From the Archives - Beretta Maremmana Jacket

 

Complex pocketing champ

  
Rare feature - rear down zipper for ease of movement 

Fine details - internal drip strip, tab collar, internal pocketing

Best quality Duca Visconti di Modrone cotton corduroy

Favorite feature - braces for carrying jacket in warmer temps

I'm a huge fan of Italiana Maremmana style ranching or hunting jackets.  Beretta is the only sportswear company I know still producing this style of garment.  Here's a jacket from my collection that is no longer in production (Beretta is only making the jacket in Moleskin). Alongside the Filson Upland Jacket and the Barbour Beaufort, the Beretta Maremanna is a masterpiece of pocketing.  The jacket sports hand warmer pockets, buttoned shell pockets, game pockets and a rear carrying pocket.  It even comes with a rear zip-down pocket on the back which can be opened for ease of movement (when the pockets are full of game and shells, I’m assuming). If you have any photographs or original print ads featuring non Beretta made Maremannas, please let me know. I'd love to add more images of this rare garment to my historical archives.

From the Archives: Maremanna game jacket

In a frightening preview of Barbour in 2015, the John Ashfield brand of Italian hunting clothing has gone from pitching mossy moleskin Maremmana game jackets to pink logo tees, fleece jackets and beachwear. Grant Petersen of Rivendell claims that the first sign of an outdoor company in decline (namely, Filson or Patagonia) is the introduction of a women's wear line. The first sign for me would be the availability of gifts, fragrances and teddy bears on the corporate website.

Though I've deaccessioned John Ashfield as an Archival Clothing brand I'm posting some photos of two Maremmana game jackets from the original Ashfield website.

One hour post-script: perhaps the first sign of decline is repeated references to your product in NYC menswear boutiques ala the reference to the "Filson bags piled in a mound in the corner" in the review of the Steve Alan Annex in today's Critical Shopper column.