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Published by GuyStyleGuide.com

Copyright © 2010 Johnathan Bell

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Q.  Where  can  I  wear  a  pea  coat?  
A. One of the pea coats’ great advantages is its flexibility. Whilst
easily worn as a casual piece in most environments, the pea jacket
can also work wonders in the realms of the ‘smart-casual’; being of
both officious construction and rugged durability, the pea jacket can
make a fairly inconsequential outfit at least five times as chic.

Hyperbole aside, whilst not to be worn to a black tie dinner, most

occasions will welcome the pea coat with its marvellous poise and
elegance. Later in the book I’ll be taking a look at various ensembles
that work well with a pea jacket, but for now rest assured you’ll find it
difficult to resist wearing a pea coat to almost every occasion you can
think of!

Q.  When  can  I  wear  a  pea  coat?  

A. Theoretically, whenever it’s cold.

However, in seasonal terms it tends to be from the start of

autumn/fall through until the end of winter. In terms of timescales
this usually means during the five or six coldest months of the year.
Naturally, this varies depending on which hemisphere you live. In the
Northern hemisphere this is typically September through March; in
the Southern hemisphere it’s between March and September.

Q.  Are  there  any  examples  of  a  ‘famous’  pea  coat?  

A. There are many instances in recent decades of celebrities,
musicians and artists wearing pea coats. For example, the jacket has
put in many iconic performances in Hollywood movies:

• Jack Nicholson sported a traditional coat in the 1973 feature-

film ‘The Last Detail’ – a spectacular movie you should put on
your rental list immediately if you’ve never had the
opportunity to witness it’s pleasures before.
 • Steve McQueen also sported the Naval jacket in his 1966
movie ‘The Sand Pebbles’.

• Robert Redford reached for the reefer in the 1975 Sydney

Pollack movie, ‘Three Days of the Condor’; a brilliant spy
movie if you can track it down!

Exploring today’s Hollywood landscape, it’s not hard to find

celebrities and ‘indie’ musicians sporting a cavalcade of pea jackets;
flicking through a glossy gossip magazine during the winter months
presents a veritable “who’s who" of famous people wearing them.
Here’s a short list of male celebs that have worn a pea coat in recent
memory:

• Brad Pitt (Se7en, Ocean’s Eleven, Fight Club)

• Robert Pattinson (Twilight, Harry Potter)
• Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Mission Impossible)
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Velvet Goldmine, The Tudors)
• Joshua Jackson (Cruel Intentions, Fringe)
• Jim Sturgess (Across The Universe, 21)
• Shia LaBeouf (Transformers, Disturbia)
• Adam Broady (The OC, Jennifer’s Body)
• Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson, The Notebook)
• Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, The Day After Tomorrow)

So as you can see, the pea jacket is in no short supply when it comes
to superstar fans.
Deconstruction  of  the  pea  coat  
Can’t tell your epaulets from your earlobes? Not to worry, this section
will reveal all about the garment, including what you should be
looking for when picking out your overcoat.

Lapels  

These are the large wedges of shaped fabric that sit on the chest area
above the buttons. When it comes to the pea coat, these purposely
tend to be wider than most jackets. Why? Put simply, it helps to
create a wider chest and shoulder area – the eye is pulled both
horizontally and vertically due to the off-scaled proportions.

“So, the more dramatic the better, right?” Well, not necessarily. You’ll
need to hunt for a jacket that puts you in perfect scale. Think of it as a
ratio between shoulders, belly and hips. You want the nice & wide
top area, but don’t go overboard or it’ll look like you’re wearing an
eighties power suit!
Formulating  common  looks  with  the  pea  coat  
Many men ask me the same question time and time again;

“How should I wear my pea coat?”

Of course, there is no right or wrong way. However, for those who are
having problems thinking of appropriate occasions or outfit
combinations, this quick set of basic looks should keep you in tune
with the pea jacket’s versatile set of opportunities…

Formal  Style  
Whilst the pea coat doesn’t necessarily have boardroom authority, it
can still be handy to combine a reefer with business staples. There’s
nothing in the rulebook stopping you from throwing on a white shirt,
charcoal trousers, oxford brogues and a claret necktie before hitting
the town.

This is a great look for when you want a little ceremony, without
looking too officious or stiff.

Ideal for: dinner with the next-door neighbours.

Man  about  campus  

Skinny jeans and graphic tees can suddenly look so much smarter
with a bit of pea coat pizzazz. Go ‘retro’ with a traditional jacket, or
really push your tailoring to the limit with a top designer ‘fashion
house’ pea coat: both should look great combined with your Levi
501s and mushroom-coloured crew neck!

Ideal for: looking pseudo-intellectual without the ‘try-hard’ moniker of

the tweed blazer.
Pea  coat  Maintenance  
Although these wonderful garments were designed to cope with the
demands of the high seas, it didn’t mean they went without a degree
of maintenance. Treat your reefer jacket with pride and it’ll last you a
lifetime – well, a good many years at the very least.

Use  a  brush  with  a  strong  bristles.  

For moving light debris and dust particles; the idea is that the bristles
are industrial strength so you don’t need to apply much (if any)
pressure whilst brushing.

Gently comb in the direction of the nap or weave to avoid damaging

the fibres.

Buy  a  cheap  lint  roller.    

These sticky disposable reams work just like sticky tape, grabbing
loose fluff and fabric fibres. They’re pretty cheap and will quickly and
easily freshen up your pea coat: a great idea for your weekly
maintenance cycle, especially if you’re blessed with a pet cat or dog
at home.

Avoid using an electric de-fuzzing tool if possible; these tend

to be too aggressive in their approach to removing fluff and
can have quite the detrimental effect on delicate fibres like
cashmere.
Want  to  see  more?  

If  you  enjoyed  reading  this  short  preview,  why  not  

check  out  the  entire  e-­‐book?  Priced  at  just  £5,  “How  to  
Rock  a  Pea  Coat”  contains  52  pages  of  no  nonsense,  
practical  pea  jacket  advice.  No  bumpf  and  no  filler!  

To  find  out  more  about  the  book,  simply  visit  Guy  

Style  Guide’s  e-­‐store  at  the  following  URL:  
 
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