I'm a 40l in jackets, Sancho  and I went for a 40l overcoat. Obviously the sizing various for a 40 anyway, but I find vintage sizing pretty reliable. I wear it with or without a jacket (I.e. just a Shetland and shirt) and there's enough space either way.

As for colours, I went for grey herringbone and I felt I made a good choice. Works well with a scarf. Brown, tan, any Tweed, navy are all good and will not fail you.

Buy vintage for $50. No need to spend more. I regret not buying raglan sleeve coat.

Thanks guys! Was a bit worried about the sizing. Now I can start my search.

Yeah man! I kinda look at the shoulders first of all. How long should a coat be?

Personally I think topcoats/overcoats are the most difficult thing to size. Most don't have shoulders that can be measured accurately or a tagged size so it really is a gamble. It's the same with any online purchase to a greater or lesser extent, but it seems with overcoats the gamble is at its worst. (Although if the overcoat is too big it may be possible to get it reduced a little by a good tailor.)

That's not to put anyone off though; a decent vintage overcoat is one of the greatest inventions known to mankind. And such things were so common back in the day and have become so unfashionable now that superb examples abound, often going for cheap amounts. (I only own one but really I should get another.)

In terms of colours: the possibilities are endless. Much as I dislike black for most clothing, it also works very well in an overcoat, as do the other colours already mentioned. Herringbones, checks, stripes (if they're understated) and plain colours can all look superb.

Last edited by Yuca (2016-01-03 06:42:54)

Btw check as many vintage photos as you can to check out how an overcoat is supposed to fit. There needs to be lots of room for you to be 100% comfortable with it on over a heavy jacket. A tight fit looks wrong imo.

The half belt works very well if you're Michael Corleone in the late 40s, but otherwise is best avoided. I don't even like Chesterfield type overcoats - I only like the type (don't know the name) that come up higher. (Which abounded back in the day.)

Last edited by Yuca (2016-01-05 08:30:47)

Last edited by Yuca (2016-01-05 08:35:05)

The old saying goes: the most important parts of your outfit are your overcoat and your shoes. There's the proof above.

Will have to post a photo of my grey barleycorn Harris Tweed overcoat. It looks just like Martin Milner's in the pics above.

Purchased in 1985 for $75, it had an envelope in one pocket dated back to 1966.

I never worried about the size, as I wanted to fit thick sweaters underneath, as well as sport coats and suits.

Hello!

Found this old thread. The last one I bought was way to big for me, even though the shoulders fitted, so I'm after a new one now. Do you guys have any tips of brands one can go for? I don't trust some sellers on Ebay/Etsy, they say it's vtg 60s but clearly it's not.