Overcoats/Raincoats

[T4phage]

Gentlemen,

What do most of you wear over your suits when out in inclement weather in the Spring/Summer? Other than an umbrella as protection from the rain, what style and fabric are your overcoats/trenchcoats made of?

I have been using several of Allegri's single breasted 'waterproof' wool overcoats: lightweight, high twist wool which resists wrinkling and does not cause overheating. I find trenchcoats either too boring - another 'salaryman' uniform, or on the wrong person, overly costumey.

Regards,
Jan

[uppercase]

Well, I have the same Burberry trench for 25 years, bought in Austria where it was indeed a uniform, and I found it very versatile over the years. It's light, easy to pack and travel with, and always appropriate. Slip it on over jeans to go out for a quick coffee or over a suit to go to a business meeting. Slightly rumpled and dishevelled, it's served me well and apart from fraying at the sleeves and a slight rip, I find that it has aged gracefully and can be worn as a counterpoint to dress down a suit which is put together perhaps too fastidiuously.
I might not feel this way if I needed to buy a rain coat today but I feel that the age of my trench, its natural cotton fabric and muddy color make the trench simply work well.
I'm keeping mine.

[manton]

I have a very lightweight, very breathable, yet very waterproof "microfiber" raincoat. One of my few sartorial concessions to modernity.

[uppercase]

Microfiber can have a nice drape and a certain swoosh and elan about it.
I have been tempted myself to buy one but then I think about the trench hanging in the
closet and the old standby cotton trumps the microfiber in my mind.
It's hard to trade in an old friend for a man made fabric no matter how tempting the new model is.

[mathew]

If you want protection from water and yearn for cotton, choose Ventile!
Larusmiani produces "Wind Isle Cotton," though unlike Ventile, which is water-resistant due to a tight weave, I think it is given a water-resistant finish instead.

[uppercase]

Is Larusmiani that store in Milan on the Via Montenap?
If it is, I was tempted to enter on a recent trip to Milan, but as I recall the decor and odd window display was not be welcoming and I skipped going in.
Maybe I missed some interesting clothing....?

On another subject, it's funny but I just came across a statistic that 90% of the customers in Milan's golden triangle are foreigners, rarely Milanese. Which supports what I have heard from our Italian friends in LL....

[Concordia]

Still using a 20-year-old Burberry SB. It's getting a little limp, losing a few buttons, and never fit perfectly around the collar to begin with. but replacement prices are insane, and when I re-think outerwear I'm going to have to revisit the topcoat situation as well. So a raincoat is likely to be low priority for a while.

[Guest]

I love my Cordings Macintosh. They are available in beautiful colors and of course are absolutely waterproof.

[T4phage]

I have a very lightweight, very breathable, yet very waterproof "microfiber" raincoat. One of my few sartorial concessions to modernity.

Manton, why don't you give Allegri's waterproof wool a try? High twist and all natural!

[T4phage]

If you want protection from water and yearn for cotton, choose Ventile!
Larusmiani produces "Wind Isle Cotton," though unlike Ventile, which is water-resistant due to a tight weave, I think it is given a water-resistant finish instead.

I've heard of Ventile, the waterproof cotton. Didn't the RAF use it at one time? Didn't Willis and Geiger also use it once upon a time?

Regards,
Jan

[alden]

I use an Umbrella

[uppercase]

There you go! An umbrella! Why didn't I think of that!!??

[T4phage]

I use an Umbrella

But Michael, what if the wind is gusty and blowing the rain at wildly different directions? That is the reason I have such a coat, of course with an umbrella!

[alden]

If the wind is gusty and blowing the rain at wildly different directions, I wait inside, order another glass of Champs, wait until it stops, and then get my Umbrella. Its more expensive than having a raincoat, but it works very well.

[T4phage]

If the wind is gusty and blowing the rain at wildly different directions, I wait inside, order another glass of Champs, wait until it stops, and then get my Umbrella. Its more expensive than having a raincoat, but it works very well.

Okay, that works! But try telling that to the wife who is impatiently waiting at a restaurant....