Put This On

Real People: The Well-Tailored Overcoat

There are few things better in the colder months than a well-tailored overcoat. The one above, worn by Gustaf in Stockholm, was made for him by the Florentine tailor Antonio Liverano. It’s a slightly dressier version of what’s known as an Ulster coat – originally an Irish country coat made from heavyweight tweeds. This one keeps the most essential design of an Ulster – that signature collar that looks like what you’d see on a peacoat – but is made dressier through its solid, deep blue fabric and welted pockets. These might seem like small details, but when you imagine this style in its original form (made from a checked tweed and featuring big patch pockets), you can see what a difference they make.

Gustaf’s coat has soft shoulders that slightly extend past his natural shoulder joints, so that he can layer a suit jacket underneath (which he has on in the photo above). The waist is gently nipped to give him some shape, the length comes down to this knees, and perhaps most importantly, the edge of his coat’s opening falls perfectly straight down (notice that it runs almost parallel to the side of his coat). This area can sometimes swing to the left or right – making a diagonal line – partly because of a coat’s front/ back balance. A small detail to check when seeing if an overcoat fits you, but an important one.

Truly a beautiful garment, and inspiring for these colder months.

In Praise of Long Overcoats

Most overcoats these days come about mid-thigh. That’s partly because most are worn by men who drive on a regular basis, so they need to be long enough to cover a sport coat or suit jacket, but not so long that they’d get in the way as the wearer enters or exits a car. There’s also been a trend for the last ten or fifteen years for shorter and shorter clothes. The hems for tailored jackets and trousers, for example, have slowly crept up over the years, and along with them, the hems of overcoats. 

There are few things better than a long overcoat, however. Something that comes down to your knees – possibly even longer – can add a sense of drama to whatever else you’re wearing. With a suit, a long overcoat can feel commanding and authoritative. With a chunky sweater and some jeans, they can add a touch of sophistication to an otherwise casual ensemble. The best part comes when you move. When the hem of an overcoat hangs around your knees, it can sway in a really beautiful way as you walk. 

There aren’t that many places that sell long overcoats, unfortunately. Ben Silver, O'Connell’s, Cordings, Brooks Brothers, and Ralph Lauren have them in fairly traditional designs, while Chimala, Eidos, and Camoshita have them in slightly more fashion-forward styles. For more bang-for-your-buck, try eBay or your local thrift store. Since overcoats tend to be durably built and classically styled, they’re the kind of thing you can easily buy second-hand for not too much money and still wear today.

When choosing one, pay attention to fit, but don’t be afraid to play around a bit with proportions. A long overcoat with soft shoulders, worn slightly oversized, can make for a great statement piece. Pair one with a scarf for a rakish look. 

(Photos via The Sartorialist, Voxsartoria, Tommy Ton, Milstil, and StyleForum user Lefty)

Q & Answer: Overcoat Sizing

Aaron writes to ask: When it comes to sizing, do overcoat sizes match suit sizing, or do you buy commensurately larger to allow for jackets underneath? What is the way to find the right fit/cut with an overcoat?

The label size of an overcoat should correspond to the size of your chest, just like a suit coat would. So if you have a 42 inch chest, you wear a size 42 jacket and a size 42 overcoat. Generally speaking, the chest of an overcoat will measure about four inches more than its tagged size - so a size 42 will be about 46", giving you room for your suit or sport coat underneath.

That said, fit is a matter of personal preference. You may want a slightly tighter fit for a coat which is to be worn mostly over sweaters, or a slightly roomier fit if you’ll be wearing it over suits. Sizing off the rack for overcoats is typically on the generous side.

Similarly, as you can see in the illustration above, some coats are cut to hang more or less straight down, others have suppressed waists for a more hourglass-shaped figure. The latter can look a little sharper, but the former can be more comfortable and forgiving.

The upshot? If you’re particular about the fit of your overcoat, you’ll want to try it on in person. Tailoring is an option, but if you go that direction, be sure to bring a few of the sorts of garments you’d like to wear underneath so your tailor can judge effectively.

