# POLO Ralph Lauren polo coat



## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

Camel hair. Double breasted. Beautifully peaked lapels. You know the one.

Does anyone own this coat? I see that this season's version (which looks identical to previous versions) is retailing for $2,000.


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## mcarthur (Jul 18, 2005)

*Carmel hair coat*



Harris said:


> Camel hair. Double breasted. Beautifully peaked lapels. You know the one.
> 
> Does anyone own this coat? I see that this season's version (which looks identical to previous versions) is retailing for $2,000.


Harris-
I have the ralph lauren camel hair double breasted polo coat which is three years old as well as BB camel hair double breasted polo coat which is ten years old. These coats are expensive but they will serve you a long time. Another way to look at the cost of the coat is to amortize the coat over its useful life of 20 years and it only cost $100 per year.
Mcarthur


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## jml90 (Dec 7, 2005)

mcarthur said:


> Harris-
> I have the ralph lauren camel hair double breasted polo coat which is three years old as well as BB camel hair double breasted polo coat which is ten years old. These coats are expensive but they will serve you a long time. Another way to look at the cost of the coat is to amortize the coat over its useful life of 20 years and it only cost $100 per year.
> Mcarthur


Could you _please_ post pics


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

I missed out on a new one on eBay in July. I didn't need it so I limited my bid to the minimum, $250, and forgot about it. (<<<grammar gestapo alert!) I was not getting into a bidding war for something I really, really don't need. I think the winning bid was $252. Not to bright sellers list this stuff in the middle of summer and the aforementioned is the result.

I used to have a Polo shearling Polo coat that I never wore, peaked lapels and all. So I sold it on eBay. But enough about me, although I'm sure ya'll're enthralled.

Polo polo coats never change much, flamboyant lapels and all.

When I find it in the archives, below is one from the early 80's that has appeared here before. A current one would not be much different.


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## kitonbrioni (Sep 30, 2004)

Everyone needs a good camel overcoat or a camel colored cashmere one--
https://imageshack.us
left to right--
Loro Piana Storm System cashmere
Oxxford camel hair
vintage camel hair (worn of decades by a Yale history prof)


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## Harris (Jan 30, 2006)

kitonbrioni, you impress. Wow. The mention of polo coats and Yale brought this gent to mind:

"Another way to look at the cost of the coat is to amortize the coat over its useful life of 20 years and it only cost $100 per year." --Mcarthur

Mcarthur, I like the way you think!

Cheers,
Harris

P.S.: Any/every body who's interested can see a photo of this year's version in the September DETAILS magazine. The shoulders appear to have almost zero padding and the lapels are peaked _just right._ Does anybody have Ralph's eye? Amazing.


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

There is also the J Press 'British Short Warmer' (although in that mysterious color, 'taupe'):

And my thrift store version of the same (from last winter):


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## qwerty (Jun 24, 2005)

*A few thoughts*

1. Beautiful coats.
2. Must be >35 to wear one.
3. Definitely prefer patch-flap pockets.
4. Definitely prefer fold-over sleeve cuffs (don't know the proper name for them).


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## Foghorn (Feb 2, 2005)

Majer makes a fine Polo Coat, in fact Brooks used to sell the same coat with their label.


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## kitonbrioni (Sep 30, 2004)

Harris said:


> kitonbrioni, you impress. Wow. The mention of polo coats and Yale brought this gent to mind:
> 
> "Another way to look at the cost of the coat is to amortize the coat over its useful life of 20 years and it only cost $100 per year." --Mcarthur
> 
> ...


https://imageshack.us
Meeks, Carroll L. V. (Carroll Louis Vanderslice), 1907-1966
https://imageshack.us
https://imageshack.us
"Yale will build a new arts library and a history of art building on an empty lot where Gentree's Clothing once stood."


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## mcarthur (Jul 18, 2005)

Kitonbrioni-
Yale and its related entities have saved New Haven just as Penn is saving Philadelphia. It is a shame that these old time business did not survive.
Mcarthur


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

"Another way to look at the cost of the coat is to amortize the coat over its useful life of 20 years and it only cost $100 per year"

I've gotten thirty out of my grandfather's (single-breasted, patch pockets, belted back) from the late Luettgen's Ltd. in Hartford...the edges are showing wear...but isn't that character.

"2. Must be >35 to wear one."-Qwerty

I've been wearing my grandfather's since it was taken out of mothballs and given to me my sophomore year of college. Looks great with most any scarf. My frequent use pushed a number of my friends at the time to ask for overcoats at Christmas (they had previously limited themselves to ski parkas). I like to alternate the camel hair with my Rosenthal-Maretz grey Shetland herringbone overcoat.

