Greatcoats

[Philalethes]

I own several heavy wool double-breasted coats, including a blue heather Polish greatcoat, an Aquascutum tweed coat from the 70s (?), and a WWII peacoat.

I lived in upstate NY for several years, which is relatively cold, and all of these coats would do fine in such a climate under the right conditions (accounting for proper layering, activity level, natural sensitivity to cold, etc.). When it is super cold, I go for the N3B or shearling. However, one advantage to greatcoats over these coats is that they are longer.

I believe that a greatcoat may be suitable for more than casual wear, depending on the color, condition, and styling.

I do agree that some greatcoats are too open under the neck, which requires a scarf or something heavy underneath to make up for it. For this reason, I prefer those with 8 - or better yet - 10 button configurations.

 

[Philalethes]

I think heavy, tightly woven wool is fine in rain, just not a downpour. Even better in snow, especially if it is below the freezing mark.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I think heavy, tightly woven wool is fine in rain, just not a downpour. Even better in snow, especially if it is below the freezing mark.

I agree with this post based on my experience. I tend to think of wool as like leather, except with a colder temperature range. As you said in your previous post, when the cold gets serious then you have to turn to insulated coats. When it's -20C I don't care what I look like as long as I'm warm!

 

[Doctor Damage]

Suggestion: maybe look for a UK Foot Guards greatcoat. They're readily available and in a hundred different sizes (chest and length). Condition varies but they can usually be had in quite good condition for reasonable prices - just avoid one which was slashed by the DND before disposal since that's impossible to fix. Also nice are the short UK dismounted coats (olive green), although they're not very common.

 

[Banzai]

I'll keep my eye out for a UK greatcoat. Haven't found one yet, but hasn't the internet just revolutionized ways to part with your money?

 

[Sloan1874]

http://www.crombie.co.uk/mens-coats/air-force-blue-authentic-great-coat-slim-fit.html

 

[Ralph_Phillips]

If moving to Minnesota, I'd skip the stuff that looks good and go straight for the survival gear and buy those coats made by Canada Goose for use in Antarctica, along with everything else that Canada Goose makes. They even have a clear ID window on the front of the Antarctic coats so that when the wearer is found deceased in a block of ice, the search party has no excuse to look through his wallet.

 

[mihai]

http://www.crombie.co.uk/mens-coats/air-force-blue-authentic-great-coat-slim-fit.html

That coat is great but the price is ...whoaaaa. I guess maybe you can find a mint OG for half price(if not against wearing sh). Just as Buzz Rickson and USN pea coats.

 

[Trenchfriend]

They are looking well made and really thick, heavy warming:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...=QBIRMH&pq=soviet army coat&sc=0-11&sp=-1&sk=

Comparable to authentic heavy-wool Dufflecoat?

 

[Sloan1874]

That coat is great but the price is ...whoaaaa. I guess maybe you can find a mint OG for half price(if not against wearing sh). Just as Buzz Rickson and USN pea coats.

I got mine, it was in black with black buttons, for something like £350 in the sales. I'd check out Frasers sale pages in January if I was you.

 

[mihai]

Thanks for the tip Sloan. That is a good price.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Forget retail, get an old military coat. A quick glance of the UK e-Bay site brings up dozens and dozens of British greatcoats of all types. Or check out some military surplus stores online. Lots to choose from.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

I got 2 british old navy greatcoats from ebay some years ago. Really nice and warm but also heavy so I don't wear them outside, only inside my house.

 

[Harrifer]

I got mine, it was in black with black buttons, for something like £350 in the sales. I'd check out Frasers sale pages in January if I was you.

I was lucky enough last winter to find a RAF greatcoat for £50 in a good-as-new condition. I changed the brass buttons for some lovely horn ones I sourced from eBay. The coat replaced the somewhat shapeless Finnish coat I had before (now demoted to sofa blanket).

Layered over a tweed jacket it's incredibly warm, and can handle anything a British winter can throw at it. For reference, on bad days we might get -5, plus wind chill and dampness (never underestimate the damp). Very heavy though, if you're lightly built then it might be uncomfortable.

I'm moving to Canada next year, so I'm interested to see if it will do in a serious winter, or if I will need to sort out some nice sheepskin.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I was lucky enough last winter to find a RAF greatcoat for £50 in a good-as-new condition. I changed the brass buttons for some lovely horn ones I sourced from eBay. The coat replaced the somewhat shapeless Finnish coat I had before (now demoted to sofa blanket).

Layered over a tweed jacket it's incredibly warm, and can handle anything a British winter can throw at it. For reference, on bad days we might get -5, plus wind chill and dampness (never underestimate the damp). Very heavy though, if you're lightly built then it might be uncomfortable.

