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Withnail's Coat

Doctor Damage

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Some photos from Galer's FB page showing the coat available for sale.

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Edward

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One day.... I love the length of this. I don't care for the current 20s-fashionable just-about-reaching-the-knee length in overcoats, I want this long, majestic sweep.

Going by overall cut, I rather suspect the original was Victorian or Edwardian - which would have been like wearing 1930s today. The length, cut and it being SB all makes sense. I have a Guards greatcoat (Brit army Guards) that I need to get some civilianised buttons for, fabulous Victorian-type cut, great length and sweep. The Withnail, though, is something else.
 

l0fielectronic

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I remember about a year or so ago there was a photo of Richard E Grant returning the original to Bruce Robinson, not sure of the story behind it.
 

Doctor Damage

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I have a Guards greatcoat (Brit army Guards) that I need to get some civilianised buttons for, fabulous Victorian-type cut, great length and sweep. The Withnail, though, is something else.
I've got one of those too, formerly from a WO2 in "2nd company", which I've worn a few times on my walks. The buttons are Grenadier Guards. I kept the buttons but then I'm not in England so nobody knows or cares. I agree the length is great and it's very well made, although mine has a few minor flaws like a worn-out spot under the left arm where the pace stick was held and "shadows" on the sleeves just above the cuffs where the WO2 badges were removed.
 
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Edward

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I've got one of those too, formerly from a WO2 in "2nd company", which I've worn a few times on my walks. The buttons are Grenadier Guards. I kept the buttons but then I'm not in England so nobody knows or cares. I agree the length is great and it's very well made, although mine has a few minor flaws like a worn-out spot under the left arm where the pace stick was held and "shadows" on the sleeves just above the cuffs where the WO2 badges were removed.

I have two, but one of them I don't think I'll ever be small enough for again (sod's law, the one I got unworn in unissued condition, not even buttons on it yet!). I doubt anyone would give a hoot if I wore the military buttons (and those who would are the kind who deserve to be offended.....) but my military dress jackets and bondage trousers days are behind me now, and I'm looking for more of a civilian vibe which is the main reason I'll change the buttons.
 

Doctor Damage

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I think for a tailor or skilled seamstress making a Withnail coat wouldn't be too hard of an undertaking. I think one could start with a pattern for a priest's cassock, which is similar, and make modifications. Or, patterns do exist for old 18th and 19th century coats and whatnot, so start with one of those; there are plenty of old tailor's books from those periods that can be bought, or images from them have been scanned and posted on the interweb. Of course it's important to remember that Withnail's coat was a costume and not anything historically accurate or whathaveyou.
 
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MisterCairo

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One day.... I love the length of this. I don't care for the current 20s-fashionable just-about-reaching-the-knee length in overcoats, I want this long, majestic sweep.

Going by overall cut, I rather suspect the original was Victorian or Edwardian - which would have been like wearing 1930s today. The length, cut and it being SB all makes sense. I have a Guards greatcoat (Brit army Guards) that I need to get some civilianised buttons for, fabulous Victorian-type cut, great length and sweep. The Withnail, though, is something else.

Andrea did model the coat on a 19th century riding coat, with the tweed based on the Scots Guards, cuffs and such also modelled on military examples.


https://nationalpost.com/life/fashi...-the-true-aficionados-know-withnails-wardrobe
 

Doctor Damage

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So many stories about the original. I recall reading there were three used for filming, so one is auctioned, one perhaps presented, one, who knows???
There was also a story, which I think I posted here, that Chris Evans, that obnoxious British tv presenter, had bought the coat and then destroyed it when he crashed his motorcycle or something. I doubt, given the low budget of the film, that there was more than one coat; it's not like they had to keep the coat pristine, or age it for various scenes, or have coats for stuntmen to use, all of which are reasons for having multiple costumes; so I'd be willing to bet there was only one coat. I've found that film and tv production people rarely remember correctly what they did for a film, certainly not with the clarity or precision that fans expect; for production people it's just a job, they do it, they get paid, they go home or on to the next film.
 

Seb Lucas

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There was also a story, which I think I posted here, that Chris Evans, that obnoxious British tv presenter, had bought the coat and then destroyed it when he crashed his motorcycle or something. I doubt, given the low budget of the film, that there was more than one coat; it's not like they had to keep the coat pristine, or age it for various scenes, or have coats for stuntmen to use, all of which are reasons for having multiple costumes; so I'd be willing to bet there was only one coat. I've found that film and tv production people rarely remember correctly what they did for a film, certainly not with the clarity or precision that fans expect; for production people it's just a job, they do it, they get paid, they go home or on to the next film.

That's for sure. And some film people make up stories to provide something cool to fans out of a desire to please them mainly because they forgot the actual events.
 

Seb Lucas

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No special storage, in fact I find keeping it in an open closet (walk in currently) helps avoid the nasty creatures. No issues so far!

The moths quotient here seems to vary from place to place. I had a tweed coat my dad wore in 1960 in perfect condition after all these years. I had it with me on a stand in a two story house built in 1880 and within one season it started to turn to powder as the moths devoured it. But I never actually saw a moth the entire time.
 

l0fielectronic

Practically Family
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666
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UK
There was also a story, which I think I posted here, that Chris Evans, that obnoxious British tv presenter, had bought the coat and then destroyed it when he crashed his motorcycle or something. I doubt, given the low budget of the film, that there was more than one coat; it's not like they had to keep the coat pristine, or age it for various scenes, or have coats for stuntmen to use, all of which are reasons for having multiple costumes; so I'd be willing to bet there was only one coat. I've found that film and tv production people rarely remember correctly what they did for a film, certainly not with the clarity or precision that fans expect; for production people it's just a job, they do it, they get paid, they go home or on to the next film.

I think the story about the coat being destroyed was probably one of those tabaloid exagerations, Chris Evans sold the coat and a bunch of other items in a charity auction for the NHS, this year it seems - https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/09/holl...ls-100000-epic-celebrity-fundraiser-12677750/ Sold for £26,000 apparently.

That said it was about two years ago I saw modern photos of Richard E Grant in the coat and the photo of him with Bruce Robinson so wonder if either there was more than one, as said above I would doubt it given the budget and the time period of the film, wonder if it was one of the modern reproduction ones...
 

Doctor Damage

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Ontario
I notice that Galer is now quoting on her website a price of £2,500 with a "£1,500 starting price, each bespoke coat will vary". Ouch.
 

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