Femme devant le bâtiment bleu et rouge de Dalmard Marine sur le port de Paimpol en caban

The authentic French woollen peacoat

For over 100 years, we've been designing the iconic peacoat in the purest tradition. Discover the characteristics of the Dalmard Marine peacoat, the iconic sailor coat, and the stages in the manufacture of the French woollen cloth.

The characteristics of the real peacoat

Schéma détaillé des caractéristiques du véritable caban

For decades, our authentic peacoat has been made from a woolen cloth, a blend of virgin and recycled wool. This woollen cloth has been made for over 150 years by an exceptional French company, "Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant".

This woolen cloth allows our peacoat to be water-repellent and breathable while retaining body heat and eliminating perspiration. Its insulating properties make it effective against cold and wind, while its breathability helps wick away moisture.

The Dalmard Marine peacoat has two patch pockets on the outside and also, depending on the model, pockets on the chest and/or inside.

Originally, the authentic peacoat had a straight and short cut to facilitate the movements of sailors. Today, a true everyday partner, our peacoat is available in different cuts: straight, fitted or fitted with a martingale. These cuts make it possible to adapt to the styles and morphologies of each one.

The width of the collar of the peacoat allows, once it is raised, to completely cover the neck. It can be closed on some models with a collar tab to keep warm.

The woolen cloth used for the manufacture of our peacoat undergoes an anti-pilling treatment which gives it a firmer hand.

The double buttoning is characteristic of the peacoat. Depending on the direction of the wind, it is possible to close the peacoat on one side or the other to always stay warm.

Steel and brass buttons add character to our peacoat. Depending on the material, the buttons come in black, gold or silver. They are decorated with a marine symbol such as a sea anchor, a compass rose, a coat of arms...

How French woollen cloth is made

Step 1 Dyeing the raw material

Our French woollen cloth is made from a blend of virgin and recycled wool. In the first stage, the unbleached virgin wool is dyed navy. The recycled wool is already dyed, as it comes exclusively from sailor sweater cuttings.

Step 2 Preparation and mixing

Once the dyeing has been completed, the two types of wool must be prepared and mixed. This mixture of several shades of blue and black will add depth to the final color of the wool cloth.

Step 3 Carded spinning

At this stage, the wool fibers are combed and untangled using carding machines, special combs with metal teeth. Carding cleans and aligns the fibers in the same direction. The sliver is then spun into a continuous yarn. This is carded spinning.

Step 4 Weaving

Next comes the weaving stage. For this stage, the wool yarns are connected to a loom, a machine used in the textile industry. A distinction is made here between two sets of threads: warp and weft. The weft threads pass alternately over and under the warp threads to form large pieces of fabric.

Step 5 Wool washing and fulling

To become a woollen sheet, woollen fabrics must then undergo fulling. This stage felts the fabric using a mechanical process. Placed in a vat filled with hot water and soap, the fabric is struck repeatedly by fullers (mechanical beaters). This step ensures effective interlacing of the wool fibers, giving the fabric exceptional thickness, abrasion resistance and durability.

Step 6 Dry finishing

During this final stage, the wool cloth undergoes ennobling, a set of processes and techniques designed to improve its characteristics. Here, the wool cloth is subjected to a thermal shock under several bars of pressure. It becomes water-repellent and virtually indestructible. At this stage, the wool cloth undergoes an anti-pilling treatment to give it a firmer hand.