Custom Jacket, Coat & Vest Framing — Built to Your Garment
We build custom deep shadow box frames for jackets, coats, uniforms, and vests at our frame shop in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey — and we ship finished pieces nationwide. Every box is sized, built, and glazed around the specific garment, because no two coats are the same thickness.
Email us photos and rough measurements for a free quote and design consultation: contact@modernmemorydesign.com · 201-421-4060
Garments We Frame
- Military uniforms — Army service coats, dress blues, Marine blouses, Navy jackets, flight and field jackets, with ribbons, rank, unit patches, dog tags, and discharge papers
- Firefighter turnout coats — bunker gear with reflective striping, helmet shields, station patches, and badge; retirements, promotions, and memorial pieces
- Police and EMS uniform jackets — shield, name bar, service stripes, commendations
- Leather biker jackets and club vests — center patch, rockers, pins, and hardware
- Doctor and nurse coats — white coat ceremonies, residency milestones, and retirements, framed with the embroidered name, stethoscope, badge, and diploma
- Varsity and letterman jackets — chenille letters, pins, patches, championship years
- Work and trade jackets — union, railroad, mechanic, chef, and company outerwear
- Sports jerseys and shirts — see our dedicated jersey framing service
- Heirloom garments — christening gowns, baby coats, wedding and family pieces
Deep Shadow Box Frames — Depth Options
Depth is the first decision on every jacket project. The frame has to be deeper than the thickest point of the garment — usually the collar roll or shoulder seam — with clearance so nothing presses against the glazing.
| Garment | Interior depth needed | Frame type |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor's lab coat / nurse scrub jacket | 1" – 1.5" | Ready-made or custom |
| Chef coat / light work jacket | 1.5" – 2" | Ready-made or custom |
| Leather biker vest, back-facing | 1.5" – 2" | Ready-made or custom |
| Army service coat / dress uniform | 2" – 2.5" | Custom build |
| Varsity / letterman jacket | 2.5" – 3" | Custom build |
| Leather motorcycle jacket | 2.5" – 3.5" | Custom build |
| Firefighter turnout coat with liner | 3" – 5"+ | Custom build |
| Any garment on a contoured shoulder form | add 1" – 2" | Custom build |
Our ready-made shadow box frames offer a 1.5" interior depth — ideal for lab coats, flat vests, jerseys, and folded scrub tops. Our Black Shadow Box Deep Profile and Modern White Shadow Box mouldings come in 99 stock sizes from 8x8 to 48x72, in black, white, silver, and gold.
For bulkier garments we build the box deeper in-house, stacking moulding and adding internal spacers to create the exact cavity your coat requires. There is no depth we can't build to.
Typical finished sizes: most jacket boxes land between 24x30 and 36x48. A folded-sleeve vest can come in near 20x24; a full-layout turnout coat often needs 32x40 or larger.
Glazing Options
Textiles are among the most light-sensitive materials there are. UV fades dyes, yellows white cotton, degrades reflective striping, and embrittles wool — permanently. Glazing is the most important protection decision on the whole project.
UV-Filtering Conservation Glass — our standard recommendation
Blocks 99% of UV light. The baseline for any garment you care about, plus any paper keepsakes mounted alongside. If you upgrade one thing, upgrade this.
Museum Glass — the best available
UV protection plus anti-reflective coating. On a large box in a bright room, ordinary glass acts like a mirror. Museum glass is so optically clear that people reach out to touch the garment. The right call for firehouse dayrooms, hospital corridors, lobbies, and sunny living rooms.
UV Acrylic — lightweight and shatter-resistant
About half the weight of glass and it won't shatter. Our default for shipped and mail-in projects, oversized boxes above roughly 32x40, public and high-traffic spaces, and memorial pieces that travel to ceremonies. Dust with a soft dry cloth only.
Not recommended: plain uncoated glass on anything irreplaceable, and non-glare etched glass on deep boxes — the haze increases with distance from the surface, so a jacket sitting 3" back looks soft. Museum glass is the correct anti-reflective choice on a deep shadow box.
Backgrounds, Matting & Frame Finish
- Background: conservation matboard, suede or linen-wrapped board, or fabric — in any color. Chosen to separate the garment from its ground: light coats get darker grounds, dark coats get lighter ones.
- Custom printed backgrounds: department logos, unit crests, hospital marks, engine company numbers, service dates, names, or a photographic backdrop. Our specialty for retirement and department tributes.
- Matting: 8-ply deep-bevel border mats, fabric-wrapped spacer walls, or a double mat with a thin accent reveal pulled from the garment's own colors. We recommend 2"–4" of visible border on all sides.
- Frame finish: satin black (most popular), espresso and walnut for dress uniforms, natural maple for field and varsity jackets, white for medical and nursery pieces, silver for police and EMS, gold for formal commissioning and heirloom garments. Face widths of 1.5"–3" keep large boxes proportional.
Archival Mounting
Every garment is mounted with reversible, archival methods — hand-stitched with fine thread through existing seams, supported with padded internal forms, and pinned or bracketed for dimensional items. Nothing is glued, taped, or cut. All contact materials are acid-free. The jacket can be removed unaltered at any time.
Hanging Hardware Included
A finished jacket shadow box is not a picture frame. A 30x40 deep box with glass and a leather jacket inside can weigh 25–45 pounds; a large turnout coat box can exceed 50. We fit heavy-duty D-rings into structural frame members with rated wire, or a French cleat on anything over roughly 25 pounds — which spreads the load, sits the box flush, and is the most secure option available.
Mount into studs wherever possible. In drywall without a stud, use rated toggle bolts — never plastic anchors or standard picture hooks. Hang at 57–60 inches from floor to frame center, away from direct sun and heat. Add security hardware for firehouses, schools, and public buildings.
We also offer professional picture hanging service across NJ, NYC, and CT.
How It Works
- Email us photos of the jacket, rough measurements, and a list of any medals, patches, or keepsakes to include — plus your deadline and where it will hang.
- We send a design direction and quote covering size, depth, background, matting, frame finish, and glazing.
- Bring it in or ship it to us. We'll walk mail-in customers through safe packing.
- We build it — typically one to three weeks depending on custom depth, printed backgrounds, and glazing.
- Pick up, local delivery and installation, or crated nationwide shipping.
What Affects the Price
Finished size, the depth we need to build, background and matting selection, glazing choice, and how many individual keepsakes require separate mounting. A compact lab coat or vest box sits at the lower end; a full-layout turnout coat with museum glass and a custom printed background sits at the higher end. Email us for a real number — we quote from photos and measurements, or on the spot if you stop in.
Group, Department & Corporate Projects
We handle multi-piece orders for fire departments, police departments, hospitals and health systems, military units, veterans organizations, schools, and companies — matched frames, consistent backgrounds with your logo or crest, and coordinated delivery for ceremony dates. See our wholesale and contract framing program.
Read the Full Guide
Our detailed walkthrough covers every decision in depth: How to Frame a Jacket in a Shadow Box. Also see How to Frame a Work Apron in a Shadow Box.
Request a Quote
Modern Memory Design — Custom Frame Shop
- Email: contact@modernmemorydesign.com — send photos and measurements for a free quote
- Phone: 201-421-4060
- Studio: 213 Boulevard, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
- Hours: Tuesday–Friday 11:00 AM–6:00 PM · Saturday 10:00 AM–2:00 PM · Closed Sunday & Monday
- Service area: Bergen County, all of New Jersey, New York City, Connecticut, and nationwide by mail-in
Explore: Shadow Box Frames · Custom Framing Services · Our Work · Custom Matting