Vintage faux fur 1970s coat SnugKoat Dark Brown Gold Label coat jacket immaculate inc belt Made Manchester Iconic working class utility glam
 
Ah these are SO rare in this condition. Though many produced they were a best seller in the UK, they were WELL loved, and worn until they fell apart and for utility use to wear to work and play walk the dog all sorts. So I come across them very often but they are usually in poor condition it is rare to find one like this. The belts for eg are usually missing, and the faux fur lost its sleek sheen completely.
 
This one is a size UK 8 to a small 12. So say UK 10-12. Says UK size 16 but you know...vintage UK sizes were much smaller. This wouldn't fit a modern UK 14, but would a 12. Not so much European, and labelled 38-40 European. I am a size UK 8 and a little large for me. 
 
The ones that did survive in good condition had a hammering in the 1990s when mum's wardrobe was raided for grunge! And were not treated with the respect they deserve. Many have been put in the washing machine ffs. DON'T do that purleeeze ! AMATEURS!  They are iconic pieces. Show some respect for those that made them; Snugkoat were a Manchester firm, and I have spoken to the girls that worked in the factory and they were so proud of these. They are pretty well made in terms of of structure, style and strong stitching rare in garments nowadays. 
 
I first came across these Snugkoat faux furs in a variety of styles (I have a different one similar listed check it out) in the mid 1980s, in a Carnaby st store clear out of 'deadstock' on a visit to the UK. I wish I'd have bought the whole rail all glossy and immaculate. In the end I didn't even buy one myself and spent the next 15 yrs regretting. The seller put me off actually saying they were going cheap because they were 'dated'. Another amateur and so was I for listening to him. 

"So choose your partners everyone...
if you hesitate...the good ones are gone....."
 
One of the reasons i love them is they are so light, so while not depths of winter wear, they are ideal for the pub on summer evenings even for eg, or on cold bus stops on Autumn and Spring mornings and evenings. And they easy fitted in my cramped small work allotted locker. How I hated Debenhams for that its like they no longer wanted us to look glam coming to work with a smart winter coat, and forced us to wear black trousers and such very plain shirts. Corporates eh? When I started they wanted us to look glamorous as we reflected the store ethos. Then it was all change with some top brass idiot who went to business school no shop floor experience and didn't get that. This is why the corporate world is in such a mess. Anyway my Snugkoat was my work around I still got to wear a fur to work heh. I don't do anoraks....

Anyway I finally got my Snugkoat after coming across dozens in poor condition, in excellent condition like this one. When I wore it, in Clapham on a night out I met a boomer in the pub and he was almost in tears talking to me as he recounted a romantic sad story. So I ALMOST picked Squeeze 'Up the Junction' ("I never thought it would happen me and the girl from Clapham...") but will save that for a different item as that was 1979, and thus I chose "Amateur Hour" by Sparks as it reminds me of my story and closer to the date of manufacture 1974. His tale was set in 1975/76.  
 
So, leave now, if you aren't going to appreciate what these coats mean to people, the pride with which they were made, and the utility glamour they gave to working class women who wouldn't have be seen dead in an anorak. Please close the door on your way out  this isn't for you. I want her to go to someone who gets it. 
His story was after passing his A level and 18th birthday he was out on a night out with his mates. Across a crowded pub or club, his eyes met with a beautiful woman, around 5 years older than him. Their eyes were locked, and his mates couldn't believe it. 'Don't dally get in there mate she's stunning'. He didn't, and they danced, and before he knew it he was at the cloakroom putting her coat on like a gentleman. It was this very model of Snugkoat. The gent was almost in tears as he went on. I knew it meant something to him, so I was sympathetic and I am a sucker for a romantic historical story. He said he could remember his arm around her walking her home, and how soft the coat was. They are, then you have that different texture of faux leather vinyl on the hips. So they do feel sexy on somehow in a  very earthy glamour way. He recalled how his heart beat fast and that the coat made him realize this was an experienced woman, not a silly little girl, and she knew he was nervous, so was sympathetic.
 
Anyway, so she was his first love and they were together for an awkward 2 years as he was away at college. They argued, and split. Then he did hesitate when he could have won her back and he has regretted it ever since. He wasn't trying to hit on me, by this time late 1990s he was much older than me though still handsome, but wasn't on the pull. 
 
So remembering the story, Sparks Amateur Hour seemed an appropriate song for the coat an experienced woman with an inexperienced young man:
 
"The drapes are drawn and the lights are out
It's the time to put in practice what you've dreamed about.
Well she can show you what you must do
To be more like people better than you.
Amateur hour goes on and on
When you turn pro you know
She'll let you know
Amateur hour goes on and on
When you turn pro
You know she tells you so...." (Sparks Amateur Hour 1974)
So don't hesitate...don't be an amateur.... or the good one will be gone.....