1942 Army Jacket - Help with fabric type!

[stratasfan]

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

 

 

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!

[VMI88]

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.

[US82Bravo]

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

 

 

 

 

 

Hope this helps answer your question.

 

Larry

[stratasfan]

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.

 

[stratasfan]

45 minutes ago, US82Bravo said:

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

 

 

 

 

 

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?

[Dave]

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]

10 hours ago, stratasfan said:

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

 

 

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.