Holt Renfrew, Kitten's Ear Wool and "Why there?"

Found this gorgeous coat that actually fits but I'm curious about why the fabric label is tacked to the sleeve detail on the outside. I had to use the flash to get the details to show up. The odd label placement is circled in pink in the second picture. Was this label for selling and it should have been snipped off when someone wore it or was it like the kids today wearing brands all over themselves?

The fabric is interesting. I've found Canadian newspaper listings for fabric in the 1920s and 30s that referred to "Kitten's Ear Broadcloth for sale". Another reference was from New-York tribune, October 1, 1916 in the library of congress that has an ad for women's coats with the same fabric reference. The strangest reference I found was metal-smiths discussing how hard it is to find their favourite polishing cloth base - Kitten's Ear Broadcloth. The book said that since it went out of fashion in the 20s and 30s, it had become scarce even in the NY garment district. That makes sense because we use wool for the last phase of silver polishing.

The name looks like it went out of use late 30s? when all the metallurgy people were going to great lengths to buy bolts of the fabric because they couldn't find it at their regular haunts. They finally convinced someone in Pittsburgh to make them bolts of it. All this and more was from searching "Kitten's Ear Broadcloth"

Soooo did Kitten's Ear Wool actually disappear or did it just get a name change, take a break or maybe it wasn't imported here for a time period? The Holt Renfrew label seems to be from the 1950s.
The Du-Val label search brings up beaded purses from the mid century and one jacket :-(
By the way, after such a big whoop about the fabric, it feels like a cross between cashmere and fleece...

Thanks for any info, opinions or suggestions! Sorry for the giant post, I'm a bit over the moon about this coat, lol!

 

Looks like you have a new old stock coat from the 50s. Nice find.

The label on the cuff is not unusual for a new coat or suit on men's wear. It's interesting to see it was also done on women's clothing. The buyer would remove before wearing.

Most fibre content labels I have seen from the 50s would say if there was cashmere content; so perhaps Kitten's Ear Wool has to do with the type of finish.

Look forward to what others think.

 

Thanks! It was from the same auction as that 50s blue vest coat.

There's no cashmere at all, the Kitten's Ear Wool label looks like the same logo or typeface from those old newspapers. I only mentioned the cashmere as it feel like cashmere if you run your hand down it but go the other direction and it feels slick like fleece.

Thanks so much! Fingers crossed that someone has come across that label before, such a strange history so far. I'm guessing the lack of availability stateside must have coincided with the war and by the time my coat appeared, it wasn't a big enough deal to mention it in the ads anymore.