History Of The Navy Peacoat
The History Of The Navy Peacoat
The famous peacoat has been around since the 1800s when the first variation was worn by the Dutch. The Dutch were a seafaring power centuries ago and in order to help their sailors they developed a heavy and dark wool coat called a "piijekker". In Dutch, "pij" (apparently pronounced "pea") is the word for coarse, twilled cloth while "jekker" means "jacket". And while the Dutch are credited for inventing the peacoat the credit for popularising the iconic jacket goes to the British Navy.
C.I.V History | The Navy Peacoat
Article by COMMON ILKE VINTAGE
October 2020
The hook for many naval forces using the peacoat was because the coat itself could withstand harsh rain, wind and cold temperatures that were typically experienced out at sea. The US navy adopted the peacoat from their British counterparts. The coat was used for ‘reefers’ who were sailors responsible for the somewhat unpopular task of climbing up the rigging of naval ships.
Between the Dutch, British and American naval forces the peacoat kept its wind resistant form and shape. As well as keeping a slight flair towards the hips in order to allow for free and unhindered movements when climbing the ropes at sea. Most coats were also double breasted and featured an ulster collar, which could be buttoned all the way up to further protect the wearer from harsh elements. Most jackets also featured vertical slit pockets to allow access to personal items as well as allowing hands to stay warm and dry. Nearly all peacoats featured plastic and sometimes brass buttons which were imprinted with a fouled anchor.
So whenever the mercury starts to drop and you go grasping for a jacket why not consider the peacoat. Because let’s face it, a jacket that has been used within the military for over 100 years is a jacket that has earned more than just its’s stripes. It’s an iconic bit of kit that is worthy of our shoulders and a timeless piece that can be handed down from generation to generation.
These belting pieces are available in-store and will be cropping up online very soon.
The Infamous Swedish Sheepskin
The Infamous Swedish Sheepskin
The Swedish Sheepskin. An iconic bit of kit and an absolute unit of a jacket. Originally made for WWII, but in production well into the 70s, the M1909 has cavernous, rucksack-like pockets which cater for all your survival needs. Versions like the ones featured were made for the Swedish army, and let's face it - if it copes with a Swedish winter it will cope with our British one.
C.I.V History | Swedish Sheepskin
Article by COMMON ILKE VINTAGE
October 2020
A daunting jacket
It’s a jacket that is surprisingly comfortable to wear given its daunting presence and look. One of the most interesting aspects of the Swedish sheepskin is that the design didn't change much from the late 19th century to the 1970s when they were taken out of service.
War and peace
The fact that Sweden didn't participate in any major wars during this era might be the main reason for the lack of further development. That being said does the jacket really need developing? If it gets any more resilient and warm people will start living in them.
The History Surrounding The Iconic Fishtail Military Parka
Like many classic pieces of outerwear, the fishtail parka has roots within military. The standard issue cold weather parka in the 1940s was the N3-B or snorkel parka, but the cold and wet conditions of Korea meant that a warmer coat for American troops was needed during the Korean War...
C.I.V History | Fishtail Parka
Article by COMMON ILKE VINTAGE
October 2020
Back to the drawing board
The Army designers went back to the drawing board and developed the M-1951 Cold Weather Parka as a result. The key concern for the US military during the Korean War was to keep the soldiers warm and agile without wearing a thick and restricting piece of outwear. The fishtail parka accomplished these needs with a three-quarter length, so it could keep someone’s entire body warm without hindering their movement.
The famous fishtail
The jacket was constructed out of waterproof nylon and cotton, so Korean snow and rain would roll off the jacket. But the true innovation came from the split in the back of the jacket with a drawstring on each hem. The wearer could tie each half of the split around each leg, this trapped more heat and kept the wind out. Many GIs thought the split looked like the tail of a fish, and thus the fishtail name was born.
COMMON ILKE in NE Times Magazine
After a 20-year career working in menswear, David Uddgren-Young established his own clothing store near Manchester before relocating to the North East in October, where he has opened Common Ilke in the iconic Tynemouth Station. David’s ethos is to showcase high-quality vintage clothes alongside complementary new products, which stand the test of time...
Follow this link to see and read the rest of the interview over at NE Times.
Clothes With A Story To Tell | NE Times
Article by NE Times
October 2020
Out And About - 6 BARRELS
6 BARRELS is a great local beer and ale distributor situated in North Shields England. We thought it would be great to go to Neil and talk to him about his business, how he coped through lockdown and what it is he loves about his vintage clobber.
A Utilitarian Masterclass - Henri Lloyd X Nigel Cabourn
Two icons of design Henri Lloyd and Nigel Cabourn have came together to create a curated range of outerwear inspired by the technical world of sailing. With enough Cabourn signature utilitarian details that you can shake a fist at, the collection sits as comfortably on land as it does at sea.
OUR BRAND STORY - WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
It's like telling a story, isn't it? A company's brand should mean something to the owner and to those who engage with it. We therefore made sure that we give it due attention.
We sell clothes of a COMMON ILKE, they're all high quality vintage, or complementary goods. The ILKE spelling is the old English spelling that still has an ‘E’ on the end. Sounds old, like vintage, and so we liked that.
Our inspiration for the design was all based on heritage military and naval design. In the future we plan to develop our own brand of military and naval functional clothing and wanted to carry this theme through. Our family has a connection with maritime too; with both grandfathers skippering or serving on ships and sadly losing their lives on what would have been their last voyage - we wanted to pay tribute to them.
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To create the design, we enlisted the help of talented professional design duo Mandy & Mark Reid-Foster of Submarine. They made sure we gave them a proper brief and then got to work bringing it to life for us. We can't thank them enough for their thoroughness and the care they took, not to mention their patience to create our brand identity. Here's a pic of their glamorous mugs. @submarine_uk |
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LOGO The logo marque is embedded in the logotype and has been developed from two ideas. The letters C and I from the maritime signal flag alphabet have been stylised to form a letter E and O. When added to the logotype and stacked, the two letters resemble a stylised naval sleeve insignia, in this case the three stripes of a commander. |
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COLOUR We introduced a secondary colour palette to support the primary colours, to be used across marketing materials. |
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GRAPHICS Graphics were then added be used across design and photography. |
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