How to wear a polo coat (photos)...

**Doctor Damage** · January 23rd, 2006 05:37

Here's a nice photo of Lord Wodehouse wearing a polo coat, while resting. Dated January 1926.

**Doctor Damage** · January 23rd, 2006 05:39

This is the current (12th) Duke of Northumberland wearing a ratty old polo coat in the field. Note torn right shoulder, and distended button holes. Note wet and smelly retreivers.

**mpcsb** · January 23rd, 2006 05:41

Excellent photos....excellent indeed.
Cheers

**Tom Buchanan** · January 23rd, 2006 07:02

Great pictures, thanks.

While on the topic of polo coats in pictures, I recently pulled out my "Pimm's Book of Polo" (something I bought on a lark when the second incarnation of Abercrombie & Fitch was clearing out its real stock to start selling tee shirts and thongs).

The book has a couple pictures of very stylish Indian players wearing polo coats while accepting their trophies. The pictures appear to be from the 1920s or 30s. Their coats are fully belted "wrap" style, without buttons. This makes perfect sense since they were to be thrown on between chuckers.

Since I have read that the British adopted this style from India, my guess is that the British tailors took the camel coat wrap, and added the double breasted aspects typically found on Naval great coats, or British Warms or Ulsters.

And, of course, us Americans have Brooks Brothers to thank for bringing it to here.

I just think the evolution of the coat is interesting.

**Doctor Damage** · January 23rd, 2006 07:08

More ways to wear a polo coat.

(1) As a factotum or detective shadowing Frank Costello, January 1952, New York.

(2) As an aging photo-journalist shaking the hand of Frank Costello, February 1951, Washington.

**Doctor Damage** · January 23rd, 2006 09:12

Cheese it, it's the fuzz!

The other side of the law: Prohibition-era detectives Moe Smith and Izzy Einstein, January 1923, before and after donning disguises for infiltrating speak easy's (I'm not making this up).

**Doctor Damage** · January 23rd, 2006 11:10

Polo coat worn by (make-believe) ganster intimidating (make-believe) longshoreman, New York.

**mpcsb** · January 23rd, 2006 11:13

OK Doc, fess up. What's the fascination with polo coats. How many do you have, old, new, colors?

**Doctor Damage** · January 23rd, 2006 12:19

Here's what appears to be a belted polo on Walter Camp, 1920, who codified the rules of football.

Polo coat accessorized with rubber overshoes and team watch cap. Vince Lombardi, early 1960s.

**zegnamtl** · January 23rd, 2006 12:35

Doc D,

On behalf of my youngest,
I officially file a protest against you referring to those two lovely retrievers as smelly!

**Fashionslave** · January 23rd, 2006 13:08

quote:Originally posted by Doctor Damage

This is the current (12th) Duke of Northumberland wearing a ratty old polo coat in the field. Note torn right shoulder, and distended button holes. Note wet and smelly retreivers.

Hate to tell you this,but -That's the original coat he inherited from the original duke.I think it's looking pretty darn good for an 80 year old coat,don't you??

**Tom Buchanan** · January 23rd, 2006 13:48

quote:Originally posted by Doctor Damage

Here's what appears to be a belted polo on Walter Camp, 1920, who codified the rules of football.

Polo coat accessorized with rubber overshoes and team watch cap. Vince Lombardi, early 1960s.

Now we are talking role models. "Saint Walter" basically developed American football. In fact, he was so Trad in his thinking that he resisted the forward pass. If the coat is good enough for Walter Camp, it is good enough for every man.

**Tomasso** · January 23rd, 2006 14:44

# 85 is Max McGee.http://www.jsonline.com/packer/sbxxx.../flash123.html

**Roger** · January 23rd, 2006 14:52

Doctor, thanks for a really interesting photo essay. Can you or someone else present the defining characteristics of the Polo Coat, and how it differs from other styles of overcoats.

Vancouver

**Doctor Damage** · January 23rd, 2006 16:31

quote:Originally posted by Tomasso

# 85 is Max McGee.

...and Lombardi is talking to #15, quarterback Bart Starr.

DD

**Rich** · January 23rd, 2006 23:34

**Fogey** · January 23rd, 2006 23:51

quote:Hate to tell you this,but -That's the original coat he inherited from the original duke.I think it's looking pretty darn good for an 80 year old coat,don't you??

If by 'original duke' you are referring to the most recent 1st Duke of Northumberland (3rd Creation), then it would be at least 220 years old.

**Doctor Damage** · January 24th, 2006 05:33

Belted polo coats on the NY Giants baseball team in October 1924. Can anyone guess the location where the photo was taken?

**Tomasso** · January 24th, 2006 06:24

quote:Originally posted by Doctor Damage
Can anyone guess the location where the photo was taken?

Japan?

**Doctor Damage** · January 24th, 2006 08:53

Polo players weren't the only ones to throw on a polo coat to keep warm. Here's some nice old photos of various tennis players wrapped up. The first two are April 1933 and show British tennis players getting ready to travel to the US for a tournament.

This image is from June 1913. The fellow on the right has the most luxurious polo coat I've ever seen photographed.

**Tomasso** · January 24th, 2006 09:10

Bill Tilden would wear a polo coat over his tennis whites(long flannel trousers and sweater)as he entered the tennis stadium not unlike a robed boxer entering the ring.

**Doctor Damage** · January 24th, 2006 09:19

quote:Originally posted by Tomasso

Bill Tilden would wear a polo coat over his tennis whites(long flannel trousers and sweater)as he entered the tennis stadium not unlike a robed boxer entering the ring.

Thusly...

**Tomasso** · January 24th, 2006 09:22

Tilden was also known to go days, some said weeks, without bathing.

**Tom Buchanan** · January 24th, 2006 11:23

quote:Originally posted by Doctor Damage

quote:Originally posted by Tomasso

Bill Tilden would wear a polo coat over his tennis whites(long flannel trousers and sweater)as he entered the tennis stadium not unlike a robed boxer entering the ring.

Thusly...

Is that Tilden in the picture? "Big Bill" was supposed to have towered over his opponents at 6'3".

**Doctor Damage** · January 24th, 2006 11:31

quote:Originally posted by Tom Buchanan

Is that Tilden in the picture? "Big Bill" was supposed to have towered over his opponents at 6'3".

That's a good point: the description on the archive identifies him clearly as "William Tilden, (1893-1953), American tennisman", but the fellow in the background of the photo, staring upwards at the sky, looks more like Tilden.

DD

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