I have also worn it with a dinner jacket. I think this probably breaks some rule, but Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole) did it in "My Favorite Year" and looked fantastic. 

No one has ever suggested I was too young to wear it.

The adjective most often applied is "classy." I'll take it.

Just noticed, some of those coats pictured above have darts. Mine do not. The darts argument aside, I don't think I've ever noticed darts on an overcoat before. Is that common?

AlanC: I don't think I've ever seen a trilby and a camel hair overcoat make someone look like a tough guy until I saw that thrifted find of yours with you in it. Ivy League Heavy?


This thread has gotten me excited about fall.


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

Coolidge24 said:


> AlanC: I don't think I've ever seen a trilby and a camel hair overcoat make someone look like a tough guy until I saw that thrifted find of yours with you in it. Ivy League Heavy?


More Hillbilly Mafia (just ask Chuck Franke :icon_smile_wink: ).

It was meant to make my Mod persona more intimidating. Don't mess with me or you'll find some concrete in your Bean boots.


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## qwerty (Jun 24, 2005)

Coolidge24 said:


> "2. Must be >35 to wear one."-Qwerty
> 
> I've been wearing my grandfather's since it was taken out of mothballs and given to me my sophomore year of college. Looks great with most any scarf. My frequent use pushed a number of my friends at the time to ask for overcoats at Christmas (they had previously limited themselves to ski parkas). I like to alternate the camel hair with my Rosenthal-Maretz grey Shetland herringbone overcoat.
> 
> ...


It was my impression that we were discussing camel hair polo coats which, by definition, are double-breasted. I was placing the age restriction on coats of that style. SB is for all ages.


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

qwerty said:


> It was my impression that we were discussing camel hair polo coats which, by definition, are double-breasted. I was placing the age restriction on coats of that style. SB is for all ages.


Double-breasted by definition? Color me unaware of that distinction.

If so, then strike my comment...my single breasted coat that resembles a "camel hair polo coat" is for all ages.

Though I would place a lower limit of 16, I dont imagine smaller ones than 38 or so are easy to come by.


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## qwerty (Jun 24, 2005)

Coolidge24 said:


> Double-breasted by definition? Color me unaware of that distinction.
> 
> If so, then strike my comment...my single breasted coat that resembles a "camel hair polo coat" is for all ages.
> 
> Though I would place a lower limit of 16, I dont imagine smaller ones than 38 or so are easy to come by.


Well my definitions may be wrong, but it is my understanding the a 'polo coat' refers to a specific style of coat (often camel hair but not necessarily so) which has patch-flap pockets and is double breasted. Please correct me if this is wrong.


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

Honestly I have no idea... I always thought the polo coat was camel hair, patch flap pockets, half-belt in back, peak lapels.

But again, that's just what I thought. I really don't know.


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

Right or wrong, Brooks has this coat listed as a polo coat.


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## Coolidge24 (Mar 21, 2005)

Laxplayer said:


> Right or wrong, Brooks has this coat listed as a polo coat.


That explains my possible misterminology, that is essentially what I have.


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## mcarthur (Jul 18, 2005)

*camel hair coat*



Laxplayer said:


> Right or wrong, Brooks has this coat listed as a polo coat.


Lx-
Did you happen to notice the cost of this coat?
Mcarthur


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

Picked this camel hair polo coat up yesterday (similar to kitonbrioni's vintage polo above):

Discussed in this thread.


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

Alan, seriously, you're an animal. How do you do it?

JB


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## AlanC (Oct 28, 2003)

Joe Tradly said:


> Alan, seriously, you're an animal. How do you do it?


Must be clean livin', Joe. :biggrin2:

To return to the discussion of what a true polo coat is, this is what Bruce Boyer has to say in his chapter on the polo coat in _Elegance_, as he calls it "The Real Thing":



> And the requirements of the genre are explicit and strict: an authentic polo coat is double-breasted, full-length, and full-cut camelhair cloth; it has patch pockets, set-in sleeves, cuffs, and a half-belt.


And there you have it.


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## Larsd4 (Oct 14, 2005)

Besides Polo at $2K and BB at $998, does anyone make a decent polo coat that's more affordable (maybe Hickey or HSM)? I'd love to step into one in the $595 range.


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## tripreed (Dec 8, 2005)

Larsd4 said:


> Besides Polo at $2K and BB at $998, does anyone make a decent polo coat that's more affordable (maybe Hickey or HSM)? I'd love to step into one in the $595 range.


Well there's always JAB, my friend! Can't comment on the quality, though.










https://www.josbank.com/IWCatProduc...d=1&Section_Id=2100&pcount=&Product_Id=158543


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