Full Answer
When were sack coats invented?
When were sack coats more tightly tailored?
What was the name of the coats that men wore in the 1840s?
What is a sack coat made of?
For fatigue duty, US soldiers were issued a blouse, commonly called a “sack coat”. This basic US 4 button sack coat is made of 20 oz. Federal (navy) blue wool. It has a roll collar, is unlined, has an inside pocket, and has a 4 button front of medium 3/4" Federal Eagle buttons.
What are sack suits?
sack suit in American English noun. a man's suit that has a loose-fitting jacket.
When was the sack coat invented?
The sack suit, or lounge suit as it was termed in Great Britain, originated in France as the sacque coat during the 1840s and took its name from the way it was cut (contrary to popular belief, the sack coat did NOT get its name from its loose fit “like a sack”).
Where did the coat come from?
The history of the coat is deeply rooted in military and naval backgrounds. The coat has been around since the 1800s when the first variation was worn by the Dutch at sea, and it was made from coarse wool fabric. The British navy started the popularisation of the jacket.
What is a men's sack suit?
noun. a man's suit that has a loose-fitting jacket.
What is an Italian style suit?
Italian suits also feature a tight V-shape found at the front of the suit jacket at the waist. As far as finishing touches, Italian suits come two/three-buttoned (with buttons placed higher), single and often double-breasted with flapless, piped pockets. The pants of Italian tailoring follow suit (get it?).
Did Confederates wear sack coats?
This study offers some insights to the seldom-made, but well-liked Confederate garment. The citizen sack coat was very popular with Southerners.
What is a Norfolk suit?
The Norfolk suit is an attire in which a Norfolk jacket is combined with matching trousers to form a full suit. This style was popular in the 1930s and 1940s but is rare today.
Where does the modern suit come from?
The inspiration for today's suits began at Royal Court in Britain, in an era when sumptuary regulations forbade commoners from donning "the royal purple", wearing good furs and flaunting embellishments made from satin and velvet. These types of finery were meant only for courtiers.
Why are navy coats called pea coats?
According to a 1975 edition of The Mariner's Mirror, the term "pea coat" originated from the Dutch or West Frisian word pijjekker or pijjakker, in which pij referred to the type of cloth used, a coarse kind of twilled blue cloth with a nap on one side. Jakker designates a man's short, heavy coat.
Why is a pea coat so called?
According to materials of the British marine magazine «The Mariner's Mirror» of 1975, the term “Pea coat” came from the Dutch word pijjekker or pijjakker, in which “pij” meant the name of the cloth, which was used to make Pea coats. It was a special fabric of rough twill weave, of blue colour, with pile on one side.
What is a short coat called?
A short coat is also called a jacket and a long coat is also called an overcoat.
MEN'S COSTUME 1885 - 1910 - History in the Making
The morning coat was considered indispensable in a gentleman's wardrobe by the early 1880's, worn for business, leisure and, with the appropriate choice of accessories, semi-formal occasions.
Sack Coat - Etsy
Check out our sack coat selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our clothing shops.
When were sack coats invented?
When sack coats were introduced in the 1840s , they generally had a loose fit with 4 buttons. They were frequently worn with ONLY the topmost button closed, and the bottom hem spread to show off the waistcoat and watch underneath.
When were sack coats more tightly tailored?
In the late 1800s, sack coats were more tightly tailored to the body, and fully uttoned to show only a sliver of the waistcoat beneath, if it could be seen at all. We are pleased to offer a broad selection of vintage sack coats and town coats, and hope you will contact us if you have any additional questions. Home. >. Mens.
What was the name of the coats that men wore in the 1840s?
Most often used as daywear, they relegated long Frock coats to evening events, and were the precursor to modern day mens suits. When sack coats were introduced in the 1840s, they generally had a loose fit with 4 buttons.
What is a Federal Union sack coat?
Federal Union Sack Coats. The Sack Coat is a loose fitting jacket that extends to below the hip. The lined sack coat is the Civil War period correct standard, but unlined versions existed as well. All of our sack coats can be customized to meet your needs.
What is a 4 button sack coat called?
For fatigue duty, US soldiers were issued a blouse, commonly called a “sack coat”. This basic US 4 button sack coat is made of 20 oz. Federal (navy) blue wool. It has a roll collar, is unlined, has an inside pocket, and has a 4 button front of medium 3/4" Federal Eagle buttons.
