I guess it's like with many other things a thing of personal preferences. I've got a few raincoats, some are about the length of that which Leer showed and some come to the knee. I'd say just say anything below the knee is a really old and not very pleasing look.

Actually, I feel more comfortable in the slightly shorter macs. When I wear the "longer" ones, they appear very long to me when I look down or in the mirror. Maybe I should take a few pics of me wearing them to see how they really look from "the outside".

The fashion industry really pushes very short coats. Some are on pea coat-lenght which really looks odd to me.   

Oh, and I like both coats. Glad that Oliver got his dream coat in the end.

It drops to roughly knee length, perhaps an inch or two below at best. The way Grenfell has been making them since the 1920's, and how they ought to look imo.

Aye that's one for the knee team, but the accounts Delon gave about having wet shins after filming Le Samourai, makes you wonder how he got through it.

I walked up to the shops day before last in Koratron slacks, vintage 80/20 cotton/poly OCBD and vintage 'acrylic' raglan sleeved letterman style cardi and was caught in a quick shower that lasted all of about 2 minutes. I was dry by the time I got back home. The rain bounced off of me. That's SPACE AGE stuff man.

You're in the fuckin' future Liam I tell thee!

Sorry Oliver, I didn't want to make it rather philosophical. I simply prefer the car coat length as I'm far away from being tall - therefore it looks better on me than a full length mac . In the end it's just a matter of personal preference and taste - the "Madison Ave look" doesn't bother me - there also isn't a "wrong" or a "right" to me...

To my understanding there are not two, but tree lengths - full - which is below the knee, 3/4 - which is somewhere VERY slightly above the knee or AT the knee, and car coat (like mine), the rarest length - pretty much above the knee, but still long enough to protect a jacket or suit coat. It all additionally depends a bit on the height of the wearer, too - of course

McQueen is wearing 3/4 length in "Bullitt" - for car coat length it's a tad too long, but it definitely isn't full length. But that doesn't matter, too

Both - trench coat AND Mackintosh coat are nothing but  british styles. They have always been, the Mac was just more popular in America I suppose. To my knowing the trench is 100% military, the Mac is a civil raincoat (I might be wrong, though). That's the difference - and it is "Ivy" because the Americans loved everything british. Like Harrys Tweed, repp ties etc.

Last edited by Leer R. (2012-08-01 23:34:14)

You've lost me Leer.

Theres just as many shorter coats in the shops as there is longer ones, if anything I'd say it'd be harder to find full length. But its not like you've got to look to far for one of those. Your a good egg Leer but your talking nonsense about rain coat lengths availability. Get a grip mate.

In my humble opinion, one should avoid new raincoats: way too expensive. Plenty of good vintage ones around on ebay manufactured by London Fog and all the other usual suspects. I got a magnificent J.Press from acme_vintage_dry_goods on ebay, mint and all for 99.99 dollars.

I was in Liberty in Soho a few years ago and they had some fantastic Mackintosh coats in, great colours and design, but the price was way out of my league. There were great though.

You will sweat like a mother f'er! I prefer the burberrys fabric. Alot more comfortable to wear. But mackintosh designs are lovely. Bit of trivia, now owned by a japanese company.