The College Kids From The 1920s That Had a Penchant For Fur

A peculiar phenomenon in American fashion emerged with American Ivy League students and young undergraduates donning thick, long raccoon coats. This craze in men's fashion during the 1920s and 30s led to a widespread desire for this luxurious garment. Owning a fur coat became a symbol of status, embraced by bankers, salesmen, and students seeking to enhance their social standing.

If you were an Ivy League undergraduate in the 1920s with a certain image to uphold, you wouldn't have attended the homecoming game without one...

Reportedly, the trend originated from the enthusiasm for Davy Crockett and the fascination of a select group of young white Americans with his tales. It gained more traction when jazz musicians adopted it, and students who sang about the Ivy-league fur craze further popularized it. In 1928, George Olsen contributed to the trend with a recording titled “Doin’ the Raccoon”.

The lyrics went…

College men, knowledge men, Do a dance called raccoon; It’s the craze, nowadays, And it will get you soon. Buy a coat and try it, I’ll bet you’ll be a riot, It’s a wow, learn to do it right now!

Oh, they wear ’em down at Princeton, And they share ’em up at Yale, They eat in them at Harvard, But they sleep in them in jail!

From every college campus comes the cheer: oy-yoy! The season for the raccoon coat is here, my boy!

Following the instant success of the song, The Saturday Evening Post proudly showcased a cover illustration depicting numerous college men sporting raccoon coats (as shown above), frequently paired with boater hats. This iconic image swiftly transformed the coat into a quintessential emblem of the Jazz Age, symbolising the exuberance and spirit of collegiate life.

This photograph was featured in the Michigan Daily in 1930 as part of an article titled, "What they’re Wearing on Campus." The couple, dressed in fur, is depicted on their way to the 1930 homecoming game against Illinois. While it may be challenging to envision such attire being worn at present-day football games, raccoon coats were once a common sight at these events, symbolizing a fashion trend of the time. This period marked a shift towards a more flamboyant and carefree style, breaking away from the traditional attire that had previously dominated university campuses during the Jazz Age.

In one 1935 edition of men's fashion magazine Men’s Wear, they announced:

“The raccoon coat is back in fashion. More were seen at the climax football games in the East this season than at any time in the past ten years. The best style, worn by undergraduates and alumni alike, is very dark in color, has a shawl collar and usually hefty leather buttons”.

University of Illinois football sensation Red Grange (shown above) and radio singer Rudy Vallee set a new fashion standard by donning long raccoon coats with wide collars, which greatly impacted young male jazz fans who embraced the collegiate style, earning the moniker "collegiates" regardless of their actual college attendance.

In 1921, an ad promoted fur coats priced between $325 and $450, which would be valued at approximately $4,000 today, showcasing a time of exceptional wealth and luxury, including within the younger generation.

However, when the Great Depression struck, the fur trend quickly vanished, only to resurface briefly decades later in the 1950s after the war. Legend has it that the revival began at a gathering in a smoke-filled apartment in Greenwich Village. While conversing with her guests, socialite Sue Salzman bemoaned missing out on the opportunity to purchase a beautiful second-hand raccoon coat on a whim, as it had been bought by someone else. A fellow guest overheard the conversation and offered to connect her with his relatives, who coincidentally owned a warehouse brimming with old raccoon coats left over from the Jazz Age craze. To mark this fortunate turn of events, Sue Salzman and her husband decided not only to acquire coats for themselves but also for everyone attending the party.

The Salzmans and their friends received numerous compliments and questions about the coats, which led them to consider starting a business selling the coats.