Scoring a Winter Overcoat

After my post Monday, a few readers emailed to ask where they might be able to score a nice overcoat this winter. The places that sell such things are typically the same places that sell other kinds of tailored clothing (suits, sport coats, and the like). Often called “dress coats,” these garments different from other kinds coats in that they’re a bit dressier. 

Go Retail: We have a two-part guide on where you can look for suits, if you don’t already have a favorite spot, and many of those places will carry overcoats. Just remember that many of the bigger companies will hold sales. With holiday seasons around the corner, right now is a good time to figure out which styles fit you best, and then plan for a purchase in a month or two.

Go Vintage: Even on sale, however, a good overcoat is likely to run you $500 or more. To get something more affordable – or to get more bang-for-your-buck – we recommend what we always recommend: trawl eBay and your local thrift stores. The great thing about overcoats is that they tend to hold up very well, as they’re usually durably constructed and classic in style. You can get a great vintage piece for pennies on the dollar. 

The navy Guard’s coat above, for example, was made by Polo Ralph Lauren for Wilkes Bashford. I bought it for $75 from a thrift store in San Francisco (thanks to a tip from Jesse), and then threw in about $50 for alterations (the sleeves needed to be shorted and hem taken up). All in all, $125 for a great winter coat that probably retailed somewhere in the thousands. Jesse picked up something similar for even cheaper ($55).

Jesse wrote a great guide on thrifting, should you want to search around in your area. If you find something with moth holes, think about whether or not it’s something you can take to a re-weaver. Also, if you plan on wearing a sport coat or suit jacket underneath, bring those things with you when you go hunt. An overcoat can feel too big when you slip it on over a sweater and shirt, but fit perfectly when you have it layered over another jacket. 

Four Favorite Overcoats

A classic men’s overcoat is arguably the king of men’s outerwear. Heavy and warm, they convey a certain kind of confidence and authority – making you feel as good as you look. There are dozens of styles, but if I had to pick four, these would be my favorites:

• Polo Coat: The most quintessentially American of all men’s overcoats, the polo is defined by its double breasted front, half-belted back, Ulster or peak collar, patch pockets, and perhaps most importantly, it’s camel tan color. Like with many American classics, it’s slightly less formal than its European counterparts. I think it looks best with a sport coat and grey flannel trousers, but you could also wear it with a chunky sweater and some jeans. 
• Ulster Coat: The Ulster is a close cousin of the polo, but it’s much more rustic in nature. This design is defined by its patch pockets, signature collar style (known as the Ulster, where the notch goes horizontal or, at times, even slopes down), half belted back, and heavy tweed shell. That tweed fabric is what makes this go perfect with other rustic things, such as cavalry tweed trousers and pebble-grained boots. Unfortunately, these are hard to find new and off-the-rack nowadays, but you can try scouring your local thrift store. 
• Guard’s Coat: As one of the more formal overcoats, this is what you want to wear over business suits. Unlike the other options above, a Guard’s coat needs to have peak lapels and welted pockets, since these are the details that help it look a little more dressy. The classic color is also navy. If you like the look, but don’t wear suits often, try something like what Patrick Grant is wearing above. With a different collar, a long, double-breasted overcoat can suddenly transform into something more casual. Something like this won’t be a true Guard’s coat, but it can be more useful for certain wardrobes. 
• Single Breasted Topcoat: I find double-breasted coats look better buttoned, while single-breasted coats look better worn open. Like Mark and Alan from The Armoury above, you can wear a single-breasted topcoat over a suit or sport coat, but – if the design of the coat is right – you can also pair it with jeans and a sweater. It’s not a classic look, but the contrast of a dressy overcoat with more casual items can also look very chic and sophisticated. If you plan on wearing your coat more casually, consider getting something that buttons higher on the chest and has slim lapels, so you can wear it with the collar up. 

(Photos via Ethan Newton, The Armoury, Voxsartoria, Anderson & Sheppard, Michael Alden, and me)

A Coat for the Meanest of Winters

Again, I’m not much of a reblogger, but it’s hard to not reblog a photo of such a wonderful garment. This is what’s known as a “Guards coat,” which is a style of overcoat that takes its name from what English Officers of the Guard used to wear. It’s a “city” coat, which means it’s slightly orientated towards business, rather than leisure. Back in the day, men of a certain class used to have their wardrobes cleaved in half - so there was one part of their wardrobe meant to be worn in the city, and another to be worn in the country. This was meant for the first. 

