The London Lounge

Does such a thing exist? If so, opinions on its usefullness?

I just made one in pure cashmere for a client. Completely impractical, but he already had more serviceable garments in black, charcoal and camel and wanted something else.

Why is it so impractical? It seems to me that if you wanted just one dark overcoat, midnight might be a great choice.

Manton:

If a man wears a midnight blue suit for a social occasion after dark or a midnight blue evening suit for a formal occasion, why cover it with an overcoat of the same inky color? It's drab on drab, even if the cloth under and the cloth over are of slightly different textures. It seems to me there has to be a marked difference in color and texture between the suit and the coat to spark interest and avoid monotony.

JMB

manton wrote:Why is it so impractical? It seems to me that if you wanted just one dark overcoat, midnight might be a great choice.

Well, he has a black one, which is presumably his go-to for formal. So a blue one? And pure cashmere? I'm all for luxe, but I don't thing pure cashmere in a drap finish is the best choice for outerwear.

I guess I am not convinced.

I too have black overcoat, but it is RTW, and not even my size but tailored down to "fit." It is wearable, but only just. So for me a bespoke blue coat would replace this one.

Dark blue would be nice and formal, which is what I want. I don't want one coat to do everything. I want two good coats, one formal, one less. My other coat right now is a RTW polo that fits reasonably well. I will replace it some day, but it will be a while.

So the blue coat's advantages, it seems to me, are that in daylight, you can tell it is blue, but at night you can't. I have seen a few blue overcoats in my time and to my eye they always looked richer than gray. So you get the benefit of the blue color in the daytime, and also a perfecly wearable evening coat for black tie or with a dark DB suit.

As to the drab on drab point, it seems to me that I am doomed either way. If I get a dark gray coat, sometimes it will have to be worn with a dark gray suit. So in that case I will be wearing drab on drab. Blue or gray, drab on drab seems inevitable.

Besides, I like drab. Drab + drape = dreamy!

Its a shame a rich blue gray does not exist in any books. Would make a nice OC, though too light for formal dress.



Cheers

Michael

The overcoat Alden posted is a beautiful color. Grays in that middle-dark shade are abundant, but they do not have the beautiful blue undertone Alden mentions. Looking at the illustration, I wonder if the shade can be found in military overcoatings.

dopey wrote:The overcoat Alden posted is a beautiful color. Grays in that middle-dark shade are abundant, but they do not have the beautiful blue undertone Alden mentions. Looking at the illustration, I wonder if the shade can be found in military overcoatings.

It's a wonder how common the blue-grays were in the 30's-40's and how almost non-existant they are today, and not just in overcoating materials.

Dopey

Welcome to the Quest part II, "The Search for the Rich Blue Gray Overcoating." I have been looking for awhile now. If anyone sees anything like the color in the illustration above, please write me.

M Alden

It's a wonder how common the blue-grays were in the 30's-40's and how almost non-existant they are today, and not just in overcoating materials.

The illustration is from 1935

Cheers

manton wrote:Does such a thing (MIdnight Blue overocating) exist? If so, opinions on its usefullness?

I have one in the works. It is a Loro Piano cloth, 90% wool, 10% cashmere. Made up very well at first fitting.

Leon

alden wrote:Its a shame a rich blue gray does not exist in any books. Would make a nice OC, though too light for formal dress.



Cheers

Michael

I agree that colour is beautiful.

It's not far off RAF blue.
NJS