Burberry Coat Pocket Mystery

[Lafont]

Just got my Burberry beige raincoat through eBay and its pockets are indeed quite a mystery to me. I'm sure many of you know Burberry coats, and hopefully someone can shed some light on this design. In all my almost-60 years I've never come across this kind of feature.
There are the two typical slanted (nearly vertical) exterior pockets, and each can be buttoned. However, when I first wore the coat and put my hand into each pocket I found my hands could go through right to the inside! What's goin' on here? Inside this pocket area, with the classis Burberry nova lining, is a deep pocket such that the outer pocket forms a slot which is partly above the top of the inner pocket and partially inside the inner pocket. Can you follow this. Were I to slip something in the pocket form the outside, such as an envelope, it could either slip right through to the ground or it could land inside the deep inner pocket. But, what the??
Is anyone familiar with this danged thing? The only thing I can think of is the outer pocket is basically for show and style, and one is supposed to place something only by reaching into the inner pocket?
Maybe some of you are very familiar with this sort of pocket; it just doesn't make sense to me. And I must add, in case this really

very, very strange, both pockets are exactly of the same design; there is absolutely no sign of anything torn, missing stitching, etc. And also, in case anyone wonders, I have absolutely no reason to believe this is not a true Burberry coat. Label and all the rest look perfect. But what's with the funky pockets??? This is sort of like the mystery that came with my vintage Kilgour French Stanbury cummerbund, but I've worked out several solutions for that one....

 

[lbcgav]

I'd imagine the purpose of the pockets is to gain access to the pockets of your suit jacket, that is without having to unbutton the raincoat.

 

[ppllzz]

i agree with that, the trench i have also has that design

 

[Biggskip]

Originally Posted by lbcgav

I'd imagine the purpose of the pockets is to gain access to the pockets of your suit jacket, that is without having to unbutton the raincoat.
This is exaclty correct, and comes in handy when I invariably forget to take my keys out of my pant pocket before putting on my trench.

 

[Journeyman]

Yes, this is common.
It allows you access to either your jacket or trouser pockets.
I don't know about your Burberry coat, but my double-breasted Burberry trenchcoat also has two deep pockets on the inside of the trenchcoat, below the side pockets. These are traditionally known as poachers pockets, as they are both hidden, and deep enough to put a pheasant (for example) into...

 

[sonlegoman]

My girlfriend likes these pockets because it gives her access to ... uh, my pockets.

 

[Caomhanach]

Dig a trench in your back yard. Wait for the next heavy rain and throw a few dead pigs into the mud.Have somebody throw firecrackers overhead without warning. Now get in there and try to sleep, eat, brew tea or coffe, roll a cigarette, read a letter. Every feature on a trad Burberry becomes very clear.

 

[LabelKing]

For the two Colt Peacemakers everyone carries.

 

[Pengranger]

Most Burberry trenchcoats don't have a vent in back, so getting to your suit pockets means opening the front buttons. By your comments, I presume you haven't worn it yet - you'll soon see how useful they are!

The big pockets are great! I can get an A4 folder in mine - just be careful not to ruin the line of the coat. My Burberry cashmere overcoat has the same type of pockets.

 

[Lafont]

Great! Yes, when I started this thread I also wrote to the eBay seller, who hadn't mentioned this "little detail." Do the majority of Burberry trenches or single-breasted raincoats have these pass-through pockets? That's a search term I used on the web after starting this thread and I found others had mentioned the open pockets as well.
A few other curious features of my "new" coat: the collar can be made to stay up, as it can be buttoned. Under the collar there is a buttonhole (same size as the one in one side of the collar) and no button on the opposite side to fit into it. Even though there's no sign there was a button (or small support button beneath it) I assume there should be a button there and I should buy it. There is a flap in the back along the hem and it too has a button.
Very clever coat, so far, though I do have to get used to the pockets. According Boyer's "Elegance," book, for example, a true trench can be worn with black tie to jeans, and I don't always expect to wear a sportcoat or suit jacket under it. Guess I have to reach down farther if I really want something secure in that deep inner pocket.
This coat looks like the one on the Burberry website which is a blend and single-breasted - don't know about the pocket details, etc. They're asking something like 450 or 475 pounds, so just under $1,000.
This coat is really very light and the lining is not removable. The seller gave dimensions but also referred to the coat as a "medium." I think of a medium as 38 or 40 and I found a tab in a pocket that says "44R." Is this possibly a British size, or should the British be the same as the American for a man's coat? In any case, the coat appears to fit just like a 40 or so. Why would a 44R Burberry seem like an American 40?

 

[Tcameron]

For a reference point, mine says 40 Long and fit me just fine as I wear a 46 here in America.

 

[rssmsvc]

I have brooks brothers trenches with the same thing. Usually though they have a deep outer pocket but you can reach inside to your suit pocket for things. I rather like it.

 

[Lafont]

As I wrote yesterday, my "new" vintage Burberry raincoat has a tag in a pocket that says "44 REG," yet it seems like a U.S. 38 or 40 Medium. Now I see Burberry on its website refers to a "44" in raincoat size as an "Extra Small." Is it possible Burberry changed its sizing classifications over the years, and that this coat could be, say, 15 or 20 years old and they counted the numbers differently? Other websites I've seen have other comparison UK and US numbers and are different altogether, such as a "44" for a British coat size is like an American "48," I think I've seen. Can anyone shed any light here? Really confusing!!!

This coat is labled 67% polyester/33% cotton for the shell, and a 50/50 blend for the house check lining. Can anyone date the coat in accordance with this particular blend? I'm thinking they may not have been using these percentages for a while.... I know their current website, though, does still feature one blend, anyway. Thanks.