Vintage iconic Dannimac 1970's faux fur & leather look fabric coat jacket dark brown Northern Soul Made in England
 
"You can do magic
You took the raindrops that filled my eyes
And put them back up in the skies and then made the grey skies turn blue..."
so sang Limmie & Family Cookin' from Ohio USA in 1973 but it was the Northern Soul Clubs of the UK where the song was a huge hit, and they enjoyed fame. The North of England was heart of the British textile industry and had been for centuries. In Lancashire, the North West where Wigan Casino the top dancehall of the Northern Soul craze was situated, there was the 'Snugcoat', while Yorkshire's Teeside had Dannimac, who had the 'Sport' faux fur, to rival. They were similar in style with faux leather panels and trims. This one actually has a faux leather textile. 
Dannimac at it's height in the 1970's employed 500 skilled workers. 
Skilled working class women making quality fashionable garments, that would be worn by stylish working class women, and sold by skilled working class
sales staff in Department stores nationwide. 
 
I worked in Alders just twenty years ago but it still had that 'Grace Brothers'  feel, and we had pride in what we did. So I always liked the tv sit com 'Are You Being Served?' which launched in 1973 and Miss Brahms, who set many a boy's heart racing, played by Wendy Richard, who was also from 
Middlesbrough. Sadly she passed away recently. Sorry to bore, but I think it important that the stories of the people who made sold and wore these fab vintage garments are told. Sadly the factory workers lost their jobs in the mid 1990s as the company went for cheap foreign production instead. It was never the same.
Dannimac had a reputation for inexpensive quality and the coat iss till here is testimony to that when so much modern fast fashion tat falls apart quickly.
And certainly Dept Store service is not what it was; but I do try my best on Etsy to give you that service and the benefit of knowledge gained through a lifetime in fashion retail, and design from time to time. I even studied textile archaeology for a while at Uni, and this is what I enjoy. Every garments has a story.
To me the clothes are like characters in a story.
 
So my story with this one is about a lady I worked with back 20 odd years ago who had a similar coat as she had worked for Dannimac when a young girl.
She was mad keen for soul music of al kinds, and we'd sometimes find ourselves at some London all nighter. But it was the old stuff she really liked. She told me about Wigan Casino and the dancing. Which, was incredible. It had morphed from the Mod scene, though the fashions had changed; they wore big baggy flared trousers & high waist bands the boys, while the girls often had 70s does 50s circle skirts. And...in the morning you'd need a nice warm coat after all that sweaty dancing, especially on an unheated coach trip back home! They travelled on special coach trips from all over the North. Check out the videos of the dancing! Amazing! As is the fact she had worn a similar coat to this even back then, as she had it as a discounted staff purchase.
 
So these coats were for work and play, for car, an unheated cinema or coach, a bracing walk on he beach at Scarborough, or as the label suggests, 'Sport', so you may have worn this coat on the terraces to seeJack Charlton & Graeme Souness inject some magic in to the Middlesbrough team, Alan Emerson ride maximums for Teeside Tigers, or even to see Champion Hurdler Sea Pigeon win at local track Redcar on the flat! Middlesbrough where the coat made a tough working class town but great pride in their sports etc and their working class heritage.

The girls at the Dannimac factory would have worked hard and played hard, as would the girls who'd have worn these coats, and those who sold them. But stores weren't 
the only place to buy the brand.
Dannimac had been one of the leading & famous manufacturers of raincoats from the 1950s, and in the late 1960s & early 1970s they'd begun to market to a younger 
audience too as is evident in their advertising, such as in 19 magazine. But this piece was one that appealed to all ages; and especially as the Fashion catalogues they all 
had back then, meant you were able to buy in installments!
Magic! Incidentally magician Paul Daniels was also from Middlesbrough. He also sadly passed away met he and Debbie couple times lovely people.
Ah this is the tragedy of time. So much lost like 'tears in the rain' as Rutger Hauer said in Bladerunner. All those memories and moments die with us.
So its a testimony to the magic of vintage fashion while we lost Paul,  Rutger, and Wendy Richard all recently; Jack Charlton not so long ago, and of course 
Wigan Casino & Teeside Tigers, as well as Middlesbrough's other local horse racecourse Stockton, are long gone, the coat from c 1973, is STILL WITH US! 
And fabulously wearable. But, if you chose to buy and wear with the pride with which it was made by those girls, respect the heritage!  Unlike Dannimac's raincoats, 
this won't be as raindrop resistant, so don't get it too wet! But a lovely coat for a warm snuggle to keep the tears at bay on your coach journey through life!
 
Ideal for a UK size 10 or 12; though I'd wear as its belted as a UK 8. 
Has toggle buttons and leather look fabric belt. You will see coats like this at lower price, but they are often in poor condition as they often had hard wear, and 
synthetic fur isn't the best for rain so they have deteriorated. So I only sell quality condition items.; no major wear issues with this!
If you want a soft fur utilitarian coat for knocking about in with that touch of edgy dolly bird 1970s working class feminine glamour, then this if for you!
You don't have to be a real 'smoggie' to wear it, but you have to have respect for them!