What was the blouse called for soldiers?
For fatigue duty, US soldiers were issued a blouse, commonly called a “sack coat”.
Can you hand stitch a wool coat?
This coat is an authentic reproduction but without the hand stitching where the lining meets the collar, where the bottom of the sleeve lining meets the wool, and the buttonholes. Hand stitching over the machine stitching of these areas is available as an option. Otherwise, the customer may hand stitch these areas. Call us for detailed instructions.
Do sack coats have a restocking fee?
All Sack Coats with the exception of STANDARD Colors, Styles, and Sizes as listed below are custom made specifically for you and are subject to a restocking fee.
What is a civilian sack coat?
The civilian sack coat is a 5 piece construction, with a 6 button front and woven brown leather domed buttons, with a lay down collar, has one front outside pocket, and is lined in a cotton muslin lining.
What is a Confederate sack coat?
Confederate Sack Coats. The Sack Coat is a loose fitting jacket that extends to below the hip. The lined sack coat is the Civil War period correct standard, but unlined versions existed as well. Be sure to have your measurements available when ordering. CLICK HERE for Clothing Measurement Information.
What button is on a C&C sack coat?
This C&C Sutlery CS Sack Coat has Branch Of Service color solid trim on the collar and cuff, a 7-button front of CSA or Block "A", "C", or "I" buttons, and is unlined with one inside pocket. The coat is available in several different wool colors. Click on the picture for more images.
What is a CS coat?
This C&C Sutlery CS Sack Coat is a plain, untrimmed, Lined Sack Coat. It has a 7-button front of CSA or Block "A", "C", or "I" buttons. The coat is lined in a cotton muslin lining and there is one inside pocket. The coat is available in several different wool colors and in a 6, 7, 8, or 9 button front. Homespun Lining is an available option. Click on the picture for more images.
What is the old dominion coat made of?
This C&C Sutlery Old Dominion Rifles Sack Coat is is made of medium gray wool, has a straight sleeve, is lined in muslin lining, and has a 9 button front of Virginia State buttons. The front and buttoned epaulettes are trimmed in black piping. The collar and shoulder rolls are solid black. The Trefoil sleeve braid is black. Per the original constitution, December 6, 1860, of the Old Dominion Rifles the jacket was made of Cadet gray wool and the trim, piping and braid were green. These colors are available as options for this coat.
What is CS sack made of?
The budget-line CS Sack Coat is made of 15 oz. medium grey wool. The coat features a 7 button front of CSA Buttons, has a stand up collar, is fully lined in brown cotton, and has one inside pocket.
Why are sack coats not called sack coats?
Despite what you may have read, they are not called “sack coats” because they are oversized, loose, or otherwise fit like a sack, nor is it because there is no “front dart.” Sack, sac, sacque, etc. all refer to the way the back (not the front) of the jacket is cut; i.e. “sack cut.” This simply means the back is formed of two pieces only, cut relatively straight down, instead of being made up of four curved pieces with hidden pockets in the tails as on more formal and traditional coats, such as tail coats, morning coats, and frocks. Read more about the history of the sack coat.
What is a sack suit?
The Sack Suit. The sack suit, walking suit or business suit (or, in Britain, the "lounge suit") was leisure wear for men who might wear a frock coat, and the best clothes of vast majority of American men. A banker would wear a sack suit to a picnic, and a cowboy or farmer would wear it to church. It first came into fashion in ...
What is a summer sack suit?
To the left is a summer sack suit, of white linen or lightweight wool, with a straw hat. Linen sack suits tended to be baggier than wool ones. Click on the image to see a larger view.
How many buttons does a coat have?
The coat usually had four buttons, the top one of which was generally buttoned--the rest left undone. The gentleman on the right is breaking the rule of matching trousers and upper garments, and is in fact wearing the striped gray tousers which one is supposed to wear with a morning or frock suit.
When did the sack suit come into fashion?
A banker would wear a sack suit to a picnic, and a cowboy or farmer would wear it to church. It first came into fashion in the 1850s as a very large, baggy garment, and then became more fitted during the '60s. It evolved into the modern three piece suit.
Is a linen sack suit baggier than wool?
Linen sack suits tended to be baggier than wool ones. Click on the image to see a larger view. Note that one often sees straw hats worn with dark, winter weight wool suits as well, as the 19th Century gentleman's only concession to summer heat.
Why did movies use shell jackets?
