Vintage early 1970s dark blue Borgazia faux fur coat by L.L. Berger dept store Buffalo USA  semi fitted double breasted silver buttons
 
Ah such a fabulous smart coat that we think dates from around 1970/1971. It wasn't all maxis and minis, there was also the emergence of a very classic style, especially double breasted semi fitted coats, and especially in Borgazia faux fur in high end dept stores. And in Buffalo New York state, LL Berger was one of them, and on a par with I. Magnin, Saks 5th Avenue and Neiman Marcus for quality fashion. 
 
It is a UK size 10, may be ok for a small UK size 12. Just a little large for me as a size UK 8 though I'd wear, it isn't as fitted as would be on a larger size.
 
 I can't stress enough what a lovely rich deep dark blue and sleek and soft the coat is. To call it navy or Midnight blue perhaps a little misleading: it is more like a sapphire: deep and dark with gleaming bright blue highlights in the light. Simply beautiful. Borgazia was the best faux fur there was by a long way back then, and not surpassed until the 1980s and then those faux furs were very expensive. Modern faux fur is not as good as either. It is quite a light weight too though warm. Borgazia was a trademark of Borg fur and meant to resemble sheared seal fur, while Borgana sheared beaver. New York companies Metzger (Sportowne etc), Fairmoor & Russell Taylor were involved jointly in the project to manufacture & promote Borg fur is the USA and they also did the Givenchy faux furs that used it, so it was that good a quality.
Metzger explains how this length came to be after the mini and maxi lengths in 1970, and was a new look:

“It is not important whether every woman has come around to the midi length, but rather that it is well established that coats will be below the knee, except for those making up a pants ensemble or supplying a sports wear look. Long coats last year were rejected for the most part, but now the look has been around long enough for acceptance.”
 
So it is conceivable it is as early as 1969 or as late as 1972, but pretty sure between those dates. 
 
Sadly Buffalo as a city was imminent for de-industrialization with the docks and automobile and other industry losing importance, so by 1991 LL Berger had gone. But they did some beautiful garments, and I can't help wondering what this coat is doing in the UK. Was it bought as a vintage piece recently, or was it bought by a British visitor to Buffalo New York at the time? If the latter I am sure it has been well appreciated and looked after over the years. I imagine the owner of the coat being so pleased she airmailed a thank you on her return! Yes, I worked in a dept store and we used to get such tokens of thank you all the time, especially by actual letter years ago . Don't get that now sadly, barely an acknowledgement. People are so right on virtuous they think yet don't even say thank you to a store assistant or a bus driver. Sad. What I do know is the store assistants at LL Berger would have been very enthusiastic about this coat, and sold it with great pride. And the people in the community are losing those skilled workers who care, and provide excellent service, and the department stores as part of the community. I worked for Debenhams, which existed since 1778, around the time of the American Independence. So so sad that now its gone, thanks to Covid lockdowns. Gives me the blues for sure when I walk past it, everyone laments it is gone. And I bet the citizens of Buffalo feel the same about LL Berger. As the city de-industrialized there wouldn't have been as much money in the community to spend high end. Engines were made for Chevrolet cars there. I always think it is nice when people look after and take pride in vintage cars and it should be the same for vintage clothes. I know many of you do feel this way hence you are reading. I don't like vintage being seen as something to grunge about it and wreck. 
Buffalo is one of the snowiest cities in the USA, so a nice warm faux fur coat much appreciated. Thought I'd try my hand at map drawing a map of the Lake Snow effect that state, it is in the video. Not so bad, but put to shame by the wonderful maps produced in Buffalo by mapmakers Matthews-Northrup first half of the last century, who were famous for their polar maps among the first detailed Azimuthal Equidistant Projection maps of the poles. I like to look at stamps when I am doing my research on a period, and note that the UK did a commemorative stamps of British polar explorers at the start of 1972, so also contemporary to this beautiful coat. 
 
My 'Spirit of the Age and Garment' song is from 1971, The Rolling Stones and 'I Got the Blues' . The Stones played Buffalo quite a lot in the 1960s and 1970s btw.
 
"As I stand by your flame
I get burned once again
Feeling low down, I'm blue
As I sit by the fire
Of your warm desire
I've got the blues for you, yeah..."
 
Always we workers who get burned we work so hard at making and selling products we take such pride in, and build up the reputation of the companies and then things change and they are gone. So yes such mixed feelings when I see something like this. happy enough to gasp with delight when I come across it; but also feel so for those who made it and sold it their stories and passion and endeavours untold. And it would have been treasured, perhaps by several owners over the years. And now, can you be her next custodian, appreciate and love her and give her more wonderful times? I don't want her to be dragged down with abuse like so many vintage garments.... she was a smart coat, and is used to being cared for and caressed!
 
It's a lovely coat in very good condition with a beautiful lining, very sleek soft and had fabulous blue highlights when it catches the light. And the silver buttons, including on the faux pockets (there are hidden side pockets beneath these) are gorgeous. The coat can fasten to show lapels or be fastened at the top for a more military look. 
 
This would look fabulous with proper vintage 1970s or 80s navy long boots , and a simple wiggle dress in complimentary or contrasting colour. I've teamed it with a red boucle dress from around the same time, and also classic cut, which also has a period silver buckle similar to the Pierre Cardin ones of the time, which I will list separately.