A good custom overcoat should be warm, fit comfortably, and make you look and feel great. It is so easy to fall into the trap of buying a cheap off the rack overcoat for your custom wardrobe. Yes, the common coat is cheaper, but a real high quality coat will last you for a lifetime, you might even pass it on to your son.
Characteristics of a Quality Overcoat
Fabric: If you plan on wearing your custom overcoat for years to come, make sure you purchase a coat that is made of pure wool and weighs at least 4 pounds. As a whole, thicker coats tend to last longer because the material is more durable. Cashmere coats in your custom wardrobe are absolutely lovely, they are soft, and warm but they will show wear on the cuffs, the collar, and moths love to snack on them. In addition, they also tend to be a little pricey. With the superiority of most wool jacket fabrics these days, they are often just as soft as all but the finest cashmere. You could even opt for a wool and cashmere blend for a nice blend.
Sleeves: Your coat sleeves should always completely cover your suit sleeve as well as your shirt cuff, and even reach a little lower, and this applies for any coat in your custom wardrobe. This is to ensure that you do not get cold on your wrists when you are wearing gloves.
Length: Conventionally, custom overcoats are rather long-reaching clothes, lengthening almost all the way to the ankles. These ankle-length coats are often the coat of choice for experienced gentlemen as they can complement a wide range of body frames, including those of us who are a bit round in the middle. Today, younger men seem to wear their coats knee-length, which is anywhere between the lower part of the knee to slightly above it. This only flatters men with trim builds and who wear the coat closer to the body. It’s an appropriate option if you find yourself getting in and out of your car all day long.
Fit: We all know just how good you look in a tailored suit, well the same rules apply for fit with a custom overcoat, and it should fit! When you buy a high quality overcoat, make sure to wear a shirt and a sports coat or suit jacket when you go in to fit it because the coat has to fit on top of it as you go on about your day. A custom tailored coat should always fit right as your tailor will take accurate measurements.
Style: There really is no right and wrong style, it is completely up to you what you choose. The single-breasted overcoat with notched lapels is a good coat to have as a staple. On the other-hand the double-breasted peak lapel overcoat is a little more formal and it dresses warmer when it is cold because you have two layers of fabric over your chest.
Construction: High-quality coats have a sewn canvas, whereas less expensive overcoats have a glued canvas. A sewn canvas is unquestionably more long-lasting and built to last while an ill glued inner-lining can come free after a few years, ruining the garment. If you can afford it, go with a fully canvassed high quality overcoat that will last you a lifetime.
Types of Overcoats
First, let’s look at the Chesterfield coat. So-called after the Earl of Chesterfield himself, and designed in the mid-19th century. The Chesterfield coat was the precise principal overcoat of its kind and a staple in every man’s custom wardrobe. Over the years, it has been altered inconsequentially and today a Chesterfield features a design with no waist seams or front darts, it is characteristically single-breasted with a fly front, with short, notched lapel a timelessly stylish velvet collar, straight side pockets, no cuffs, and a single back vent with an otherwise plain back. Commonly, this coat is about knee-length and in a grey or charcoal. The Chesterfield coat makes for a great business coat for men.
The Covert coat is rather parallel to the Chesterfield, but it was intended specifically for hunting and the outdoors. Consequently, it had to be custom-made from predominantly tough and well-made fabric known as the covert cloth. It was intended to protect its owner from mud, bus, and of course the harsh weather. As you can imagine, this fabric is very heavy, strong, and long-lasting. The covert coat always comes in a brownish-green color that almost resembles a dark khaki as it does not show dirt as obviously as in a lighter coat. A covert coat also has the following characteristics; a single-breasted design with a fly front, notched lapels it is made of brown-green covert cloth, with a short topcoat that is just a little longer than the jacket beneath a signature four lines of edging at the cuffs and hem, a center vent, with two flap pockets, the collar is constructed either of a covert cloth or velvet poacher’s pocket. The rows of distinct stitching are a trademark of the covert coat.
The guards coat originates from the coat that English officers of the guard used to wear. It is typically a navy blue high quality overcoat. The coat has a partial belt in the back, its rear belt makes it a little fancier and more exclusive and extravagant look, but it is very difficult to find one off the rack.
The name Ulster is consequential of the Irish province of Ulster, where the people commercialized a particular tweed overcoat. A classic Ulster is rather long, roomy, and double-breasted with either 6 or 8 buttons, it is great for cold climate since its Ulster collar makes it easy to shield and shelter the neck from the cold. With a rough country code with patch pockets, cuffs, and contrast stitching. An Ulster is an overcoat for a man who is outside a lot and needs a reliable companion. In my opinion, it is an ideal travel coat for the colder months of the year because it is warm, durable, and has big, patch pockets, so nothing can fall out accidentally. In addition, the Donegal tweed structure hides dirt and stains. Generally, the Ulster overcoat is for the rough man who is not all that much into suits but enjoys rough, high-quality products.
The polo coat is a classic that originally comes from England. During a polo game, the players used to wear a golden-tan wrap-coat to keep them warm before playing. In later years the belt was replaced with buttons, and when they started wearing the coats after the game as well, fans noted it and by the end of the 1920’s the polo coat was one of the most common ivy league overcoats to hit the marketplace. The polo coat is made out of a golden, tan-colored camel hair, the coat features 6 or 8 buttons, stylish patch pockets, and peaked lapels. With its light color, the polo coat undeniably stands out from a crowd.
With all this knowledge on overcoats, we are sure that even your tailor will be pleasantly surprised when you share a little bit of your newly learnt intellect. With this knowledge you can easily shop for a high quality overcoat that will fit you and your lifestyle very well.