Bench Warmers
The best stadium coats for fall 1965 are inspired by the bench warmers worn by football players. Those for men and boys—made of heavy-duty wool melton—are very close to the real thing. Those designed for women come brightly plaided or boldly striped and in such nonathletic materials as dyed rabbit, but the general idea is preserved. They are roomy enough to jump up and down in, and they have hoods to defend the wearer against the contrary elements of the football season. The coats also are moderately priced—most selling for $16 to $40—a fact that is likely to make them the best-selling outerwear since the historic duffle of the 1950s, which was inspired by the World War 11 Navy watch coat. The bench warmers worn here by young spectators are photographed against giant projected images of moments from football seasons past. It should be noted that there is no law against wearing a bench warmer on a walk in the woods, in an open car or back to school.
Flanked by a trio of larger-than-lifesize Detroit Lions, Kathy Lipson wears a bench warmer patterned with a plaid like a lumberjack's. Details of prices and where-to-buy information are given on page 39.
The looming image of Quarterback Bart Starr and a panoply of Green Bay teammates frame four fans in bench warmers. The girls' bench warmers are both in plaid—one a reversible hooded wool cape, the other of printed rabbit fur. Both boys are wearing versions made of melton cloth.
Against the bright panorama of a game between the Packers and the Bears, David Farrar and Sharon Queeney are hooded to ward off the night chill. Sharon's bench warmer is actually a three-piece outfit, a navy melton suit with a golden stripe for emphasis and a hooded golden wool-jersey blouse.
WHERE TO BUY
The lumberjack-plaid wool bench warmer worn by Kathy Lipson facing page 34 is by La Sport. It has a quilted lining, a detachable hood and is $40 at Bamberger's, Newark; Filene's, Boston; Joseph Home, Pittsburgh. On the next two color pages, from left to right: Kathy Lipson wears a wool cape that reverses from plaid to all black. It is $35 at B. Altman, New York; Macy's, San Franciso. The melton bench warmer worn by David Busch has a plaid lining. It is by Woolrich and costs $40 at Filene's, Boston; Milton's Clothing Cupboard, Dallas. The plaid-printed rabbit-fur bench warmer worn by Sharon Queeney is by Barlan. It has a detachable hood and is $290 at Abercrombie & Fitch, New York. The melton bench warmer worn by Ashley Bell is by Peters Sportswear. It is $16 at Hughes-Hatcher Suffrin, Detroit; Emery, Bird & Thayer, Kansas City, Mo. On color page opposite, David Farrar wears a bench warmer by Great Western with an acrylic-pile lining. It is $40 at Baskin's, Chicago; Wallach's, New York. Robert Sloan made Sharon Queeney's navy melton suit with golden team stripes and a wool-jersey blouse. The suit is $80, the blouse $25 at Bergdorf Goodman, New York. All the girls' stockings are made by Bonnie Doone.
THREE PHOTOS
JOHN G. ZIMMERMAN