I'm moving to Canada next year, so I'm interested to see if it will do in a serious winter, or if I will need to sort out some nice sheepskin.

British winters are nicer than Canadian winters, although you're quite right to note that dampness can be bad. For what it's worth, I have it on good authority that Moscow winters are nicer than Toronto winters, since Moscow is a dry cold, whereas Toronto is not.

Are you the sort of person who 'feels' the cold? or can you tough it out? If the latter then you'll be fine. There is a certain tendency for Canadian to tough out winter: men wearing normal shoes, thin jackets and suits, and no gloves or hat in the worst winter weather is quite common among non-outdoor workers. If the former (like I am, now that I'm in middle age) then you'll need a proper insulated parka, big mittens, neck warmer, touque, and several layers of clothes.

I always wonder what a family of "new Canadians" arriving in Canada for the first time from some warm place must think when they get their first blast of -15C wind chill upon walking out of the airport terminal...

 

[Harrifer]

British winters are nicer than Canadian winters, although you're quite right to note that dampness can be bad. For what it's worth, I have it on good authority that Moscow winters are nicer than Toronto winters, since Moscow is a dry cold, whereas Toronto is not.

Are you the sort of person who 'feels' the cold? or can you tough it out? If the latter then you'll be fine. There is a certain tendency for Canadian to tough out winter: men wearing normal shoes, thin jackets and suits, and no gloves or hat in the worst winter weather is quite common among non-outdoor workers. If the former (like I am, now that I'm in middle age) then you'll need a proper insulated parka, big mittens, neck warmer, touque, and several layers of clothes.

I always wonder what a family of "new Canadians" arriving in Canada for the first time from some warm place must think when they get their first blast of -15C wind chill upon walking out of the airport terminal...

No, I don't feel the cold much at all. Sounds like I might be ok with a hat and a few layers under my wool coat. It is a particularly thick greatcoat.

 

[Doctor Damage]

^ You'll probably be okay then!

 

[Sloan1874]

Spending years in my job standing outside 'waiting for things to happen' set me on the path to trying to find a genuinely warm coat. I started out in an over-sized leather barn stormer, which was a great wind breaker and water resistant but not massively warm because of it's viscose lining; swapped it for a single-breasted tweed coat, which was warm but not really robust enough for a Scots winter; before moving to my great coat, which finally hit the spot: long-enough to keep my legs warm, heavy cuffs and high collar kept the wind out, deep pockets, and resistant to all but the heaviest rain. The other hacks laughed when I first wore it, "You look like an extra from Dr Zhivago" was one comment, but, y'know, they were the ones who couldn't write because they were shivering so much.
That said, my job has left me 'feeling the cold' when winter comes around, which is why I love my Irvin so much!

 

[ButteMT61]

I'm telling you guys, the Soviet repop greatcoat I bought is insanely warm, well made, and very inexpensive.
Ah well, it is about a 15 pound piece, so maybe thats more than you guys want...

 

[Trenchfriend]

Since the late 90's, Middle-german winters were no more heavy and maximum -15°C, mostly only maximum -10°C. But the warming is a very interesting point to me!

I've got a simple massmarket-dark-blue-greyish winterjacket, made of 52% cotton/34% Polyestre/14% Polyamid, but it seems still very well made quality and I love it! The jacket is robust, relatively thick textile, but got no special winter-lining. But since winter 2005/2006 it does it's job absolutely well, year by year, always wearing a turtleneck-pullover under it, on winter. And it's really warm enough, down until -15°C (heavy winter 2010/2011). But -20°C would be too much. My mum is still wondering, why this jacket warms me that good, without having a special winter-lining.
I personally think, the reason is the very solid, robust cotton/polyestre-textile, letting not much cold through.

When I buyed my tweedcoat on winter 2014/2015, I got luck, that the next days after buying it temperature went down to -10/-11°C. I tested it on mornings, before the sun warms up the countryside. And I was excited, that this tweedcoat warm so good, comparable to my old simple winterjacket. Happy!
Maybe, it's because of these mountables wind/cold-deflectors, with zipper, letting no cold air through, but I don't know exactly.

I bought a further coat in 2015, because of it's length (garmen-length 99cm). Thick textile, stone-grey, single-breasted, standing-collar (with nice clasp!) and none of these wind/cold-deflectors. I mean, it's surely a good coat, too. But, already on the first testing rounds, I recognized, that it's not that warming, like my tweedcoat and the old jacket. It seems to be no wintercoat. More a autumn-coat, maximun -5°C, I think. I don't know, if it's twill-weave, satin-weave, or simple plain-weave.