Before heading out for a whiskey last night, I submitted a last-minute low bid on eBay to win a vintage Woolrich field jacket for $20, plus $10.77 for shipping. Judging by the design of the label, it might be from the ’70s or ’80s. It has a classic exterior of heavy wool in red-and-black plaid and a tan flannel interior. Pockets include hand-warmers in front and storage in the lower-back for game. Originally, hunters bought these jackets but I bought mine because I wanted cheap and casual cold-weather coverage and because I like red, wool and things that remind me of the Midwest.
No one else bid on the coat and I wondered what could be wrong with it. It’s in good shape and comes from a non-smoking household. My research online showed used Woolrich jackets going for twice what I paid, with new models retailing for $189. If I don’t like the fit or something’s amiss, well, I didn’t spend much and the homeless need winter coats.
When I arrived home tonight from work and paged through my new New York magazine, I learned that bearded Brooklyn hipsters favor a woodsman look. Nearby are articles on a man who sells axes in Tribeca and the rise in popularity of homemade beef jerky. For those interested in dressing like the men depicted, the article reveals their clothing brand names but Woolrich isn’t among them. I’m thinking: I’m on the cutting edge of an urban clothing trend or this isn’t a trend at all or I’m picking up on something already in the ether, like the guy who claimed to be wearing x before y popularized it. Mainly, I hope the coat fits and makes me look sharp.
February 4, 2010 Update: My Woolrich field jacket arrived via UPS yesterday. It fits great and kept me toasty as I wandered around Midtown although because I have an above-average neck thickness, I will wear a scarf instead of buttoning the top button.
I’d wondered how old the jacket was; the eBay seller described the coat as vintage but wasn’t specific. I emailed Woolrich customer service before I left work last night and when I arrived back this morning, one Darlene Newberry had replied. Based on my description of the label on the inside of the coat’s collar, she wrote, the coat was made prior to the ’70s, probably in the early ’60s. Not a bad find for $30.77.