Rare Size 1940s Black Wool Princess Coat | 42″ Bust L/XL | Scruggs Vandervoort Barney | New Look Silhouette

I originally hesitated to list this at a premium price because of the cosmetic flaws, but then I looked at the measurements again. If you wear vintage, you know the struggle: finding a late 40s princess coat that fits a modern Large or XL is the holy grail.

This coat was built to impress during one of fashion’s most transformative moments. Created in the late 1940s—the dawn of Christian Dior’s revolutionary “New Look” era—this piece embodies the post-war return to feminine opulence after years of wartime fabric rationing and utilitarian dressing. The princess coat silhouette, with its fitted bodice and flared skirt cut in one continuous line without a waist seam, was the civilian woman’s answer to Dior’s haute couture. It features the sharp, architectural tailoring that defined the late 1940s, with built-in shoulder pads that create that coveted hourglass illusion—a deliberate rejection of the boxy, masculine styles women had worn throughout WWII.

The fabric is a dense, high-quality Forstmann Virgin Wool in a deep matte black. Forstmann, a prestigious American textile mill operating from the 1890s through the mid-20th century, was renowned for producing some of the finest woolens in the United States. Their fabrics were synonymous with luxury and durability, frequently featured in high-end department store offerings.

The Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney Legacy

This coat was originally sold at Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney, an institution that defined St. Louis retail elegance for over a century. Founded in 1850 by Matthew Van Buren Lindsay McClelland and Richard Scruggs as a modest dry goods store on North Fourth Street, the establishment began as “McClelland, Scruggs & Co.” In those early days, St. Louis was America’s western frontier gateway—a booming river city where merchants outfitted pioneers heading to California and supplied the expanding nation with textiles, notions, and household goods.

As St. Louis evolved from frontier outpost to cosmopolitan metropolis, so too did the store. Through strategic partnerships and name changes—adding Vandervoort and later Barney to the masthead—the business transformed from a dry goods operation into one of the Midwest’s most prestigious full-line department stores. By the 1940s, “SVB” (as locals affectionately called it) stood as a pillar of St. Louis society, rivaling Famous-Barr as the city’s premier fashion destination. The store occupied a commanding presence in downtown St. Louis, its displays and fashion shows setting the tone for what the city’s most discerning women would wear.

St. Louis Fashion in the Post-War Era

In the late 1940s, St. Louis was experiencing its own renaissance. The city had emerged from World War II as a major manufacturing and cultural center, home to thriving industries, bustling Union Station, and a sophisticated urban population eager to shake off the austerity of wartime. While New York and Paris dictated fashion trends, St. Louis department stores like Scruggs-Vandervoort-Barney served as the crucial interpreters and distributors of these styles to America’s heartland.

The late 1940s marked a golden age for department store fashion. Women who had spent years in practical suits and simplified silhouettes—conserving fabric for the war effort—were ready to embrace glamour again. SVB’s buyers made regular pilgrimages to New York showrooms and carefully curated collections that brought high fashion within reach of St. Louis’s upper-middle and upper classes. A woman shopping at SVB in 1948 or 1949 would have encountered not just ready-to-wear coats like this one, but also personal shoppers, elegant tea rooms, and an atmosphere that made purchasing clothing feel like a special occasion.

This coat represents that moment perfectly: American-made Forstmann wool, expertly tailored in the dramatic New Look silhouette, sold through St. Louis’s most refined retail establishment. It was designed for a woman who attended Symphony performances at the Fox Theatre, lunched at the Chase Park Plaza, and expected her winter coat to make a statement while keeping her warm through brutal Midwest winters. The princess cut allowed for ease of movement while maintaining an impeccably feminine line—perfect for entering a downtown restaurant, attending church, or stepping out of a streetcar with grace.

The Condition: Authentic & As-Found

I am offering this piece exactly as found from a long-term collection. It is fully wearable and structurally sound, but it has lived a life.

• The Wool: Upon close inspection, there are scattered moth grazes and small pinholes (visible in bright light/close-ups). Because the wool is black and lined in black, these are not immediately obvious from a distance, but they are present.
• The Lining: The rayon lining shows historical hand-mending under the arms and some seam separation near the hips. It tells the story of a woman who loved this coat enough to keep it going—a testament to the make-do-and-mend ethos that lingered from the war years.
• The Hem: The hem is coming undone in areas and will need a few stitches (or invisible mending tape).
• Missing Belt: The original belt is gone, leaving only the thread traces of where the loops used to be.

Despite these flaws, this is a magnificent garment—a wearable piece of American fashion history from an era when clothing was constructed to last generations. It carries the provenance of a legendary retailer that closed its doors in 1967, making pieces like this increasingly rare. It has been freeze-treated for storage safety. Whether you wear it as a “Rockabilly Noir” piece, use it for period-accurate costume design, or undertake the restoration yourself, this is a rare opportunity to own a “Volup” sized piece of 1940s history. The combination of its size, provenance, and iconic New Look silhouette makes this coat genuinely exceptional.

Measurements (Doubled):

• Bust: 42″
• Waist: 39″
• Hips: 48″
• Shoulders: 17″ (approx)
• Length: 43″
• Sweep: 67″
• Modern Size Estimate: Modern Large to XL (Vintage size 16/18)