This vintage Sawyer of Napa rancher coat is crafted from high-quality suede and shearling materials for a durable and stylish design. The beige color and basic coat look make it perfect for any outdoor occasion, while the size type of regular and men's 40 original sizing ensures a comfortable fit.

With its 1990s decade and original production, this coat is a unique and one-of-a-kind piece for any vintage clothing collection. The fur type of shearling adds a touch of luxury to the design, while the brand name of Sawyer of Napa speaks to its quality. Add this vintage piece to your wardrobe today and enjoy its timeless style for years to come.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SAWYER OF NAPA!

Sawyer of Napa was long known as THE premier American maker of shearling coats and jackets, with its shearling coats becoming an Ivy Style staple, handed down from father to son... Unless the daughters got to them first and carried them away to Bryn Mawr, Vassar, or Smith! Indeed, so iconic were Sawyer of Napa coats that one was used in *Love Story* to socially place Ryan O'Neal's character, while the same use was made of one in the British film *The Servant* to emphasize the aristocratic origins of James Fox's character.

Sawyer of Napa were founded in 1870, when Albert Sawyer founded the Sawyer Tanning Company on South Coombs Street in Napa, tanning hides that were discarded by local butchers with the fleece still on them. Sawyer was innovative; by 1909 the company had developed Napatan Waterproof Leather and Napa Patent Leather, while in 1927, it developed chromed tan leather, the ideal material for fashioning softball gloves, and later, leather for baseball and welding gloves. These found a ready market among the blue-collar dockers, stevedores, and laborers that thronged the area around Coombs Street, and whose lives were dominated by the factory whistles of the Sawyer Tannery, even if they themselves did not work there.

As Lin Weber writes in her *Roots of the Present: Napa Valley 1900 - 1950:

“Edna and Rita Guisti grew up in that neighborhood on Levee Street (now Riverside Drive). They went barefoot all summer, wearing ragged cotton dresses with bloomers underneath. They often climbed the big oak of Oak Street, which was by the water. It had a rope swing, on which they swung as high as possible before jumping off into the water… The river was still clear; carp would come to the surface, and children tried to spear them with willow branches to sell to Napa’s remaining Chinese families.

“The big whistle on top of the water tower at the Sawyer Tannery was one of life’s regulators for children like Edna and Rita, and for their parents as well. It blew every day of every year at 6 am, 12 noon and 4 pm.”

Napa continued to thrive into the Depression, turning out high-quality, sturdy, warm garments. The combination of good looks, functionality, tradition, and style led to Sawyer of Napa being adopted post-War by the Ivy set as the shearling maker of choice... and the new possibilities led to Sawyer moving away from its working class roots and decidedly upmarket--hence the filmic use of its shearlings in the 1960s and 1970s to establish the upper-class pedigree of its characters.

Alas, by the late 1980s and early 1990s Sawyer was facing significant competition from cheaper, lower-quality imports. The company tried to compete by off-shoring to Korea, but this effort was short-lived, and it folded in 1990.

American-made Sawyer of Napa shearlings are now highly sought-after, and can be readily distinguished from the cheaper, later imports by the fact that they were made from California Spring Lamb pelts, which led to the coats being constructed with large panels and fewer seams. The stitching was also very high quality (rather than the lower quality wrapped stitch used on imports), and the mainstream Sawyer of Napa coats were all made with horn buttons. (Sometimes "name branded" Sawyer coats--such as those made for Bloomingdale's--used plastic buttons.) And the coats were seriously warm and heavy.

This beautiful coat was purchased from The Regiment Shops of Colorado which was a Long-running, full-service option for menswear, including tailoring & wardrobe consulting.

If it’s good enough for Ryan O’Neill it’s a no-brained for you. Photo from a love story. Manufacture closed in 1990. Get yours today.

Please refer to photos for condition of items ask any questions prior to purchase and thank you for looking. Immediate payment or contact is required upon purchase. Do not buy it now if you are not planning on paying. Also please make sure to follow my store Greenmeadowranchfl for new items posted daily!

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