Chenille beach jacket
Date1940s
Object number00028093
NameJacket
MediumCotton
DimensionsOverall: 970 x 660 x 30 mm, 0.6 kg
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis white chenille women's beach jacket features a decorative yellow border, of yachts and seagulls, along the hem. Styled with wide shoulders and short capped sleeves, the jacket has a plunging 'v' neckline that ties at the waist and a flared skirt with a single front pocket.
The ribbed chenille fabric runs in opposite directions above and below the waistline and a manufacturer's label inside the neck reads `Authentically Styled in Hollywood' `Washable No Ironing' `Pacific Chenille Craft Co. Sydney + Goulburn + Newcastle Australia'.
HistoryThe fashion for wearing silk kimonos, beach pyjamas and beach coats was first established in America and Europe in the 1920s. In Australia the beach coat was worn by women as a fashionable accessory up until the 1960s. Often manufactured and sold as a set to match the latest swimsuits and swimming caps, beach jackets were an essential part of the beach or pool wardrobe.SignificanceThis beach jacket is a rare surviving example of beach fashions made in Australia during the 1940s.