At that time a bundle of shell jackets could be purchased for next to nothing so it was cheaper for the studios to buy or rent them than to make their own. Sack coats are another problem though, due to their utilitarian use soldiers hung on to them until they lost there usefulness and were discarded. Surplus sack coats were issued during the early years of the Indian Wars as well so I don't know how many survived outside of the soldiers who stored them away.
Can depots make sleeves from bolts?
Depots might make sleeves from one bolt and then collars from another with the body from yet another. The resulting coat might have different hues in its parts. Contractors were typically private tailors and as such would make the entire cost from a single bolt and dye run. I’ll keep you in mind!
Is the sack coat still in the Gettysburg collection?
It is definitely possible to still find them in an older reenactors collections where relatives may not realize they are authentic because "that's what dad/grandad wore to the Gettysburg reenactment". The sack coat is so rare I doubt that would occur very often but anything is possible.
Is the button on a Civil War coat a label?
The buttons appear to be original Civil War buttons. There are no tags or labels of any kind inside the coat. The fabric is a very light weight flannel that when held up to the light can be seen through. This coat is unlined but does not have the customary flat felled seams of an original coat.
Is a sack a scalloped coat?
The cuffs are not scalloped, the seams are not flat felled (if they were, the raw edges would not be visible), the body of the coat appears to be 4 pieces, while the simple sack was a 2 piece body. The weave of the fabric is off and the length of the coat seems off.
Where is the sack coat?
Unlined federal enlisted issue sack coat (blouse) in the Royal Arsenal Museum, Copenhagen. Perhaps the earliest known example of the sack coat adopted in 1857 is this specimen, which was part of the exchange of military equipment with the Danish government in 1858.
How much did sack coats cost?
coat. If the soldier overdrew this allowance, the cost was deducted from his pay. With the cost of sack coats at $2.10 compared to $6.56 for the uniform coat (published costs varied throughout the period), there was certainly incentive for soldiers to opt for the lesser-priced garment, unless com- pelled by their commanders to draw specific uniform items.' When sack coats were requisitioned by commanding offic- ers for issue to troops, they arrived in bales of garments, bound together with iron straps with buckles. The sizes 1-4 were distributed in the following proportions per 100: twenty of size 1, forty of size 2, thirty of size 3. and ten of size 4 garment^.^ The men would draw their clothing without regard to size and were expected to get a proper fit by trading garments among themselves or by altering the ~lothing.~ The regulation specifying lined sack coats for recruits and unlined sack coats as fatigue uniforms for veteran troops appears to have been disregarded in actual practice. Reports from the various depots indicate nearly twice as many lined sack coats were purchased from contractors than the unlined variety. There is also evidence that there was a seasonal preference for the lined sack coat among veteran troops as well. According to clothing estimates filed for the XIV Army Corps between December 1863 and September 1864, only lined blouses were being requested for the entire corps during
What was the cuff on a coat?
cuff, starting wide near the collar and echoing the taper of the facing as it ran to the bottom of the skirt. Considerable piecing was often present in this facing. The familiar kidney-shaped pocket on the left side of unlined sack coats was constructed of flannel with a separate facing piece applied to the inside on the pocket opening. Stitching for this pocket would naturally show on the outside of unlined sack coats. Usually this stitching would also show on the outside of lined sack coats, but examples with no exterior pocket stitching are commonly encountered as well. (On these, the pockets were constructed by sewing to the lining rather than the coat exterior.) Collars wereall uniformly 2Y2" wide with rounded comers. They were commonly constructed of four pieces with interfacing mate- rial inside with a running stitch showing where the interfacing was attached to the under collar. Collars were also top stitched and some coats were encountered with pieced under collars. The four general service buttons were roughly spaced 6" apart with hand worked buttonholes. Some buttonholes were key- hole-shaped, others were simply slotted. Some buttonholes were corded (a heavier cord running around the entire opening and trapped under the buttonhole stitch), others were more simply sewn with the normal buttonhole stitch.IJ All unlined sack coats observed had all hand-felled seams. A close exami- nation of one garment revealed that one side of the seam allowance was clipped narrow and the other side folded over and under it with a felling stitch securing it in place. These tiny felling stitches would show through to the garment exterior and almost give the impression of being top stitched. Body
What color wool was used in the Schuylkill coat?
