The London Lounge

Hi all,

I've been thinking about buying a camel's hair overcoat from Brooks Brothers, but noticed that virtually all of their topcoats lack a breast pocket. Should a topcoat have a breast pocket to be considered a durable classic, or is it an optional feature?

Thanks!

I love a breast pocket on an overcoat and have seen photos of older overcoats where the added pocket looks very elegant, particularly with a pouchette elegantly inserted.

I can't comment on whether it is more or less classic , or to which silhouette of overcoat it is most suitable, but to my eye a breast pocket is certainly more attractive than sans.

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I think it is a matter of the cut and cloth of the coat. Big full-cut polos and Ulsters, made from thick, spongy cloth probably should not have brest pockets. The cloth is so thick I'm not sure it would work well in any case.

But topcoats and Chesterfields made from a thinner, harder cloth look great with a breast pocket.

If you look at the recently posted thread on 1930s Esky illustrations, you can see that most coats in that batch are without pocket. This may have been a particular fashion in the late 1930s, and it would have been a function of the cloth, as rightly pointed out above. The thicker the cloth, the more difficult to for the tailor to make the pocket look neat.

From a design perspective, the pocket adds interest, because it is asymetrical (creating aesthetic tension). If you have a small- or non-patterned cloth, the additional interest is welcome. Should you be considering something bold, like a large herringbone or a plaid check, it could be too busy for a pocket.

Another issue is insulation. The open pocket will allow in more water, and permit more warmth to escape. You could have a flap for sportier coats (covert, plaids).

A Raglan sleeved coat should not have a breast pocket in my opinion. But I am willing to be corrected.

Thanks all for the responses. And the illustrations from the 1930s definitely helped as well.

I don't mind the absence of a breast pocket, but it is often nice to dress up a topcoat with a pocket square (assuming it isn't precipitating out).

Very few RTW topcoats and overcoats are made with a breast pocket.

My guess is that many stores have dropped the feature in order to save a few cents. In some cases the store has not requested it since it might be deemed a little old fashioned.

However, even my venerable topcoat from Oxxford (made for Bergdorf) has no chest pocket.

Since you're buying a RTW you have no choice on the matter. If you like the coat, go with it!

I have limited knowledge on this subject, but I can share what relevant experience I possess. About four years ago, I had an overcoat made for me by Dege & Skinner in a fairly heavyweight material. While we discussed several styling details, they never asked me about a breast pocket and the coat has none. I assume they did not ask because, either they thought it was not appropriate stylistically or because it was not practical for the cloth. I make that inference because in other cases, they generally present to me what they think are the options to be considered, even if they have a preference for a particular choice.