Chevrons and Diamonds

1950s CINCLANTFLT Navy Uniform

VetCollector
3–4 minutes
Creamy white wool flannel, adorned entirely with chain stitched lettering, numeral and soutache, this uniform was perhaps the most expensive wartime set from the 1940s (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

The Navy’s baseball history dating back to the turn of the 19th Century is rich with many stars from the game playing for the Navy before, during (wartime), and after their professional careers. After World War II, the big names of the game were less likely to be seen donning Navy flannels save for the occasional major leaguer serving their minimum selective service obligation. During the 1950s, one of the more notable players to be inducted into the Navy was Dodgers ace, Johnny Podres after his brilliant 1955 World Championship season. Podres was assigned to the Bainbridge, Maryland Naval Training Center where he also played briefly for the “Commodores.”

New York, March 19 1956: Johnny Podres, Brooklyn Dodger pitcher, raises right hand with other inductees at Navy recruiting station here today as he is sworn into the Navy, to which he was assigned by Selective Service. The oath was administered by Lt. (jg) Allen P. Dean, USNR, at left. At right is Barry Dubin, 19, of The Bronx. Podres, 23, was to go to Bainbridge, Maryland, Naval center for basic training (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

This Navy flannel set was made in the 1950s by New York-based Empire Sporting Goods. The “CINCLANTFLT” chain stitch embroidery indicates the team that wore this was either the fleet champions or an all-star aggregation of star players drawn from the fleet and shore commands subordinate to the commander-in-chief of the Atlantic Fleet.

This “Commander-in-Chief Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT)” flannel set was worn by the fleet champions or an aggregation of all-stars to compete against other fleet champions or all-stars (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

The uniform’s base material is a stark departure from our predominantly wool flannel collection. The manufacturer’s tag describes the fabric as a blend of Orlon (65%) and Rayon (27%), the remaining 8-percent is likely cotton though the frayed tag made it impossible for a definitive determination. Discontinued in 1990 after more than 50 years in use, the Du Pont-made fabric was chemically known as polyacrylonitryl and was problematic due to its low melt-point. Celebrating the material’s demise, Tony Kornheiser wrote (So Long, Orlon, Washington Post, June 13, 1990), “As a fiber, Orlon was somewhere between Qiana and Doubleknit, in the same way that Iowa is somewhere between Pennsylvania and Colorado (Qiana being the scariest of the miracle fabrics, it’s so clingy it’s almost alive). Orlon was slippery, although not as slippery as Teflon.”

Unlike wool-flannel uniforms, the pinstripes are printed onto the surface of the material. Each armpit features four reinforced vents. The frayed Empire manufacturer’s tag indicates 92% of the synthetic composition while the remaining 8% has been lost due to the tag’s deterioration (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

Uniform Features:

Jersey:

  • Buttons: The buttons are white-colored plastic, concave, four-hole.
  • Material: The base material is white flannel with pinstripes. The synthetic material is a blend of Orlon and Rayon.
  • Soutache: None.
  • Lettering: The “CINCLANTFLT” on the upper right chest is direct-embroidered chain stitching while the rayon “Navy” script is applied with zigzag stitching.
  • Numerals: Rayon “16” zigzag stitched.
  • Sleeves: Four-inch, inset with four armpit vent holes under each arm.
  • Tag: Manufactured by Empire in New York, this set includes a two-color, screen-printed tag.
The rayon lettering and numerals are affixed using a zigzag stitch (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

Trousers:

  • Buttons: single white plastic, concave, four-hole button with a zipper fly.
  • Material: Base material is white flannel with pinstripes. The synthetic material is a blend of Orlon and Rayon.
  • Soutache: None.
  • Tags: Empire tag that matches the jersey tag.
  • Other Features: Reinforced knees.
  • Condition: The trouser legs have multiple repairs.
The trouser are fastened with a single button and zipper fly. The knees are reinforced and show signs of multiple repairs (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

Note: this uniform group is presently a part of the Chevrons and Diamonds Collection.

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