BTW, the clothing item most associated with college freshmen from the 1890s through the 1920s was the freshman beanie cap. A frosh caught without one by upperclassmen was subject to hazing.
Do PETA people get apopletic about people wearing leather coats, shoes, belts, purses etc.? Where do they think those come from? You scrape the fur off a hide and you get leather.
I believe the last year for required beanies at my school was 1966-67. That was also the last year for required ROTC for freshmen men.
A few of them appear to have made it to the 1920s. From Tom P. Morgan’s April 22, 1922 A Wireless Warning
From a raccoon’s perspective, that’s a very disturbing photo. Now I know what happened to Uncle Fred. 
Oh, they still called them flappers in the '20s–in fact, the phrase somehow “stuck” there. But many people think it was invented then, because of the supposed open, flapping galoshes. It goes way further back.
Great photo, Walloon–which one are you?
(I tried doing a search on John Held, Jr., and Harold Teen, but couldn’t find any raccoon-coat images).
I’ve never heard the term “flapper” in reference to flapping galoshes; only ever to young socialite girls.
Yes, PETA people do seem to have a slight problem with leather. They also have problems with fur coats, eating meat, drinking dairy products or anything else that comes from animals. I guess you have never heard of them.
(Semi off-topic)
This seems like a good excuse to link to my favorite MAD Magazine cover. I think Al’s wearing a raccoon suit there in the middle of a Vietnam war protest, holding a banner reading “Beat State!” Perfect example of his “What, me worry?” philosophy.
I’ve certainly heard of PETA, I’m asking why they’re so hung up on furs and they aren’t haranguing people at the supermarket meat counter.
I think mostly because it’s a bit more offensive to wear the animal as some sort of luxury item, rather than using it for food.
Plus, rich people are easy targets.
PETA aside, some of the more specific anti-fur groups, who were not neccesarily anti-meat, or at least knew how to pick their battles, used to leave leather alone on the grounds that it was a byproduct of the meat packing industry. Ie, if you’re going to kill the cow or pig to eat it, you might as well use the hide, too. That reasoning works for your average leather jacket, but not for exotic leathers like iguana.
I have a strong suspicion that some of them were afraid of winding up confronting some big ugly outlaw biker dude in leather.
Hate to tell ya, but most Iguanas harvested in Central and South America are in fact eaten, not just sent up north to be exotic pets for the Yanquis.
Their hides are a by-product, just like beef leather.
OK, I didn’t know that. I’m sure there’s some critter we harvest primarily to use the skin for leather, though we might try to make use of the meat for something so as not to waste it. Come to that, what’s done with the carcasses of ranch minks? Pet food?
Right, the same PETA that is telling children that their mothers murder animals really gives a shit if the animal used for leather was also eaten.
From Buhl-Frye mink furriers:
I associate a felt porkpie hat with the front of the brim cocked with the raccoon coat – not a straw boater. And in that linked photo, all the guys are wearing various kinds of felt hats. The one on the right looks like a derby/bowler/coke hat.
We had beanies when I was a freshman in … 1991. I think I still have my beanie somewhere. Yes, it came complete with upperclass hazing if you didn’t wear it.
Honestly, it’s amazing I’m not even more screwed up than I am.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around mink tires. Must be for a Rolls Royce or something.