Overcoats/Topcoats

[nastyandy]

Curious, is it essential that an overcoat worn over a suit extend past the knee? I am short, just shy of 5'5", and I always feel ridiculous in long coats. I have a cashmere/wool blend coat that comes down to a couple of inches above my knee, and fits well in the shoulder with a suit (something that I have had difficulty finding.) I work in a conservative business and I wonder if this represents some kind of faux-pas? Thanks in advance for any insight or opinions.

 

[nastyandy]

anyone? anyone?

 

[Sator]

 

[AndrewRogers]

Flusser in Clothes and the Man, something from the 1980s, not the 1890s, suggests that an overcoat ought to extend past the knee so as not to leave the wearer looking boxy. For shorter men, he suggests going just past the knee but no further.

 

[JayJay]

I prefer below the knee but have a coat or two that are at or slightly above the knee. When it's very cold, windy, or wet, below the knee provides great protection.

 

[Sator]

Yes, classically length is all about warmth. The longer the coat, the warmer it runs. Shorter coats are therefore for spring and autumn use, so that the wearer can still looked dressed without overheating.

Below knee great coats are more for sporting and military use. It really gives it a utility wear look. That's why Chesterfields, the dressiest of all modern dress overcoats in standard use, is a top coat and is usually around knee length or a tad shorter.