East German OD Work Jacket

NVA Issue Work Jacket

This olive drab jacket was issued to soldiers of the Nationale Volksarmee (NVA), the army of East Germany, as fatigue and work dress for training, maintenance and daily duty. It is a plain, hard-wearing layer that soldiers were meant to get dirty in. Today it suits anyone who wants a sturdy field or work jacket, as well as collectors and reenactors building out Cold War East German kit.

Features

• Cotton-Blend Twill — The heavy fabric has a diagonal weave that is denser and more abrasion resistant than a plain-weave shirt.
• Olive Drab Color — OD, the muted green-brown used by armies worldwide, keeps the jacket low-key in the field and easy to pair with other surplus.
• Concealed Button Front — A fly placket covers the buttons, so nothing snags on straps or brush and the front lies flat.
• Twin Flapped Chest Pockets — Two chest pockets with full-width flaps keep small items covered and in place.
• Adjustable Button Cuffs — Tabs at each wrist button down to close the sleeve around gloves or bare wrists.
• Pointed Shirt Collar — A standard turn-down collar sits neatly over a T-shirt or under an outer layer.
• Shoulder Eyelets — Small eyelets are set into the shoulders, as found on the issued garment.
• Made In East Germany — Produced in the DDR for the NVA, this is genuine government issue rather than a commercial copy.

Original DDR Specification

Each jacket was made in the German Democratic Republic to the NVA's own pattern for work and fatigue wear. The cut is roomy enough to layer over a shirt or thin sweater. Because the NVA was dissolved after reunification, this is a piece of military clothing from a state that no longer exists, which is a large part of its appeal to collectors.