The Tailored Coats Worth Your Money Handpicked by Claire

After all that, an every day coat justifies it’s tailoring through fit rather than embellishment. Check the shoulder first. It should lay tight to your natural shoulder without pulling or gapping. A coat that fights your shoulder will never fit underneath it either. Notice the lapel rolls rather than lays flat when hanging. That soft break is typically construction speaking cue to proper canvassing under the cloth rather than fusging glued in to maintain a shape it won’t hold after a few wears. Cloth weight is important. Wool or wool blend fabric that has a little body to it will maintain a shape all day long that thin, limp fabric just can’t do, and it will hold up on transit, which is half the reason to own one really.

Fit through the body should allow for a jumper to be worn underneath without struggling to button, but you shouldn’t lose your waist entirely either.

Single buttoned at the natural waist or clean DB with real horn or corozo buttons will outwear most plastic hardware or trendy belts that will inevitably become lost first. Length is proportional rather than trendy. Just below the knee works for most bodies and allows for both tailored trousers or a longer skirt to be worn underneath, cropped versions look best above the thigh with a longer leg line to balance out the silhouette.
As far as styling goes, less is more with a coat like this. Throw it open over a simple knit and pair of straight trousers and it does the work of an entire outfit with minimal effort from you.

Slip it over denim and boots to dress down the outfit and make it suitable for an unexpected meeting or a lunch that turned into happy hour. Throw it over a slip dress for evening, as long as it still sits smooth on the shoulder with the extra fabric underneath. Finally, it’s suitable for every day. The working week. Travel. Dates. Really anything that requires you to look polished without trying too hard. Low winter light is kind to this length, it won’t wrinkle as you ride trains and taxis back and forth, and, if chosen well, can actually stand up to years of use rather than worn out after one season.