SS Tunic?

[Sonderkommando]

You are correct, and I don't believe it was a customs tunic. I am curious why the collar tab imprint on the collar is the elongated army officer's type, and not the SS profile.

The imprint looks too long for SS, unless it is just the photo (or my eyes).

s/f Robert

It's pointless speculating as to what the collar tabs were on the tunic collar as the collar is not from that tunic originally. It's impossible to make a "stand and fall" collar from an open neck tunic collar.
That collar has been taken from another tunic, probably army, and added to the modified original open neck SS tunic.
Tunics were constantly re-purposed, re-issued, re-worked, and good examples of that is the waffenrocks being re-worked towards the end of the war.

To me it looks like an honest, of the period, modification and I would accept it as SS in this configuration.

If you look at the picture below, you can see it happened frequently. (Imagine trying to sell the tunic below these days as SS)

[RobertE]

The fact it has a standing collar added does not mean it is a salvage piece, especially in the case of a nice officers blouse. Collars were routinely produced by tailors as required, and brand new collars were stocked.

The collar has about the correct amount of wear for the tunic body. Your suggestion the collar was stripped of its army tabs and stuck on this nice quality tunic is possible, but seems like an extreme to me when new, unblemished collars were plentiful.

S/f Robert

[inimicus]

first thing that struck me, too, was the collar. on the hanger at least it's a poor 'lay' and I think in wear it looked odd, and to the officer felt that way too. maybe the collar was over-starched or fitted with especially heavy, stiff (or stiffened) felt? or the conversion was a hurry-up job.

anyhow, tho of course wartime conversions occured, with the unimpressive, maybe unsoldierly look of this I'd wonder if the conversion was pre-45 or decades postwar. granted, of course, nothing but my reptile brain conjured this 'pointless hypothosis.' rest of his rare tunic very impressive!