Vintage 1990s Mondi Pure New Wool luxury Military 18th century look pirate soldier highwayman captain cavalry swashbuckling New Romantic
Amazing fitted archaic 18th century style military jacket for swashbuckling adventures in your frilly shirts leather and thigh boots to conjour all the romance of the 18th century! From Mondi's early 1990s collection in Pure New wool it is pure luxury.
From our 1990s does 18th century collection! Be sure to watch the video with Metallica's Whiskey in the Jar' playing loud as you watch, from 20 seconds in and have fun!
It's a size UK 10. I am a size 8. The jacket is deceptive because while it appears boxy while loose, it also fastens up to a very nice fitted style, and can be done all way up or part way which again changes the look. Done all the way up looks more 19th century military with just the two rows of buttons the third hidden.
It is extremely dark navy with deep burgundy velvet collar and gold buttons . While the period military look keeps coming back into fashion largely because most of us girls like all that romance and heroism of pirates and highwaymen, and like to appropriate a bit of that vibe for ourselves with the thigh boots n 'all, you will struggle to find this kind of quality. At the time, Ralph Lauren and Vivienne Westwood joined Mondi with that dipping in to history to inspire, and later in the 90s, the look was adapted by rock chicks and fashionistas with leather pants and the frilly shirts and a bit of labels like Dark Star and Religion . Within a few years of the start of the decade the look was back with the likes of All Saints and Temperley in particular, and also steampunk. But, there is no finer quality than these pieces and you will struggle to find certainly not in the high st interpretation of the look. And if you want to pull it off seek quality as that never goes out of fashion only mass tat dates.
And when this arrived with me came same week as another Mondi jacket from that collection (which was worn with tartan and velvet at the time and the label was favoured by Princess Diana who also liked her archaic military romantic looks), and a Laura Ashley velvet ballgown, and a gorgeous red cashmere & wool fit and flare coat. So I looked at them laid out, and immediately the song of the late 1990s came in to my head, and the story with it. An Irish tale of Opportunity and Betrayal, of Romance and Tragedy, a song which dates back to the late 17th early 18th century, a time of soldiers of fortune and highwaymen (and women yes there were including noblewoman Katherine Ferrers base of the story for 'The wicked Lady' 1945 with Margaret Lockwood.
The particular version (there are many) of that song was written by Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy in the 1970s, but covered superbly by Metallica. It is of course 'Whiskey in the Jar' !
As I was goin' over
The Cork and Kerry Mountains
I saw Captain Farrell
And his money, he was countin'
I first produced my pistol
I then produced my rapier
I said, "Stand and deliver oh, or the devil he may take ya"
screamed at me it did so decided to do a video story full version of which you can catch on my Insta, with all four garments. I play all four characters apart from the Devil provided by AI art. So I suppose my pronouns are they/them for this heh ! Though as I say there were female highway women too.
This Mondi jacket I chose to portray Captain Farrell. An old Irish name, while many assume he was a British redcoat 'Captain' was the assigned title for Irish Chieftains by Elizabeth I. By the 17th century they had lost their lands and become tenants of the British but still had status. Captain Farrell we postulate may have been a Irish Soldier Officer of Fortune returning from a campaign and gets his reward stolen by the highwayman.
See to me , fashion should be about fantasy I can't be doing with all that boring utility wear and I detested it when corporates started making us wear crappy polyester and dressing down. When I worked in a dept store in the 90s ladies fashion & cosmetics to start with we were meant to lead by example and sport these looks and did so with a bit of swagger I think and inspired others to adopt and adapt to their own style. Fashion was exciting back then, wasn't about a boring bag with a fancy label and price.
"Being drunk and weary
I went to Molly's chamber
Takin' Molly with me
But I never knew the danger
For about six or maybe seven
Yeah, in walked Captain Farrell
I jumped up, fired my pistols
And I shot him with both barrels"
Well you will have to watch the video in full to see what led to that and I've put my own spin on it, and the outcome. But don't worry we didn't get any blood on the jacket!
I want the person who buys this to wear it with the swagger it deserves, and so you will need a bit of that highway woman cavalier attitude or military officer or Captain swagger yourself. Stand and Deliver...... "it's your money that we want and your money we shall have " as Adam and the Ants sang in Jolly Roger, but we need your commitment to the cause too! Adam also sported the look in the Stand and Deliver video. So the New Romantics couldn't get back into these togs fast enough when Mondi rebooted the look in the early 90s.
The 17th & 18th centuries of course saw the rise of the wool trade and Britain and Ireland becoming a world leader with British wool providing whole armies with clothes often on opposing sides. Now that has declined sadly which is nuts if we are serious about sustainability as recycled polyester won't feed us too or stand the test of time. While Mondi were a West German company this has the Woolmark, and rest assured in finest Pure New Wool this is a piece of luxury and you deserve it don't you girl?
Flintlock and load....