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Heer Gray Parka
WWII German Gray Parka
 
: $275.00



German Parka Size*:

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Product Description Sizing Information
 

Model is 6ft, 175lbs,
wearing a size 2 parka 		Correct ties and waistband Heer M42 cut Rear details
Hood large enough to
fit over a helmet 		Buttons provided to attach
colored identification armbands 		Snow camo side
Top quality reproduction of the parka for the Tarnwendeuniform issued to the German Army from late 1942-1945. This parka is the first model, without elbow reinforcements and hood darts, sometimes referred to by collectors as the "model 42". The earliest production uniforms were manufactured with a wool/ cotton outer shell in a medium gray color that enthusiasts christened "mouse gray". That fabric proved expensive and problematic so it was then switched to a rayon poplin that was printed in a wide variation of colors that ranged widely from stone gray to olive green. Our uniforms are the latter type.

ATF Winter Uniforms
These garments are not related in anyway to our previous productions- they share zero DNA with those or any other company's products. I went all out to create the best product possible, not the cheapest.

Our shell fabric is woven using specs from the July 1945 Richardson Report as well as an authentic swatch of fabric which matched the numbers in the report so there was no debate. For those familiar with original parkas, they have a particular feel- thin, soft but not exactly silky. These have that same feel- same yarn size, same weave, same thread count and so forth. Like the originals it has a DWR (durable water repellent) treatment. The buttons, pull cords and waist band are copied from originals.

The lining is now the heaviest polar fleece available- 400 grams per meter which is equal in weight to the Reizwolle used in originals. This is almost twice the weight as what was used on our previous uniforms. The WWII garments used an extremely variable blend of recycled wool, rayon and cotton which could only be reproduced in a high quantity which would raise the price substantially. The fleece weighs and feels the same and has equivalent or superior thermal qualities. The only way to tell would be to cut one of our garments open and compare or test the lining.

The garment patterns were made directly from my original examples. These are a roomy, loose fitting jacket made large enough to wear multiple layers underneath. The hood is large enough to wear over a cap or helmet.

Color: For decades collectors have referred to the color of these uniforms as "mouse gray" but on originals it's so variable with many examples being more fieldgray or a shade of green that newer references now prefer the term "monotone". Our color came from an original mitten and the inside of a parka pocket.
Original Heer gray Winter uniforms compared to ATFATF Heer gray uniform shown
on an overcast day
In bright sunlight it appears cement gray, but when the sky is overcast or in certain types of indoor lighting it shifts to a gray-green. My three originals here are all notably different from one another and our reproduction color falls squarely in the middle of them all, being closest to the hood in the center.

Water Repellent: The shell fabric used on all the reversible Winter garments has been treated with Teflon water repellent. This allows the fabric to shed freezing rain and drizzle quite well, as well as making it resistant to staining. The coating is not visible, but it does make the fabric feel slightly softer.

Washing: The best advice here is DON'T. For years I had thought the reason that originals that had been washed looked so frumpy was that the woolen lining had shrunken oddly. Turns out it's that plus the fact that this rayon is extremely prone to shrinking.

Imported
Making these here would double the price and we'd still have to import all the materials.