Men's Shearling Coat – From the Prehistoric Age to Nowadays
THE RISE OF SHEEPSKIN COATS
Men sheepskin coats (a.k.a. shearling coats) are currently highly trending in the fashion circles. It seems that every appearance-conscious person is trying to get his hand on a lovely shearling coat. The reason for this renewed fascination with the sheepskin coat among men is the very nature of this coat.
It has an outstanding masculine looks, durability, and great thermoregulatory properties. A sheepskin coat is a perfect choice if one is looking to combine stunning looks with warmth requirements for a freezing winter day. Shearl coats come in a variety of different silhouettes, trim details, and seam accents so that everyone can find his perfect coat that will last decades.
The classic sheep coats in brown-beige earth tones, more daring ones with voluminous collars or classic 70's men sheepskins with exposed seams - they all can be integrated into a modern wardrobe in order to make a unique fashion statement.
THE DAWN OF MAN AND THE SHEEPSKIN COAT
In a way, men's shearling coats are one of the oldest fashion pieces that have been around since the dawn of mankind when the first men covered themselves with the pieces of animal pelt. Of course, the modern men's sheepskin coat is a far cry from the practical prehistoric fashion of the Stone age. However the core idea has remained the same in that the animal skin makes the perfect clothing for men.
In the beginning clothing had a solely practical function during the prehistoric era, that is, to keep warm and protected from environmental factors. Soon, however, our ancestors started to endow it with social meaning like it is today. The more scarce and extravagant was the garment one had, the more social capital he got.
From the very beginning sheepskin coats in their many variations have traveled through the centuries and served both as a signifier of social status and a way to simply stay warm.
SHEEPSKINS IN THE 20th CENTRY
Fast forward to the 20th century and men's sheepskin coats still reign supreme. First as a shearling jacket for WWI and WW2 military aircraft pilots and then as a counter-culture phenomenon known as the Afghan coat. Hollywood was also partly to blame for the cult of the men sheepskin coat.
Sheepskin was immortalised in such 50'ies cinema classics like “On the Waterfront” with Marlon Brando and “The Giant” with James Dean as leading actors. During the 80's shearling coats somewhat lost traction as a popular fashion choice. Despite that, they were propelled back into the spotlight during the 90s and early 2000s.
Nowadays sheepskin coats are one of the most luxurious outerwear choices that understandably cost quite a penny. We all know that Kanye West has at least one and most likely Brad Pit and Keanu Reeves have a pair stashed in their closets as well. In our shop we all are mad about these coats – the co-founder of Northern Grip even wore one for his winter wedding instead of a classic coat.
A high-quality storebought shearling coat today will set you back for not less than a 1000 EUR but there is a cheaper alternative without compromising the quality - vintage men sheepskin coats. And if you've decided to look for a coat on the internet, then Northern Grip is definitely the place where to start.
We have one of the best men's sheepskin offers on the vintage market in terms of numbers, quality, and variety. Take your time and browse through our men coat collection where you will find excellent and decently priced vintage shearlings from the '60s, 70's, 80' and 90's in black, brown, beige, and grey.