My decade old Fidelity peacoat is too tight in the shoulders now that I’m in my 30s, so I decided I wanted to replace it. Normally I’d go down the rabbit hole, spending hours of research to determine what the “ultimate” specimen is.
But I didn’t want to do all that. Mainly I wanted a peacoat that was navy and had a collar that popped up and stayed put. My Fidelity is black and the collar droops, which has bothered me all these years.
I love the long, navy double breasted (hybrid Polo/Officers/Bridge?) coat I got from Ralph Lauren last year, and the peacoat looked like it had the same collar. I found one from last season, still new with tags for a good price in my size on eBay. So I bought it. This season’s looks exactly the same.
It arrived last weekend. It’s not perfect. I’m not crazy about the epaulets, and the hand warmer pockets are lined in a very cheap-feeling poly interlining instead of warm cotton (corduroy would be most authentic to original pea coats).
But where it counts—that collar, the fit and overall silhouette—is Ralph doing what he does best. Taking an icon, putting an updated spin on it, a dose of sex appeal, and making it accessible for the masses.
By the way, my Fidelity, size 40, is for sale on eBay here.
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