THE STORY

A killer piece of mid-century American cold-weather sporting wear from Duofold’s Deep Freeze line, made in Mohawk, New York.

Dating approximately to the 1950s–60s, this heavily worn quilted vest has reached the point where decades of actual use have transformed it into something that could never be convincingly reproduced.

Originally a deep red, the exterior has faded through multiple shades of sun-bleached crimson, coral and pink, particularly around the rib-knit collar and high-contact areas. Scattered paint, staining, abrasion and wear remain throughout.

Construction is outstanding: narrow vertical quilted channels run nearly the entire garment, with a rib-knit bomber-style collar, full metal front zipper and four-pocket front.

The horizontal reinforced sections across the upper chest appear consistent with the utilitarian sporting/hunting construction Duofold was producing during the period.

Inside sits the surviving woven:

“Deep Freeze by Duofold — Mohawk, N.Y.”

label.

This is old American outdoor clothing after decades of actually doing what it was built to do.

CURATOR’S NOTES

Do not restore this.

The condition is the piece.

There is a point with old workwear where deterioration stops subtracting from the garment aesthetically and starts documenting its history. This vest crossed that line a long time ago.

The uneven oxidation and fading are particularly good. Look at the collar against the body: dusty pink ribbing against saturated red, then darker areas protected from exposure. Add the paint marks, grime, worn pocket edges and old metal zipper and you’ve essentially got a naturally developed wabi-sabi surface treatment.

Put this next to Kapital, Visvim, Story Mfg., Bode or vintage-inspired Japanese workwear and the lineage becomes obvious.

Except this isn’t someone’s interpretation of American workwear.

This is the source material.

ERA / IDENTIFICATION

Brand: Duofold

Line: Deep Freeze

Location on label: Mohawk, New York

Estimated era: 1950s–1960s

Style: Cold-weather hunting / sporting / outdoor vest

Construction: Channel quilted

Closure: Metal zipper

Color: Heavily faded red / crimson / pink

Country: USA / American manufacture consistent with label and period

Duofold has deep roots in American cold-weather clothing, making the surviving Deep Freeze / Mohawk N.Y. label an important part of this piece.

CONDITION

Heavily distressed vintage condition – see pics for details.

Substantial authentic wear throughout including fading, discoloration, staining, paint marks, abrasion, loose threads and general evidence of prolonged use.

This is being intentionally offered as-found for its aged character.

Please examine photographs carefully. No attempt has been made to represent this as pristine vintage clothing; its wear is precisely what makes the piece visually compelling.

MEASUREMENTS

Pit to pit: ___

Length: ___

Shoulders: ___

Hem: ___

Please purchase according to measurements.

WHY WE BOUGHT IT

Because you can’t manufacture 70 years of wear.

The incredible tonal fade, channel quilting, old Duofold label and utilitarian construction put this directly into the lane of vintage pieces increasingly hunted by Japanese Americana and archival-workwear collectors.

It has that rare quality where you don’t need to know what it is to know that it’s old.

JEANIUS SUPPLY CO.

Jeanius Supply Co. specializes in vintage denim, workwear and American clothing where age has become part of the design — fades, repairs, wear and construction that cannot be duplicated by modern distressing.

This one belongs in that archive.

SEO: vintage Duofold vest, Deep Freeze Duofold, 1950s hunting vest, 1960s hunting vest, vintage quilted vest, distressed workwear, faded red workwear, vintage hunting clothing, Mohawk NY Duofold, vintage sporting vest, Japanese Americana, wabi sabi clothing, distressed hunting vest, mid century workwear, archival workwear.