Hi Michele,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Your coat is a classic collaboration between a legendary British textile innovator and an iconic American outfitter.

Grenfell Cloth was made by Grenfell & Company Ltd., an elite British textile firm founded in 1897 in Burnley, England. The fabric was named after Sir Wilfred Grenfell, an Arctic explorer who tested and endorsed it.
The company became famous for creating a tightly woven, windproof, water-resistant cotton fabric incorporated into outerwear used by mountaineers, polar explorers, military officers and British upper-class sportsmen. Grenfell was not mass-market apparel — it was high-performance cloth decades before “performance wear” existed.

The Abercrombie & Fitch Co., at Madison Ave. at 45th St., in New York City identifies this garment as being made at a time when Abercrombie & Fitch was an elite outfitter for explorers and sportsmen, not a mall brand. During this period, A&F supplied gear to Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway and Charles Lindbergh, as well as for polar expeditions and safaris. A&F commissioned Grenfell cloth for high-end expedition coats and field jackets. It could have been made any time from the 1920s-60s.

Vintage menswear dealers would probably be VERY interested in your coat and you might reach out to a few of them, since this coat would be unlikely to sell for much at auction, likely for less than $500.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

A vintage Abercrombie & Fitch x Grenfell mens trenchcoat
early to mid 20th Century
Size 42
CONDITION: With minor wear commensurate to age and use
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$300-500*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia