Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
In today's video, we discuss the differences between the terms overcoat, topcoat, body
coat, trench coat, and all other outerwear coats that you wear when it's cold outside.
First up, let's discuss the overcoat.
What I'm wearing here right now is an overcoat.
Traditionally, that means it was a fabric that was heavier than 30 ounces per yard so
it was really quite heavy and the goal was to keep you warm during cold winters.
It was worn over a suit or a jacket, and it also was supposed to block the cold wind.
Therefore, it was always so long that at least covered your knees and sometimes would go
all the way down to the ankles.
Now today, you hardly see overcoats that reach the ankle anymore because it is quite a special
look/ Personally, I like for my overcoat to touch the back of my calfs because it's a
good balance between warmth and looks.
The first overcoat as we know it today was probably the Chesterfield.
It was invented sometime around the 19th century, and today, they're very popular, mostly as
single breasted with a velvet collar.
To learn more, please check out our Chesterfield guide here.
That being said, I prefer double breasted overcoats because it's a double layer of fabric
that keeps me warm than just single breasted and also looks better because it's more symmetrical,
in my opinion.
In terms of styling features, there's really nothing you can't do.
Patch pockets go well with a more casual fabric like the one I'm wearing here, right now.
On the other hand, if you have a navy blue cashmere overcoat, probably flap pockets are
better.
When you have double-breasted, go with peak lapels, with single-breasted, you got to have
notched lapels or peak lapels depending on what style you're going for.
Unlike regular suit jackets, overcoats have something called the Ulster collar, and you
can see it here on the trench coat.
That means, it's like a notched lapel, but they go out very far.
Same thing I'm wearing here right now, it's like a notched lapel but the collar comes
out as far, and it's a feature specifically seen in heavy winter overcoats.
To learn more about overcoats in general and the different styles, please check out our
overcoat guide on the website here.
Next up are body coats.
As the name implies, it's a coat but it's actually not an overcoat.
Instead, it is either a tailcoat, a morning coat, or a frock coat.It has the name body
because it's tailored so it sits very closely to your body, and it's a garment that is very
formal in any case and therefore, you hardly see it anymore today.
The best place to see morning coats is the Royal Ascot horse race in England or if you
want to see a tailcoat, you have to go to a white tie ball, and frock coats are even
older and mostly not worn by people anymore unless they want to reenact the good old times.
We'll discuss the morning coat, the tailcoat, and the frock coat in more details in another
video.
Next up is the great coat which is a heavy overcoat with a military heritage.
Greatcoats include a British warm which is what I'm wearing here right now.
Such as an Ulster or widely cut, double-breasted overcoats with a distinct v button silhouette.
They're usually cut without any waist suppression meaning, they're very loosely fitting, they're
heavy, and they're draping well.
The whole idea was to create a garment that looked impressive and kept the men in the
military protected at all times.
Greatcoats are always double breasted because the military had this double breasted shape
which is supposed to be more powerful and more impressive.
You can also find epaulettes or other military hallmarks such as throat latches.
For example, this overcoat here has the epaulettes which is part of the military heritage.
If you like history, and you want an overcoat that keeps you warm, I can really recommend
a British warm or another kind of greatcoat with a heavy fabric because they will last
you for the years to come and always looks good and different from what other people
are wearing.
So next up, is the topcoat.
Technically, a topcoat used to be a lightweight over garment that was made of fabric that
was 18 ounces or about 500 grams or less.
Now back in the day, that was a lightweight, outerwear fabric.
Today, it's actually a heavy outerwear fabric.
Topcoats are typically only trench coats such as the one you can see here which is made
of cotton gabardine.
To learn more about the trench coat, please check out our in-depth guide with a video
here.
The idea of distinction was to have something that was really heavy for winters and something
that was more lightweight for in between seasons in fall and spring.
You should definitely have at least one topcoat and one overcoat in your wardrobe because
they're just meant for different seasons, they have different weights, and they feel
very different as well.
Wearing an overcoat in October when it's not really cold et will make you very uncomfortable
and sweat all the time.
On the other hand, a trench coat is perfect because it protects you, it keeps you warm,
but you're not going to overheat.
If you want to learn more about topcoats, overcoats, and greatcoats, please check out
our guide here.
If you want to learn how to tie scarves that go with the overcoats and topcoats, please
check out our scarf guide and if you're interested in gloves, look at our glove guide.
All the accessories can also be bought in our shop.