The London Lounge

As a new registrant, I am very excited both to be posting my first questions and at the prospect of receiving advice from the forum’s esteemed membership. I am in the midst of transition on two fronts. First, I am moving from medicine to the business world and my wardrobe will be moving right along with me. The white coat is coming off, and I am now in need of a basic summer sports coat or two for a business-casual work environment. Frankly, I don't know what I should be looking for in terms of fabric, pattern or color. I am much too tall for OTR, so I will be ordering a MTM coat, probably with Oxxford. Any suggestions?

Second, I am moving from the moderate climate of the Bay Area to the harsher temperatures of the Midwest. I am looking for another business-casual item: an overcoat. I was advised by the knowledgeable staff of Wilkes Bashford that a knee-length coat in brown would be the ticket. I've discovered lots of advice on more formal coats, but haven't been able to find much information on this type of coat. Does anyone have any thoughts on cut, fabric, pattern or color? This will also have to be a MTM order.

Many thanks for your helpful advice.

I don't hold a candle to the snappier dressers in the Lounge, EGAF, so salt my thoughts well as you consider them.

The overcoat you mention would, I think, look smashing and be versatile as a raglan-sleeved, fly-fronted tweed (preferrably in a medium to dark brown, if compatible with your own coloring). I'm an enthusiast of tweed for casual dressing, so I'd mention having one or two odd jackets made of another tweed -- not the same as the topcoat!

But, even in "business-casual" (whatever that really means) employment, odd jackets can be overdone. Within a year or two you're likely to need more than one suit.

Good choice, by the way, to go with Oxxford. The workmanship is superb, even if you must be quite insistent on your own designs to have the best-appearing garments.

And -- welcome!

Robb Storm

Thank you, RWS, for the advice and the welcome. Brown tweed sounds just the ticket. At this point, I am relatively unfamiliar with the cloth. Is there a particular weight I should look for, and are there any particular patters that are more suitable for an overcoat?

I hadn't even considered a raglan-sleeved coat, so thanks very much for the input. I take it that the softer shoulder is less formal. Along with the fly-front, I think it would be similar in style to a slip-on raincoat. Is this the image you have in mind?

The Oxxford trunk show is coming up in early-mid March, so I'll have to wait a few weeks before ordering the piece. I'll let you know how it goes. Again, thanks very much for your help.

Welcome!

I, too, am new, so bear that in mind as you read my comments.

While I am new to bespoke dressing, I am very familiar with winters in the Midwest. The cold doesn't get to me so much as the wind, which can drop temps as much as twenty or thirty degrees. I have used public transportation during winters where the wind chill dropped the temperature to 60 degrees below zero, Farenheit.

Before deciding on a fabric weight, I think it helpful to ask yourself how much time you will actually be outdoors during a midwestern winter.

If you will be outdoors frequently then this fact may dictate a heavier weight tweed. I have a 19/20 oz Harris Tweed that has kept me very warm this very mild winter. (lows in the single digits, without wind).

Another consideration are your head and fingers. A warm hat and gloves will protect against frostbite. My father sustained moderate frostbite to his ears after being outside in windy, below zero weather. Lined gloves are a must.

If, however, you will be outside for much briefer periods of time, and going from your home to a car to a garage to a short walk to your office, then perhaps a lighter weight (less than 19/20 oz) tweed will work.

A hat is still a must in my book and gloves, too. So that I avoid that bunched-up-coat-from-hands-stuffed-in-the-pants-pockets look.

Again, these suggestions may be sartorially way off the mark. I defer to the experts here.

Best,
Jay

As a resident of the midwest as well, might I reccomend a jacket with a belt. I have found that with the winds that we usually receive, nothing keeps me as warm as my sb wool/alpeca blend overcoat with its matching belt at the waist, this along with a scarf would work well. Also, has anyone else noticed, at least in the midwest, that most people don't use black overcoats anymore?

JamesT1 wrote:Also, has anyone else noticed, at least in the midwest, that most people don't use black overcoats anymore?

Yes, I find this to be true here in Ann Arbor.