The London Lounge

What are members' views on, and experiences with, wrap coats?

I have been entranced by the following image of Noel Coward - no doubt due to the man, and not the clothes - and wanted to know more about his coat.




The polo looks to be a 1x1 DB, and an inviting one at that:






The simplicity of a wrap closing is captivating; however, my only experience with such is through robes and gowns. It's a mental stretch, and I am no Noel Coward. Should one belt up, or button up? And on the latter, is there any precedent for a fly-front DB without the show buttons (alternatively, a fly-front SB with the overlap of a DB)




Regards.

Just love my fur wrap coat.

C.Lee wrote:What are members' views on, and experiences with, wrap coats?

I wear one in tweed, DB with belt and buckle. It can be worn in many ways (buttoned and belted, buttoned only, belted only, all open) and works well with both tweed and worsted suits. A very versatile garment.

C.Lee wrote:[...] my only experience with such is through robes and gowns. It's a mental stretch, and I am no Noel Coward.

You could familiarize with the style using a RTW trench coat first.

C.Lee wrote:[...] is there any precedent for a fly-front DB without the show buttons (alternatively, a fly-front SB with the overlap of a DB)

All SB coats from the 1920's-50's have a generous amount of wrap-over: think 4, 5 inches.

Regards,
f

Here's two more for inspiration as wrap coats are a delightfully rare breed:

1921 and 1930s(?).

EDIT: also here (1930s).

I vote for wrap coats.

The belt allows one to cinch the waist, making for the "V" figure tailors like Scholte were looking to cut into their coats.

I'm not sure that a belt works with traditional overcoats though; the belt seems to be an unnecessary detail added to an already perfected style.

A belt does work for a full cut trench coat like the original Burberrys; these were cut very full throughout the body and so, cinching the waist made for a nice silhouette.

I have an old winter overcoat, neither fish nor fowl, full cut, fly front in a dark chocolate brown cashmere blend with belt and it works well though I wouldn't know how to categorize it, certainly not a traditional cut, something along the Gere coat pictured.

It's probably obvious, but one function of a belt is to allow the coat waist to be pulled snug to prevent cold drafts reaching the torso from below. So in a trench with buttons and belt, or in a tweed shooting coat or down parka/anorak with zip and drawstring closure, the belt (or drawstring equivalent) coexists with buttons, zips, or other closures. Likewise in the half-belt back of a guards coat that gathers the rear pleat in at the waist while permitting a full skirt. A tailored topcoat that has significant waist suppression might not gain much functional benefit from this feature, so presumably it would be a matter of stylistic preference as to whether an added belt was de trop.