Of the original, wartime sack coats surveyed, there was considerable variation in the color and weave of the dark blue wool flannel. This is not particularly surprising since all yard goods during the war were supplied by private contractors, even in the case of arsenal-produced clothing.I3 None of the garments were of the dark navy-blue shade, but were of a deep and rich blue with a very slight greenish cast common to indigo dying. Several coats (one, a Schuylkill-marked speci- men) exhibited a lighter shade bordering on a medium blue. All flannel observed had a noticeable diagonal wale as in twilled goods. varying in distinctness from garment to gar- ment. Original sack coats broadly conform to the following description. Sleeves were all 2-piece and cut on a slight curve. Cuffs were faced on the inside and top-stitched along the edge and across the top of the facing (some lined coats omitted the top stitching along the top of the cuff facing). One coat viewed at the Smithsonian had cuff facings constructed from the same bright blue flannel from which the coat lining was made! Cuffs were usually split at the rear seam with the cuff turning a rounded comer as it approached the split. The cuff split would be on the average of 1 %" deep with examples as shallow as %" or as wide as 1
What was the most commonly used outer garment in the Civil War?
numerousfesser depots and the millions of sack coats already issued out to troops during the four years of Civil War!" Supply and Usage Although uniform coats continued to be drawn by foot troops throughout the War period, by far the sack coat was the most commonly used outer garment by all branches. For each year of enlistment in the Regular Army an infantryman was allowed to draw two sack coats as opposed
When were sack coats made?
No matter how large a sampling is used for making such observations, the number of remaining artifacts is dwarfed by the millions of sack coats manufactured between 1861 and 1865. For what- ever reason they survived the ravages of time, extant sack coats are exceptional by the mere fact that they have survived.
Who made the most coats for the army?
Noteworthy among the contractor coats are those produced by John T. Martin of New York. the most prolific contractor of the war. Martin produced all manner of clothing for the army throughout the war period. Between August 1862 and February 1865, Martin was contracted to produce over 1,000,000 sack coats under various contracts to Cincinnati, New York and Philadelphia Depots. The one sack coat most commonly encountered in modem collections is the J. T. Martin sack coat made under the 18 October 1864 contract from the Cincinnati depot for 250.000 lined sack coats (FIGS 12, 13, 14, 15).2Three such sack coats were viewed in the preparation of this article. It is interesting to first note how these coats all differ from the average coat, and then to note differences among these coats made under the same contract. All three coats had a distinctive cuff design.The cuff vent is extremely shallow at %" and the two rows of stitching on the cuff is quite noticeably narrower (%" apart as opposed to the more common 1 %"). All three coats showed extreme tapering of the front facing; on one coat. the facing even cut across the bottom buttonhole. All three also had a distinctive "box" stay of machine stitching at the top and bottom of the pocket opening, showing on the outside of the coat and measuring approximately -%" x 5". With the exception of these details, all three could be considered standard lined sack coats. The differences among the three are subtle. One had a four piece body; the others were three piece. One had a steel gray wool lining; the others had linings of different shades of brown. The lining on one was hemmed at the bottom, the others were selvedge edge. All three were marked "J. T. MARTIN, OCT- 18-64" and bore Cincinnati inspector marks. The names of the inspectors were illegible except on one which was George B. Fry, who was active at Cincinnati only from 10 February 1865 to 15 August 1865. This means that the Fry inspected sack coat would have been accepted at Cincinnati no earlier than four months after the contract date, and more likely even later. The FIG 17. Unidentified enlisted man wearing a sack coat to which an outer pocket has been added. This unusual alteration shows that this soldier felt the need for an extra coat pocket. Note the 5th Corps Badge pinned to his breast, above the pocket. Carte-de-visite from the collection of Michael J. McAfee.
When were sack coats invented?
When sack coats were introduced in the 1840s , they generally had a loose fit with 4 buttons. They were frequently worn with ONLY the topmost button closed, and the bottom hem spread to show off the waistcoat and watch underneath.
When were sack coats more tightly tailored?
In the late 1800s, sack coats were more tightly tailored to the body, and fully uttoned to show only a sliver of the waistcoat beneath, if it could be seen at all. We are pleased to offer a broad selection of vintage sack coats and town coats, and hope you will contact us if you have any additional questions. Home. >. Mens.
What was the name of the coats that men wore in the 1840s?
Most often used as daywear, they relegated long Frock coats to evening events, and were the precursor to modern day mens suits. When sack coats were introduced in the 1840s, they generally had a loose fit with 4 buttons.
