Preppy In Virginia: Steeplechase Gathering

Gathering of Friends - Piedmont Hunt Point-To-Point, Upperville, VA 1992

I was going through a box of old photographs this week when I found an image that summed up the early 90s for me:  a gathering with my friends at the Piedmont Hunt Point-To-Point Races in Upperville, VA .  We spent countless weekends in the beautiful Virginia countryside.  Decked out in Barbour, Burberry and L.L. bean, we look as though we might have walked right out the pages of The Official Preppy Handbook.  The clothes are casual classics of very high quality and, of course, contain natural fibers.  I am second from right; and I still have the L.L. Bean Boots and the  Norwegian Fisherman’s Sweater.  Preppy clothes last!

L.L. Bean Goose Down Vest

SOLD:  ITEM IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

I recently came across a men’s large medium blue L.L. Bean goose down vest.  The vest was made in Freeport, Maine before the company began outsourcing more of its production.  This item is available for bidding on my eBay store or you can use the Buy It Now option for $19.99.

The vest has a nylon shell and lining and a 100% goose down filling that will provide great warmth in the winter months.  The vest has snap buttons on the front and does not have a zipper.  It also has two ample non-zipping front pockets for storing keys and other items. Condition of the item:  Excellent – no tears or visible wear at all.  All stitching is original.  

My L.L. Bean Field Coat

Yesterday, I posted about finding an L.L. Bean field coat at a very low price in a local thrift store.  I didn’t buy it because I already had one.  Since I wore mine while walking my dogs in the park this morning, I thought I’d post a couple of shots of it.  This coat is very durable, water repellant and warm enough over a few layers well into December.  The lining is cotton/plaid and not the detachable PrimaLoft version.  So when it gets really cold, I’ll have to wear a much heavier sweater than cotton cable nit one I had on today, or else put on my wool duffle coat.

 The fall colors are really starting to look amazing in New York City, and much of the park near where I live is coming alive in brilliant tones.  Fall is my favorite time of year here.

L.L. Bean Field Coat for $24.99

Location:  Unique Thrift Store, 218 W. 231st Street, Riverdale, NY.  Finding an L.L. Bean field coat in a thrift store today was a first for me.  Its saddle color and distinctive green corduroy collar and cuffs stood out among all of the other coats I had been perusing on the rack.  This is a key item to own, and it functions as somewhat of a preppy membership card.  For full effect, wear it while hunting with your golden retriever.

This coat was a large/tall men’s version with a 100% cotton shell and a 100% cotton plaid lining.  It was marked at $24.99.  With Monday being a sale day, I could have gotten 25% off and walked away with this item for $18.75.  (Retail = $99.00.  The savings would have been $80.25).  However, I already own a Bean field coat, which has held up well for years now.  Moreover, the size was not quite right.  A large large would have been fine, but the tall part of the size would have made it a bit too long for me.  I’m a regular.

It is worth noting that this is an older field coat (perhaps 10 years old or more, I’d estimate).  The label shows that it was made in Freeport, Maine, which is where Bean is located and where all of their goods were made until they were outsourced overseas.  I think most of the field coats are now made in Thailand.

The following is the summary of the Bean field coat from the company’s website:

Often Imitated—Never Duplicated®

Our Original Field Coat has set the standard for quality and craftsmanship since 1924. Originally designed for hunting, it’s built to withstand the briars and branches of the thick Maine woods. Made of best-grade two-ply 10 oz. cotton canvas, washed to feel broken-in and treated to repel moisture and stains.

Underarm gussets and bi-swing shoulders let you move and reach with ease. Sewn-in lining: cotton in body, nylon in sleeves. Five pockets with enough room to carry a day’s essentials. Collar and cuffs are 100% cotton 16-whale corduroy. Imported. Machine wash and dry.

Fit  Large back length 33″. Fits over a midweight sweater.

Bean does make another version of this coat for winter that includes a detachable PrimaLoft liner.  The price point is a good bit higher at $149.00 to $159.00.

Layering For Cooler Weather

We’ve been having some cooler fall weather lately in New York City.  Today it was overcast and actually a bit chilly in the late afternoon when I went out to run a few errands.  I didn’t want to wear a coat.  So I  just threw a lightweight down vest on top of my shirt and sweater, turning the shirt cuffs back over the sweater and pushing the sleeves up a bit.

The total cost of all three items was less than $20.00:  goose down vest from L.L. Bean ($7.99), 100% lambswool v-neck sweater from Cullen, a brand I’ve never heard of before ($4.99) and 100% oxford cloth button down from Gap ($2.99).  While Gap is not an overly preppy company, their button down was very well-made, and the price made it impossible not to buy.  I got everything at Unique thrift store (which I post about prolifically) in my neighborhood.

The preppy look never really changes.  Of course, there have been some trendy tweaks recently by Tommy Hilfiger and Thom Browne among others.  Their “preppy updates” were intended to gain traction with a younger consumer base after hipsters began raiding vintage shops and thrift stores, looking to make an ironic statement.  It was not long before big names in the hip hop world began sporting the look.  All of this doesn’t phase me.  I simply like the classic, timeless preppy style I’ve always known – which is well-made clothes without gee gaws or doo dads.  The way I dress hasn’t changed in any important way since college, aside from the addition of more suits or cap toe dress shoes.

 

McGregor Duffle Coat at Unique Thrift Store

A duffle coat is one of the preppiest items you can own, and it’s been the “in thing” to have for last few years.  Really, it’s a classic that never goes out of style.  There was a beautiful white 100% wool duffle coat from McGregor on the rack yesterday at Unique Thrift Store in Riverdale, NY.  It was a size 36, and the asking price was about $75.00.  It happened to be hanging next to a medium cotton trench coat from Brooks Brothers ($79.99), which I’ll post about another time.  Both items were too small for me.  I’m not sure how old either coat was, but they were in perfect condition as far as I could tell.

While this McGregor lacked a hood, it did have actual wooden toggles like the ones that appeared on the original duffle coats made for the British navy and marketed to the public by Gloverall after World War II.  I’m not sure whether this coat is a vintage item or whether McGregor is still in business, but now I’m curious to find out.

The $75.00 price for this coat seems good to me, considering that I recently bought a navy blue Ralph Lauren duffle coat at one of their factory outlet stores for $275.00 (regular retail is $500.00).   The current price for a Gloverall “Original Monty,” highly coveted by trad/Ivy buffs who scorn anything that isn’t authentic, is £295 or $466.00.  I liked the Gloverall 60th Anniversary video posted on YouTube.  It looks a lot like a Ralph Lauren ad campaign:

Many New England prep schools bought (or required their students to buy) duffle coats of a certain color as part of the school uniform or dress code.  The duffle coat look was prevalent in the 1989 film Dead Poets’ Society, one of my all time favorites,  about a group of boys at one very traditional prep school.