Question regarding style of overcoat

[mdumitrescu]

Dear gents,

I am seeking your advice regarding the styling of a winter overcoat I seek to commission.
The fabric is https://apparel.hollandandsherry.co...contemporary-overcoats-navy-large-herringbone , a heavy 850g/m out of lambswool.

Almost everybody here seems to recommend a double breasted and I personally would like the style a lot e.g. https://www.pinterest.de/pin/648588783813955967/

However, my tailor seems to think that this would not be very flattering on my body because I am only 1.74. In his view, the DB Overcoat is flattering for taller people.

However, I like:

1. the style
2. the extra layer of cloth for added warmth in cold winters of Berlin
3. the peak lapels which, imho, look worse on a single breasted.

What would you do in my situation?

Insist on a style/build you like or go with the tailor's advice?

Thank you!

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Everything is more flattering on taller people.

you might consider, too, that the tailor is not skilled enough to pull it off.

there’s a great thread here in DB:

Double Breasted Style.

We've had way too many threads of late that are a bunch of nonsense . I thought it might make sense to start a thread with some substance, namely in the form of pics. Below is a collection of double breasted suit pics that I've collected over the past couple of years. Please free to include...

www.styleforum.net

You’ll see many men of average to shorter stature who are pulling it off. Granted, this is not a suit, but I see no reason why you can’t look good in an overcoat.

 

[breakaway01]

I very much disagree with your tailor.

A classic thread here from someone much shorter than you.

Best bespoke commission ever? I think so. *** PICTURES ADDED FOR THOSE LACKING IMAGINATION

Just to remind everyone, the gold standard for bespoke: I will entertain challenges for the crown, but the lack of pics so far bodes poorly. (Glad it turned out well, Foo.) Doc: why haven't you ordered from Bernard Weatherill yet? They'll be in NY next month, and visit 5x / year.

www.styleforum.net

I guess the question I'd have is, given your tailor's suspect judgment, do you trust him to make a great overcoat?

 

[dieworkwear]

I think a double-breasted overcoat can work for a shorter build. Not sure why it would not.

However, the coat you linked is to a guard's coat, which is a more formal style of an overcoat. I find these are difficult to wear unless you're layering them over a suit. If you want something you can wear more casually, it may be worth choosing a different style. It can still be a DB, if you prefer. A tan-colored polo coat is still a DB, but I think it's easier to wear casually (while still being something you can layer over a tailored jacket)

 

[Nobilis Animus]

The length of the overcoat, along with the cut, will have more to do with how flattering it looks. I'm 5'8", and I often wear a DB overcoat in the winter. The key is to have it also cut closely to the body around the sides and arms, so that it shows off your form rather than swallowing you up in too much cloth.

If your tailor isn't going to be confident/good enough to make one for you though, I'd get it done elsewhere and get a SB from him instead.

 

[Noblekostas]

I am 1.77 and I almost exclusively wear double breasted suits and coats. If you like it do it. Couldn’t find a buttoned pic but whatever

Dear gents,

I am seeking your advice regarding the styling of a winter overcoat I seek to commission.
The fabric is https://apparel.hollandandsherry.co...contemporary-overcoats-navy-large-herringbone , a heavy 850g/m out of lambswool.

Almost everybody here seems to recommend a double breasted and I personally would like the style a lot e.g. https://www.pinterest.de/pin/648588783813955967/

However, my tailor seems to think that this would not be very flattering on my body because I am only 1.74. In his view, the DB Overcoat is flattering for taller people.

However, I like:

1. the style
2. the extra layer of cloth for added warmth in cold winters of Berlin
3. the peak lapels which, imho, look worse on a single breasted.

What would you do in my situation?

Insist on a style/build you like or go with the tailor's advice?

Thank you!

 

[Shetterd]

I am about 1.75 and I have personally found that anything that goes much lower than an inch or so below the knee makes me look short (obviously depends on proportions too), but the style doesn't really make a difference.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

I am about 1.75 and I have personally found that anything that goes much lower than an inch or so below the knee makes me look short (obviously depends on proportions too), but the style doesn't really make a difference.

Around knee length or just below is best for me too. I do have one or two that extend to mid-shin and are warmer for very cold days, but I also don't care too much about extending my already perfect height.

 

[rjc149]

I've never owned anything with peaked lapels, partially because they're slightly ostentatious for non-eveningwear and also because the peaks seem to droop and bend.

Keep in mind the practicality of wearing a longer overcoat. If they go below the knees, they tend to get caught in things, get dirty, drag on the ground, and wear out faster, for really not much added warmth. For instance, you're not hanging it from your chair without half your coat piled on the floor. Not every restaurant keeps their floor spotless or has a coat rack.

And I have to agree with your tailor, a larger coat will make you appear smaller. If you don't care, don't care, but its best if clothing either complements, or balances, your proportions, rather than emphasizes them.

If you want to go DB, might I suggest a peacoat button system? Ie. all three buttons are in line and function, rather than the top one being flared out from the other two and being non-functioning.

I have a bespoke topcoat that looks like this, except it falls just above the knees.

 

[breakaway01]

I've never owned anything with peaked lapels, partially because they're slightly ostentatious for non-eveningwear and also because the peaks seem to droop and bend.

Peak lapels are pretty typical for a DB overcoat. Wouldn't call them ostentatious at all.

 

[rjc149]

Peak lapels are pretty typical for a DB overcoat. Wouldn't call them ostentatious at all.

DB overcoats aren't typical, so I guess it's relative. I consider peaked lapels slightly ostentatious on anything other than a tuxedo jacket. Components of ultra-formal attire on less formal attire is always going to be slightly ostentatious. Doesn't mean it's bad.

 

[breakaway01]

DB overcoats aren't typical

What?

 

[dieworkwear]

A peacoat or a bridge coat is going to be a totally different type of garment from a guard's coat. The first two are distinctly casual, while the third is one of the more formal types of dress coats.

I think we had this discussion in another thread, but I don't think you can slap random details on an outerwear design, like pieces on Mr. Potato Head. An Ulster collar, peak lapel, style of front or pockets, etc. All these will have an impact on the language of a coat.

If someone wants to wear a dress coat over a suit, and they plan to wear it to a formal dress environment, I think they'd be better off with a Guard's coat. If you plan to wear something only with casualwear, then you can do a bridge coat. If want something that straddles these two worlds, you can consider a polo coat (lots of details on a polo coat can also swing it in either direction -- dressier or more casual).

In any case, I don't think double-breasted closures are only for tall people. Before commissioning something like this, I would look to see if the tailor has done such work before. See if you like how those coats look on their intended wearers (ideally people who have a build similar to yours, although that's not always possible). Then think about how you plan to wear this garment. The details will fit into each other like puzzle pieces to create a message.

Here's a discussion we had on overcoat styles. The OP may find it useful.

Second overcoat: navy or camel?

Thinking about getting my second bespoke overcoat made and I'm not sure if it should be navy or camel. I've already decided on the style: single-breasted, mid-thigh, wool, soft shoulder (maybe with a bit of roping), diagonal jetted pocket, peak lapel with belly. I currently have a charcoal...

www.styleforum.net

 

[rjc149]

What?

I rarely see them. Three-button SB topcoats are the norm. When I see a DB coat, it's almost always on some kid wearing something he found in grandpa's closet or a hipster wearing a military surplus coat. YMMV.

 

[breakaway01]

Aha—the ever-reliable availability heuristic to the rescue!
And of course, on top of that we should usually wear the most common style of clothing we see. Because unfamiliar (to you) = not good?