable waistband, 2-position adjustable cuffs, top-stitched collar w/stays, permanent nylon-quilted polyurethane lining and relaxed-fit sizing. It’s also available in slash-pocket style [with a patch pocket on left sleeve] or patch-style [w/ 2 patch pockets, button-down flaps and left side pencil slot].
Ski jackets have their origins in the mid-twentieth century, during and post-World War II from all reports. As Alpine skiing became popular in Europe and the United States, jackets were designed with bright colors [can you guess why?] and quite heavily padded [an you also guess?]. Generally, these jackets are on the shorter side so as to leave the skier’s legs free and relatively unencumbered, and they have pockets with closures [zippered, Velcro etc.] which obviously helps keep the warmth in and the snow out!
Parkas
Another cold-weather jacket is the parka, which was typically a pullover jacket as worn by Native Americans early on, but is now seen almost universally as a zip-up front jacket. Reportedly, the early parkas made and worn in Asia and Alaska were fur coats cut like a shirt and designed with a hood. Later, wool garments marketed as parkas began to appear around the turn of the 20th century, and these were made with a detachable hood. As the garment has metamorphosed throughout the last century and into the present, there are some wonderful styles with some features that parka-wearers of a few hundred years ago would love to have had. Note: The origin of the term “parka” is in some doubt, but it likely has roots in Russia-Siberia.
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• Online prices: For "blanks"
•Shipping: $10 if order < $250
•Shipping: 8.0% if order subtotal > $250 and 8% for custom orders
• Embroidery & Screen printing: Avail. by request, 25-piece minimum
• No international shipments
[except APO and FPO]
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