History of the Navy Pea Coat | Stearling Wear

The Strange & Wonderful History of the Famous Pea Coat

The Pea Coat is a navel military tradition, worn by both officers and enlisted men; however, it is the enlisted version that has captured the civilian market for both men and women’s styling. The dark wool pea coat has proven that good styling just will not be denied a place on the outerwear market. The cut, the quality material, and lining all lend a dashing mystery to its wearer and its subtle warmth makes the navy pea coat a buyer’s favorite.

The men’s pea coat is an easy choice for gift giving, especially for birthdays, special anniversaries, and for under the tree at Christmas time. The navy pea coat has always been a preferred choice with the guys due to its ability to cover any casual or business attire situation. Its good looks allow you to wear a sweater, and it looks great no matter what collar tie is worn. For men’s styling, the pea coat just fits so many needs.

Like the men, the women’s pea coat also fills many requirements for styling situations and great looks without having to spend a lot of money. The women’s pea coat calmly fits any wardrobe as it does fit with just about any ensemble. And it’s easily enhanced with a dash of color from a sweater, a scarf, or a cap. From rich décors or a simple college dorm, women have always been drawn to the simplicity of use a good lady's wool pea coat gives them.

For men, the pea coat comes in traditional black or what is referred to in military circles as navy-blue. With special dyes and great care, the official-issued U.S. Navy Pea Coat can at times appear an extremely dark Navy color with a blue-like hue in special light. However, the official color of the U.S. Navy is ‘Black’.

The confusion and misunderstanding concerning Wool Pea Coat Black vs. Navy-Blue Pea Coat stems from the history of the British Navy. Especially during the American Revolutionary Period and the Napoleon Period, British Naval Officers wore heavy dark wool coat as part of their deck and standard uniform. That British coat was indeed copied and worn by its American admirers. And, why not? It not only featured dashingly good looks, but it was also warm and quite functional. It is that British Officers wool coat that was prototypical for the future navy pea coat design made for the enlisted in both the British and American Navies. Many other countries also copied and manufactured their own style of navy wool coat. However, the British color was indeed ‘black’, however due to the ‘on-board ship’ language of the day, black became ‘black-blue, or navy blue’, just as a wall was called a bulkhead or a doorway becoming a ‘hatchway’, or the ‘deck’ used to describe the floor. Black is and always has been the traditional color of the military navy wool pea coat and military orders stipulate that Black is the official contracted color.

There are many makers of pea coats, but only a few are left in the United States. One of these manufacturers has the official contract for the United States Navy, and it is our proud privilege to offer pea coats made by the same company to its own customers. There are none finer than Sterlingwear of Boston, even though there are many copies from around the world. Many copies are just that too, poor replicas with a very high price.

 At American Mistique.com, we offer our customers the classic pea coat and the authentic pea coat, made from the finest wool and materials, made in the USA by American Craftsmen who are vastly experienced in U.S. Navy Pea Coat construction and Wool Pea Coat styling and design. Plus, we offer a huge size array to choose from for both men and women.

Why does Americanmistique.com sell Sterlingwear Wool Pea Coats for Men and Women? Because we want you to have the very best in a Navy Pea Coat. When you open the box, we want you experience the pleasure of receiving something special, something grand, something sincere.

We have seen men’s pea coats from around the world, and the quality of our pea coats is unmatched. For years, the retail market has even seen different colored women’s pea coats, but the quality has never caught up to their high priced sticker tag. When you really want the best pea coats, you buy them here at AmericanMistique.com.