Yarmouth Oilskins

Note: At our request, Yarmouth Oilskins agreed to send us the 2 pieces that you will discover in this article.

Yarmouth Oilskins

Workwear made in England

I remember the first time my eyes landed on a Yarmouth Oilskins label. It was in a thrift store. The second time was in Douglas Gunn's excellent book - Vintage Menswear - in which rare pieces from the store's personal collection were displayed, including a yellow Yarmouth fisherman's parka. The third time, a menswear designer friend told me about it during a conversation we had about CC41. My curiosity had been aroused, the brand appealed to me aesthetically. After some research on Instagram, I discovered the brand still exists and is well developed in Japan ; it is distributed under the name of Yarmo and mainly focuses on workwear. Today a major aspect in menswear Yarmouth had been keen on displaying for years now.

Let’s have a closer look.

HISTORY

On February 1st 1898, Johnson and Sons, as it was called, became a limited company. Three days later, four members of the company joined with other local businessmen to form Yarmouth Stores Ltd. 

The company opened stores in ports throughout the United Kingdom and before World War II broke, employed over 1,200 people; the majority of whom were machinists making overalls, uniforms, blouses and other work clothes. 

At the height of the herring fishing industry, Yarmouth stores were open until 11:00 p.m., when young Scottish girls arrived to equip themselves for the arduous task of sorting, gutting and packing fish. Oilcloth skirts, aprons and boots were a must. Between the 1930s and 1950s, Yarmouth stores went through a difficult period. The fishing industry declined dramatically throughout the World Wars. The Wars resulted in the closure of many of the brand's stores, which never reopened.

In the 1960s, natural gas was discovered off the coast of Norfolk and a new industry developed rapidly. Yarmouth Stores responded quickly by providing Great Yarmouth's ships and crews with functional clothing, which it still does today.

At the dawn of the 21st century, the family-owned business responded to a changing marketplace while remaining true to its heritage. The twenty machinists at the plant cover all aspects of functional apparel production, allowing the brand to be "sold throughout the world".

We are pleased to present two pieces of the Yarmouth Oilskins wardrobe: a work jacket and a pair of ecru work trousers. 

REVIEW

The driver jacket bus became popular in the 1930s. It is a short jacket, designed to be worn with matching trousers. Yarmouth revisits this heritage by offering it with a shirt collar, a shorter cut at the waist, square silhouette and a Corozo fish-eye button closure from Courtney & Co, a very good English button-maker

The jacket has generous chest flap pockets. At the shoulders, two deep pleats for easy movement complete the look. Made from 100% unlined cotton twill*, the jacket is made in Great Yarmouth, Great Britain. 

*The brand is transparent on the matter, the fabric is not woven in England but the finishing stages are

The English jacket is more fitted than its French counterpart – as seen everywhere in the streets in Paris and around the world – but remains perfect for Fall layering. The fabric is very durable but not rough, as Yarmouth washes all their jackets making them comfortable to wear. 

As for the ecru trousers, they are one of the many "work suits" made by Yarmouth stores. Each trade had a specific suit adapted to its needs. The chef's suit, steward's suit and painter's suit are all featured in the 1905 Yarmouth Stores catalog. These trousers have a straight casual cut with deep double pleats at the top. They feature a corozo button fly, wide belt loops, and two deep front and back pockets. All of which is of course made in Great Britain. 

Let's say it once and for all: white trousers go with everything. Period. Some people are reluctant to wear them in the rain, which is quite understandable. Fortunately, nowadays we have washing machine and extreme stain removers!

These trousers are high-waisted, which is very pleasant and comfortable to wear. The cotton is also worth the detour: beautiful and sturdy !

This is the look we’d combine these trousers and jacket. A Heimat wool turtleneck sweater and a pair Clark's Desert boots with orange over-the calf wool socks. 

This outfit is certainly one of the most workwear we have done so far, but it has the merit of highlighting beautiful materials and comfortable pieces. 

Yarmouth Oilskins is a brand that deserves to be more widely known in France, some pieces are simple but ingenious at the same time. In an industry consistently reaching for technicality, Yarmouth Oilskins chooses to highlight certain materials from the past that are worth rediscovering today.