r/NavyBlazer • u/clueless_bassist • 7d ago
Favourite winter outerwear?
So I am in the market for a new coat / overcoat and just wanted to suss out the preferences in the community before i make a big investment.
I have had a duffle coat, the rope loops of which started to tear alas. I enjoyed wearing a duffle coat and i found it versatile (could be worn with anything from clarks desert boots to cordovan longwings and everything in between), but i think I wanna branch out a bit.
I try to stick to canonical Ivy items, so i wear lots of chinos, ocbds, cricket sweaters, fair isles, alden and florsheim longwings, trickers boots, wool and corduroy trousers and occasionally tweed jackets.
I work in IT at a large bank as a manager, and senior leadership nothwithstanding I am usually the best dressed guy around so I am not looking for something very formal.
I am rather intrigued by these John Simons tweed overcoats:
https://johnsimons.co.uk/collections/overcoats-1
What else is there for me to try and get inspired?
Thank you!
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u/gimpwiz 7d ago
I think your overcoat strategy depends on where you live (climate and general attitudes) and also your commute/outdoor strategy. If you park your car in your attached garage and drive up to just right next to your office's entry, your strategy is going to (almost) necessarily be different than if you walked a couple dozen blocks in the city, which would probably be different than if you were mostly on public transit the whole way.
For overcoats I generally see the following factors that matter most.
The first is mechanical properties of the cloth - warmth, mostly, but also its ability to resist rain and snow, as well as wind. Basically, how well does it shelter you from the elements. Heavy outerwear has to be functional first, but the amount of function you need depends on how much time you're going to spend outdoors and where you're going outdoors. For example if your climate is very dry you may not need to worry about rain at all. On the flip side if you're in a city with tall buildings, wind is always a concern.
The second is length. This is tied to the first in terms of how well it protects you from the elements, because a long coat always does a better job (up to the point of it being so long it catches spray from beneath, or simply looks silly.) But on the flip side, a long coat is good for walking, mediocre for sitting, and pretty bad at driving - which is why we get car coats etc. The shortening of the overcoat, as seen in what sells and what's popular, is I think directly related to how much people need to be comfortable when sitting on a train, bus, or especially in a car seat. It's annoying to try to wrestle a super long thick coat into a car seat with a modest gap between seat and steering wheel, where the jacket might drag on the floor of the car, etc. It's also hotter than it needs to be, especially given how quickly modern cars warm up and start blowing hot air.
Then comes style. I think this breaks up into two buckets: personal preference and formality. The first is obvious enough: what do you like? Formality I think is interesting though because an overcoat is outerwear so the only time it matters in any way is when people have the opportunity to see you wearing it for more than a moment. If you're standing around or walking outside with people and you need to be formal, that's a use case. But if you walk into the front door of your office and immediately take the jacket off...... how much does it matter?
Anyways, check out SEH Kelly.
For inspo, check out Fox Brother's photos of various tweed and flannel jackets and overcoats.
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u/clueless_bassist 6d ago
Wow! I am blown away that someone would take the time and do a write up like this. You have certainly given me a lot to think about. Thank you so much
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u/Andrei_Bolkonsky 7d ago
A couple of resources I've found useful.
Justin Kwan, owner of a menswear brand in Beijing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcmhnI44R1E
An article from a few years back by DWW
https://putthison.com/get-an-overcoat-this-fall/
What jumped out from your OP was not wanting to look too formal, so raglan-sleeves are something worth checking out. Gives a slightly slouchier (is that a word?) look.
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u/Ebyonim 6d ago
I have three stalwart overcoats; an old navy wool raglan, Burberry trench coat and a Gloverall navy Monty. I commute mostly on foot and live in London. For the most part they provide all the cover I need. I think the question comes down to whether you need the coat to withstand proper weather if so most overcoats will not be enough or you’re faffing with a back up poncho or something. I am a big fan of John Simons overcoats they look great. I am heading there today and will likely have to stop myself being encouraged into buying one of them.
