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1942 Army Jacket - Help with fabric type!


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Posted

Hi! Here is the inside tag from a 1942 US Army Officer's jacket:

 

P1010002.JPG

 

Hoping someone can tell me what the fabric fibre content is? Wool Gabardine, but is it a wool blend? The tag doesn't say, and we couldn't find another that stated fibre content. Just have to find out! This fabric is amazing! But it feels like a wool blend. But it is some of the nicest gabardine we've ever gotten to see!

Posted

It's almost certainly 100% wool - I'm not aware of any other material being used in service coats during World War 2.  I think it's the elastique weave that's throwing you - that weave has some "give" to it and looks and feels very similar to polyester double-knit.

Posted

Hi Elizabeth,
The following are from "The Officer's Guide", July 1943 Edition:

 

CoatMatl_0001.jpg.05c4c8b60b5ecc417dd630ec33d72dea.jpg

 

 

CoatMatlb.jpg.e5d4fd70a3a3ce4483a12eca3a02e1f8.jpg

 

 


Hope this helps answer your question.

 

Larry

Posted

Thanks for the help!  Mom says you hit her question on the head with it feeling like poly double-knit! 

 

 

1 hour ago, VMI88 said:

It's almost certainly 100% wool - I'm not aware of any other material being used in service coats during World War 2.  I think it's the elastique weave that's throwing you - that weave has some "give" to it and looks and feels very similar to polyester double-knit.

 

Posted
45 minutes ago, US82Bravo said:

Hi Elizabeth,
The following are from "The Officer's Guide", July 1943 Edition:

 

CoatMatl_0001.jpg.05c4c8b60b5ecc417dd630ec33d72dea.jpg

 

 

CoatMatlb.jpg.e5d4fd70a3a3ce4483a12eca3a02e1f8.jpg

 

 


Hope this helps answer your question.

 

Larry

 

This is cool! Now, my understanding is that barathea is a blend with silk. Or was it cotton? Something. Is the Elastique simply the weave or a fibre blend like barathea?

Posted

Here's a link to a post I did last night that applies to Navy uniforms, but many of the websites are applicable to Army ones as well...

 

 

SocietyBrandHatCo
Posted
10 hours ago, stratasfan said:

Hi! Here is the inside tag from a 1942 US Army Officer's jacket:

 

P1010002.JPG

 

Hoping someone can tell me what the fabric fibre content is? Wool Gabardine, but is it a wool blend? The tag doesn't say, and we couldn't find another that stated fibre content. Just have to find out! This fabric is amazing! But it feels like a wool blend. But it is some of the nicest gabardine we've ever gotten to see!


The fabric is wool elastique. Elastique is a type of weave, just as barathea is a type of weave, just as serge is a type of weave. The weave has nothing to do with the fabric content.

 

Most elastique uniforms were either 100% wool or had a slight percentage of other fabric content, such as rayon or cotton. I have several elastique caps that are actually marked with labels denoting the fabric content. If I can find one or two I will post photos. 

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