In the days when just about every car driving down the street was a convertible, there were plenty of skirt-wearing women catching a nasty chill as they cruised down the main drag of town, ever-conscious of looking their best. Never fear, however, the fashion industry wasn’t going allow these women to go without some fashionable protection from the elements and they weren’t going to allow them to look frumpy in the process.
The answer was in the car coat – a hip-length fitted jacket that soon became the required attire for fashionable females on the go. Unlike a long coat, which was too cumbersome for the rigors of car travel, these swingback style jackets fit perfectly over a crinoline skirt, protecting the clothing and the women from the cool breezes that they might encounter during a cruise around town with the top down. Granted, they could have just put up the top and rolled up the windows but that would have been decidedly unfashionable and fashion always comes first, even when it is chilly out.