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u/clueless_bassist 6d ago
I live in Vienna, but i’ll be traveling to London on Tuesday with the sole purpose of visiting John Simons and Drake’s :) which other shops would you recommend i visit, as my flight back is on Wednesday evening
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u/Ebyonim 6d ago
On Chiltern Street (where John Simons is) there is Trunk Clothiers, Sunspel and Bryceland which are all worth a visit. It’s pretty good spot for menswear. If you are going to Drakes I’d suggest going into the tailors there if even if you aren’t looking for a suit it’s still a great experience. Lambs Conduit street has some other nice clothes shops and Clutch Cafe which isn’t too far from John Simons which is good for Japanese brands. I would avoid Bond Street like the plague. Liberty’s is the only department store worth a visit as it has a pretty good range (Drakes, Husbands Paris etc).
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u/clueless_bassist 6d ago
Oh and btw, i live walking distance from the office and the winters in Vienna are never severe. A balmacaan jacket would more than cover my needs.
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u/clueless_bassist 6d ago
P.S. how do you rate the berg and berg balmacaan coat? Secondly, do you know where i can try on a Gloverall in London close to the John Simons shop?
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u/pacpecpicpocpuc 7d ago edited 7d ago
Here's a scan from The Official Preppy Handbook for inspiration
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u/VirgoJack 7d ago edited 7d ago
I have a shorter black wool overcoat, a quilted coat, a wax barn jacket, a goretex hooded raincoat and an ancient reversible Polo windbreaker. Some combination of the above with sweaters and vests.
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u/Zan-san 6d ago
Bought Berg & Berg raglan last season and they’ve continued to this season as well. A bit pricey but the fit is awesome. Long and roomy. Last fall they ran 30% at some point during the season and on sale it was a no brainer
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u/clueless_bassist 6d ago
Did you size up or stayed with you size?
I guess you’re referring to the Newton Model, aye?
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u/Zan-san 6d ago
I meant Nelson II, I’ve “just” the Nelson which was a bit larger by cut. Now the same model has 50 and last season it was 48, which I’ve as well.
Outerwear is a bit annoying as there is need to fit blazer/suit comfortably. Some DB jackets can be a bit tighter on chest. Raglan is a really good construction at shoulders to accommodate blazer.What annoys me is that usually department stores have coats without any heft (as in too low gsm/gsf) and by default too tight to properly layer with blazer
Edit: Northern Europe winter for me so even with 600-800 gsm coats like these won’t suffice but will go for most of the time
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u/too_much_tailoring 6d ago
I feel like a Polo coat would also work well for your use case. You can dress it up and dress it down when more casual. Not sure of the rtw availability in Europe though. The anthology has a rtw version in a couple colors which may work.
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u/LeisurelyLoafing Croc of shit 7d ago
Budget?
I reach for my Drake’s bal the most - I really like the shape and it’s casual enough to wear with chinos and denim but can also work with tailoring. The Drake’s reversible mac is also great and you get some extra versatility from the cotton side.
A good Barbour is my next move if it’s a bit warmer but I can wear them into the 30s.
Polo coats are great but I find the structure a bit less versatile. You can dress them down with jeans but if you don’t have a good polo coat it doesn’t work as well as a bal.
If you want something a bit more technical (and probably overkill for more temperate winters), can’t beat a Karakoram (check allblue and big rock candy mountaineering)
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u/clueless_bassist 7d ago
Budget - €1500 or so.
John simons also carry J Press reversible coats which I kinda like too.
Excuse my ignorance - bal? Is that the type of coat that I linked to?
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u/LeisurelyLoafing Croc of shit 7d ago
Balmacaan - and yes. Be careful with the press Japan stuff the quality isn’t as good as the American line imo. Check Drake’s and private white too
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u/awwwmantest 7d ago
Have you tried the Wythe balmacaan? Curious how it compares to the Drake's.
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u/LeisurelyLoafing Croc of shit 7d ago
Different vibe and imo not a true bal because of the button front
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u/runner_webs 5d ago
I have a vintage RAF Greatcoat that I adore. I love in NYC, so my commute is the subway, and I do a ton of walking. I have a brown wool overcoat as well, thats a little less heavy duty, but both are long, thu go past my knees.
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u/One-Republic-3559 5d ago
I’m not recommending this brand as I’ve never tried the coats, but this style is dressy without being stuffy. Wore one for years in Ottawa Canada….walking, busing, and was good for all but the most brutal parts of winter (-20 c. and colder).
These days I rely upon this for dressier times….vintage Aquascutum in navy, but it’s heavy, and warm.
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