Austrian Greatcoat, Surplus

Wizard gray woolen overcoat à la Bundesheer. If you have always wanted a stylish coat but the price of tailored clothing gives you hives, go with military surplus. Fantastic materials, stitching without self-destruct mechanism, and a very elegant cut. All this at a price that won’t even get you a sneering giggle at a tailoring house. As a bonus, you might get a sartorial promotion to Major if you’re really lucky. For once, also bigger sizes, at least for a short while.

Features

This is quite a traditional military greatcoat without any silly surprises. This batch yielded coats from various years, even decades and different manufacturers, and they were made for various branches. The oldest we came across is from 1985 and the newest 1998, but don’t be bewildered if yours is a bit older or newer. Because of these variables, the details of these coats vary to some extent. The size tag displays the word “Heereseigentum”, which means military property.

These coats are double-breasted but the material and style of the metal buttons vary. Some have shiny silver-colored buttons with the Austrian eagle, some have rough-textured buttons without any motifs, and others brass-colored buttons. There may also be some other exciting alternatives.

Outside the coat, there are two side pockets with a flap closure and inside two breast pockets with a button closure. Some coats have buttoned epaulets on the shoulders, possibly with some rank insignia. Some don’t have epaulets at all and some might have a fancier shoulder cord, the color of which can vary. Furthermore, the color of the collar tabs can vary depending on the branch that used the coat.

Materials

The wash tag features the text “Reine Schurwolle”, which means that the outer material is pure new wool. The material, color, and style of the lining varies. Some are 100% viscose, and some 50/50 polycotton. Some linings are gray, shiny, and smooth, others quilted and brown. There can of course be some other colors, materials, and styles as well. The outer material seems to be consistent, but there can of course be some wool blends as well.

Size info

The coats come in the Austrian sizing system, but because it might not be that familiar to everyone, we made the sizes more understandable. In addition to the simple size, we added the recommended user height and chest circumference. It is worth noting that these are fairly big because you are supposed to have the rest of the uniform underneath. If you plan on being nekkid, a size smaller might be a good idea. With a thick sweater, go with your normal size.

The sleeves are rolled back and fixed in place with a few stitches. By cutting the stitches, you can very easily adjust the sleeves if they are too short or too long.

Condition

Used Austrian military surplus. These are in very nice condition concerning their age. Clean and intact.