Never before have I been confronted with a newly made garment that not only has all the bases covered in terms of design and construction, but also such rich storytelling attached to its inspiration and conception. The Field Coat from Ginew is so much more than just a vintage-inspired repro jacket with contemporary tweaks.
This piece not only seeks to serve as a reminder of the endless fond memories of Erik’s dad wearing it for decades whilst taking him to explore the woods, rivers, hills, and marshes of the Great Lakes, but also to pay tribute to the origin of it — his, and countless other Native Veteran’s service in Vietnam.
The iconic field jacket silhouette is cut from 100% deep olive cotton and features a hidden drawstring hood, a duo of chest pockets — one with a custom Ginew patch above it and the other with a blank version that can be fully customized with the nifty stencil provided — and hip pockets. Both sets of pockets are secured with hidden brass snaps and sit on either side of the heavy-duty brass zipper. And it’s when you open said zipper to reveal what you might expect to be just a run-of-the-mill detachable liner, that you’ll see the main reason why I was so blown away.
Inside this Field Coat, you’ll find a fully reversible vest with one side being a 100% black cotton subdued affair and the other cut from a wonderfully vibrant 32 oz. ‘Facing East‘ wool blanket, made exclusively in partnership with U.S-based visual artist Dyani White Hawk whose quote below really sums up its inception.
“Our sun rises in the east. The Facing East blanket acknowledges ways that Lakota, and other Indigenous people, honor, and express gratitude for the gift of each new day. Embedded within this act of gratitude is a deep respect for, and appreciation of the many cycles and relationships that support life.” – Dyani White Hawk
So, to sum up, you have a heavy-duty field jacket that can be worn with pretty much any outfit, that houses a vest which not only goes some way in making the aforementioned field jacket even more toasty, but could also easily be worn as a stand-alone layering piece on either of its reversible sides.
Available now from Ginew priced at $1095
