Hello decsbaby, and thank you for your question.
From HM Prison inmates to members of Parliament, the Donkey Jacket has
occupied a notable place in British clothing history. The Donkey
Jacket has two claimants for being the inventor. John Partridge in
1890, and the owner of the Keystone Works who worked on the Manchester
Ship Canal (1887 and 1894) There seems to be no positive proof either
way as to who was the real inventor was, but the dates seem to
coincide at around 1890.
The Donkey Jacket has been standard issue for government/council
workers for decades, and was adopted by skinheads in the 1970's as
part of their 'uniform' and of course there is the (in)famous incident
at the Cenotaph in 1981 when Michael Foot wore one to the Remembrance
Sunday parade.
Below are some resources that should help you in your quest for more
information about this historic garment.
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"History lesson: John Partridge is one of the UK's finest outdoor
labels, famous for his shooting coats as well as inventing the donkey
jacket in 1870 and the duffel coat in 1890."
http://shopping.guardian.co.uk/clothes/story/0,1586,849984,00.html
"The pioneer of the donkey jacket and the duffel coat, Partridge is
well-placed to have noted the shift in rural clothing. Wax jackets,
originally worn by farmers, recently became a luxury-lined fashion
item; and paddock jackets, once worn by stable-hands, now attract
Hollywood stars"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2003/01/06/efhunt06.xml
"Another well known name that owes its origins to a Rugeley
entrepreneur is the "donkey jacket" that was developed by the owner of
the Keystone Works for men working the donkey engines on the
Manchester Ship Canal."
http://www.massey.ac.nz/~tsrichar/tonyhome.html
"Ode to the Donkey Jacket"
"Michael Foot's famous donkey jacket will now go down in the annals of
history.
The famous jacket made its first outing during a visit to the Cenotaph
in 1981. He was criticised for appearing disrespectful for wearing the
jacket during a formal ceremony, although the Queen Mother commended
him for his good sense.
His wife Jill was rather cross, claiming it wasn't a 'donkey jacket'
at all.
Michael Foot has now agreed to donate this garment to the People's
History Museum in Manchester (formerly known as the Museum of Labour
History)."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/politics/fashion_leaders.shtml
(a very nice little article:)
"Reflections on owning a donkey jacket
None of the dictionaries which I own record the donkey jacket at all,
which is fitting somehow for a garment which signs absence, lowliness,
invisibility. All the dictionaries agree that donkey figuratively
signifies humble persistence: the auxiliary steam-engine, the
hardworking, middle-ranking footballer."
http://www.bffthing.demon.co.uk/html/t9/donkeyjacket.html
"Where Have All The Donkey Jackets Gone? "
"This three song 7" is dedicated to the Donkey Jacket, with the title
track a punk track in the classic '77 vein that all you old-schoolers
out there are sure to appreciate"
http://www.empty.de/SeriousDrinking.htm
The classic NCB (National Coal Board)
"Donkey Jackets are worn to keep miners warm when they reach the
surface again. The Donkey jacket is tough, warm and often carries the
company logo and reflective strips for extra visibility."
http://www.gowild.org.uk/resources/curriculum/tec0300/coal/jacket.htm
"THE SKINHEAD EVOLUTION"
"but the Parka's of the Mod culture were replaced by Donkey Jackets &
Crombies."
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Venue/2500/mainpage.html
"DONKEY JACKETS
Standard wear in the Eighties for Socialist Worker Students (a subsect
of the SWP who saw no inherent contradiction in their name), and other
left leaning children of well-off families who wished to express their
solidarity with the working class. The jackets were worn in bars, at
clubs, at meetings, on demos, on dates and on the street while
flogging copies of the party's tedious and hectoring rag. Meanwhile
the working class, as ever, togged itself up in the best stuff it
could afford. The dour, ugly donkey jackets were reserved for the
unpleasant business of actually working."
http://bennun.biz/features/shouldnt.html
"Two most popular types would be MA-1's/Alphas/Flights and Donkey
Jackets. Donkey jackets seem to have lost their popularity among
skins, so it is rather rare to see one of these except in cases of
truly cold weather. Donkey Jackets are a relic of the older
traditional years, given rebirth by expensive UK manufacturers (like
Merc), so it's not even very often one can afford these kinds, much
less justify their costs. They look like a much-thicker trenchcoat
with the bottom cut just right at knee-level and thick PVC elbow pads
on the arms. Older styles used to use real leather. Much more modern
and stylish are the MA-1's."
http://www.io.com/~qsb/gear/guide.html
"Once upon a time this was the universal manual workers outergarment
worn by everyone from miners to street sweepers. And, as all good reds
know, manual workers are the real workers, the rest aren't as cool.
However, since the introduction of fluorescent tops it's no longer
actually a worker's jacket. Still, there are some old school socialist
style gurus who stand proud as the sartorial memory of the movement."
http://home.freeuk.com/rooted/ispy/
Thank you for your question and if you need any clarification of my
answer do not hesitate to ask.
Best regards
THX1138
(I remember once owning a Donkey Jacket, and my lasting impression of
it was that when wet, it/I smelt like a wet dog! :) Why is that?
Hmmmm that sounds like a question for Google Answers!
Search strategy included:
"the donkey jacket"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22the+donkey+jacket+%22++&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&as_qdr=all&start=10&sa=N |
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