Cloth for a coat...

[simonmartelo]

I'm having a couple of coats made. I live in Bogota, Colombia where its rainy and chilly at night but it never goes below 0 or snows. When, and by that I mean what weight, does a cloth start to become more apropriate for a coat and less for a jacket?

Thanks.

[Costi]

Hard to say. I have some pieces of heavier cloth in my pile I am still not sure whether they shall become suits or overcoats. They could work well for any of the two. I think it's not just a matter of weight, but also pattern, pattern size, texture...
Don't go too light, would be my advice, even if the weather is mild. Err on the heavy side. Buy suiting cloth that you might consider making into an overcoat, if you wanted to, rather than buying overcoating you might just as well make into a suit.

[simonmartelo]

Thank you. I guess I´ll just take a chance...

Best,

Simon.

[alden]

Simon

Costi's advice is spot on. If I were to try and draw a line in the sand it would be at about 625-650 gms. That normally speaking is an upper limit for a jacket and a good place to start for a coat.

Cheers

Michael Alden

[Concordia]

Although Rizzo in Cambridge occasionally makes a very light topcoat that some use to create an elegant appearance even if it isn't too cold out. La bella figura!

For that you'd do somewhere up to 16oz (up to 440g) in a dark herringbone suiting, or similar.

[NJS]

Are you after coats or suits- and for daytime or evening wear; summer or winter (such as they differ up your way)?
NJS