A traditional Guards coat is made with peak lapels, a double breasted 6x3 button front, welted pockets, and a half belt at the back. You can see versions of it here on Prince Charles and King George VI.

Vox’s coat was made for him by Steed, a small bespoke tailoring house in England that specializes in the “London drape cut.” That essentially means a soft shoulder and slightly fuller chest and upper back. You can kind of see that effect here, although it’s subtle. The cloth is a heavy, heavy, 36oz dark blue cashmere from The London Lounge’s Cloth Club. That’s basically a heavy enough cashmere to keep you warm in Antarctica. 

(Photo via voxsart)

(Source: voxsart)

A Grand Rehabilitation

I have an old polo coat that I love. It weighs ten tons, is warm as all heck, and I wear it about once a year, when I’m traveling somewhere cold in the winter. It cost me about $30 on eBay (though I think it took another $25 to get it to me), and it was originally made around 1930 for Capper & Capper, a competitor to Brooks Brothers.

Sadly, while the camelhair exterior was holding up strong, the rayon lining was starting to be a bit worse for the wear. As most 80-year-olds do. I thought initially of taking it to my tailor and having him reline it, which probably would have cost a hundred or a hundred fifty dollars, but would have made it good for another fifty or so years of service. That was the plan, for a while.

Then I remembered that I had a closet full of silk scraps - odds and ends from our pocket square fabric that weren’t quite big enough to constitute a full square. I thought of how much I love patched out blue jeans, and wondered if this might be an opportunity for a creative solution.

Above: the result. Rather than replacing the lining, we patched it with fabric leftover from Put This On pocket squares. We were careful to preserve the tags, too - those old tags are one of the best parts of a vintage garment. The result is a very serious and hard-working coat on the exterior, with a beautiful secret inside.

Q and Answer: What Size Overcoat Should I Wear?

William asks: If I wear a 38 regular blazer, what size overcoat should I be looking for?

You should look for your suit and blazer size when buying an overcoat. Manufacturers size with the expectation that you’ll be wearing an overcoat that you’ll be wearing an overcoat over a suit jacket or sport coat. If you wear a size 38 jacket, you’ll want a size 38 overcoat.

If you don’t expect to wear the overcoat on top of another jacket, you may want to consider sizing down one size. And of course you’ll always want to try on or check measurements, as they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. While the vast majority of brands size overcoats by coat size, it’s not universal.

Generally speaking, you’ll want the chest of the overcoat to measure 2" larger than your actual chest size for a snug fit, and 4" or so larger than your actual chest to fit over a suit jacket.

I have to admit I’m jealous of Will from A Suitable Wardrobe’s new overcoat. It’s absolutely stunning.

I live in Los Angeles, with no need for an overcoat unless I’m traveling. I do have two coats - a Chesterfield I bought at Bobby From Boston while attending a winter, black-tie wedding and a gorgeous navy polo coat from Capper & Capper, a celebrated but long-departed Detroit clothier. They spend most of their time, though, in a zipped-up covered clothes rack in my shed, along with my evening clothes and some out-of-season suits and sportcoats.

Will has all his clothes made for him, and this beautiful jacket likely cost him a pretty penny. If you have the budget, I would never begrudge such a thing, but overcoats are the one item of clothing I’d most suggest buying second-hand.

They really hit all the sweet spots for thrift or eBay shopping. They’re prohibitively expensive new - a good overcoat usually has a four-digit price tag. A number of classic styles will always be fashionable - Will’s coat above, for example, could have been made in 1945, 1965 or 1995 as well as today. Most of all, they’re durable, so it’s entirely possible to find an older coat in good condition.

If you’re a regular thrifter, you’ve probably run across a coat you love already. If you’re not, take a look at eBay. As long as you’re careful of edge wear - ask about it, it’s tough to see in pictures - and moth holes, there’s plenty of good stuff available. Shipping will likely cost you $30 or $40, but there are plenty of deals to be had for as little as $30 or $40. My own coats, both of exceptional quality, and both in exceptional condition, each cost less than $100, all-in.

The covert coat at Men’s Flair