Chief Petty Officer’s Wool Shirt
This heavy wool shirt came up for sale on eBay in 2011 and for the longest time I couldn’t identify it. Now that I have a more complete catalogue collection I believe it to be the surplus Chief Petty Officer’s Wool Shirt from the 1983 Fall catalogue: “The U.S. Navy’s Chief Petty Officers are generally crusty sailors, tough and knowledgeable. They don’t take nonsense from anybody…except the higher brass. Well, the Navy’s higher brass, in its brassy wisdom, decided to take the wool our of the wool shirts (they went with 100% polyester). With 70% wool blended to 30% nylon and other fabrics, the original shirt had a way of keeping CPOs toasty even when soaking wet, and then drying quickly. The CPO’s loss is our gain. Our sympathies to these now synthetic-clad shivering sailors, but all’s fair in surplus and war.”
Looks like a 1950’s to 1960’s -ish surplus US Navy “CPO shirt”; heavyweight dark blue (almost black) wool, with a big collar
Hi Robyn,
This is definitely surplus, I have one of these shirts but with a ‘Maine Guide’ label. Exact same pattern, buttons and weave as yours.
I believe the shirt in the photo is called a CPO shirt (for chief petty officer). The buttons have anchors on them making Navy-related, and the jacket was popular from the 1930’s until now. I’m guessing BR (when they carried military surplus) bought a bunch of them to sell – which is pretty much a genius idea (and 40 years before up-cycling became “cool” and common). The CPO style was appropriated by the fashion industry, and occasionally I find some (usually Japan-related) that are made to be almost identical (though never in what I wear and euphemistically like to call “husky” size) . If you want more info, try: https://epochs.co/features/epochs-guide-to-nautical-clothing. JKC