Trench Coat - the 'Ultimate' Thread!

[Tiki Tom]

Surely it depends on whether you wear the coat (and, I hope, an accompanying hat) for practical reasons (temperature or rain); or for a purely stylistic reason when the weather does not suggest the wearing of a coat and hat. In my experience, people don't react in the former case; for related reasons I don't wear a trilby/fedora without a coat. On this rainy island trench-coats are relatively frequently worn; they are certainly acceptable as spring/autumn topcoats.

I have to admit that, personally, I am a bit of a wimp in this regard. Normally I do not wear my trench coat and a fedora together. For me it crosses the line between "appreciation of classic styles" and "starts to look like a costume". At any rate, I apparently can't pull it off judging from the reactions I get. Even if it is a rainy day. I salute those who can pull it off!

Saw this handy checklist. My coat meets all the criteria except regarding the 5-rows of stitching on the belt.

 

[Doctor Damage]

^ That illustration is a vintage Aquascutum image, hence the unique half-moon shaped gun flap, the five rows of stitching on the belt, and the buttons on the corners of the pocket flaps. Those were distinct Aquascutum details, now no longer used by the firm. Burberry and others had other details.

 

[JDelage]

^ That illustration is a vintage Aquascutum image, hence the unique half-moon shaped gun flap, the five rows of stitching on the belt, and the buttons on the corners of the pocket flaps. Those were distinct Aquascutum details, now no longer used by the firm. Burberry and others had other details.

I have an Aquascutum Kingsgate I bought in 2009 (+/- 1) and it has pretty much all those (except only 4 rows of stitching on the belt). In fact, based on the website, they seem to still have most of those details (although that's a kingsway, which might be a different model). Am I missing something?

http://www.aquascutum.com/us/kingsway-double-breasted-trench-coat-camel-12583.html

 

[Doctor Damage]

^ I have one of those Kingsgate coats, haven't worn it yet, nice coat. However the one in the link doesn't have the 5 equally spaces rows stitching on the belt and the gun flap is square and comes to the second row of buttons. It's hard to explain in words - I'll dig out some photos tonight to highlight. It's useless trivia, of course, but interesting to people who gather in Fed Lounge.

That illustration is from the 1990s, I believe, and I have a low-res version somewhere from the early days of the internet!

 

[Tiki Tom]

So, does this trench coat fit Brad?
My personal opinion is that it is too short and gives the impression that he bought a coat too small for him.
I think knee length (at minimum) is what a guy wants in a trench coat. But then again, it is Brad Pitt, for heaven's sake. Would the movie's fashion zombies really let him appear in something that doesn't fit correctly? Still. I stand by my guns. Too short.

(Another option might be "just long enough to cover his pockets", if he is going for the trench/safari jacket hybrid look that seems to be in fashion these days. But that's another discussion.)

 

[Trenchfriend]

@Tiki Tom
Strange pic. Better, the coat would be more brownish sand- or camel-coloured and another camera-perspective.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Most outerwear for the past decade(?) or a bit less has been designed with a 70s vibe, in other words short. Remember the trenchcoat that Michael Caine wore in Get Carter? It was really short, although because it was made from a pretty heavy cotton blend it looked okay (below). Today, though, most fashion trenchcoats are made from a lightweight material and don't look very substantial, which is not helped by their short length. Pitt's coat fits him fine in the chest and sleeve length. It's worth pointing out too that Pitt's character (in Ocean's 11 and 12) was sort of a dandy and the other characters in the films made fun of him, so I think his costume was supposed to be a bit flashy, a bit too fashion-y.

[url=https://postimg.org/image/ks25u5mgn/] [/URL]

 

[ProteinNerd]

That's probably the only time I've seen a pic of Brad Pitt and though he was dressed terribly!

 

[Hal]

My personal opinion is that it is too short and gives the impression that he bought a coat too small for him. I think knee length (at minimum) is what a guy wants in a trench coat.

I strongly agree with Doctor Damage's points on the fit of this coat and with the comment quoted. The silly-short lengths of overcoats and raincoats sold today make such coats impractical in matters of weather-protection; fashion is so often the enemy of practicality.

 

[Trenchfriend]

I strongly agree with Doctor Damage's points on the fit of this coat and with the comment quoted. The silly-short lengths of overcoats and raincoats sold today make such coats impractical in matters of weather-protection; fashion is so often the enemy of practicality.

But, if I wear my 59% cotton/41% polyamid trenchcoat with garment-lenght 91 cm and my waterproof hiking-boots, I got a great combination for normal light rain.

 

[Trenchfriend]

I say YES!

 

[Hal]

But, if I wear my 59% cotton/41% polyamid trenchcoat with garment-lenght 91 cm and my waterproof hiking-boots, I got a great combination for normal light rain.

No doubt you have found that this particular combination works for you, the operative words being "normal light rain". Many of us may be out in heavier rain and will not be wearing hiking boots with suits or sports jackets and trousers; for these circumstances a coat of length at least 110 cm (the length that Tiki Tom suggests) is called for to protect the trousers (and legs) from getting wet (an umbrella doesn't help much here).

 

[Trenchfriend]

For heavy rain, I prefer the classic raincoat, 55% microfibre-polyester (!)/45% cotton. Real lotus-effect! The microfibre-polyester makes the difference.

 

[Hal]

For heavy rain, I prefer the classic raincoat, 55% microfibre-polyester (!)/45% cotton. Real lotus-effect! The microfibre-polyester makes the difference.

I take your point, but I was not commenting on the fabric (yes, the fabric you quote is very effective) but the style of the coat. A short waterproof jacket encourages rain run-off on to the trousers; an over-the-knee coat is much better at keeping the trousers and legs dry.

 

[Doctor Damage]

 

[Doctor Damage]

(via The Trad blogspot, where he got it from I don't know)

 

[Doctor Damage]

Here's another view of Pitt's coat in Ocean's 12. Yeah, it's modern fashion stuff, but it's got a pretty high button stance which keeps it in proportion (which no one around here will agree with, but such is life).

 

[Doctor Damage]

This is an extremely old Brooks Brothers trench coat from, probably mid 20th century (maybe earlier). See following posts for another example of the same coat, although in poorer condition.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Same as above. From old photos it is clear that 8-button trenchcoats were fairly common in the old days, including during WW2, but at some point vanished (at least in menswear). I've only seen 10-button coats in the past few decades.

 

[JDelage]

What about this single breasted version worn here by this other action hero: