LL BTM Three Quarter Length Coat

"The brute covers himself, the rich man and the fop adorn themselves, the elegant man dresses!"

-Honore de Balzac

alden
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Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:49 am

It is finally summertime in Italy after a pretty wet and mild Spring. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it is too hot for me to model the new LL three quarter length overcoat so we’ll have to make due with an unsatisfactory hangar shot.

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The design idea was to make a comfortable, easy to live with and car worthy coat capable of carrying a good deal of “stuff.”

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To give as much room in the body of the coat, I decided to leave off the lapels in favor of a “ghillie” collar and five button, buttons showing front. This cut reminded me of the set sleeve, ghillie collar styles promoted by Hardy Amies in the 1960s. Though I will never warm to his pencil thin trousers styles, I can attest to the fact that this cut of coat is extremely practical, comfortable and good looking as it flatters ones physique. Amies did know a thing or two about cutting and style.

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I used an old Hunter’s of Brora tweed from the famed Carroll book that I have had in
stock for a few decades. It weighs in at about 700 gms (25 ozs.) The pattern might remind you of the LLTW09 tweed that was issued as a part of the Winter 2009 subscriptions. The color combinations are similar and it was this tweed that gave me the idea that the TW09 would be handsome.

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Nothing too fancy in the interior of the coat save four large pockets to tote a picnic’s worth of goodies around the countryside or blackberries in the city.

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The completely natural shoulder is fitted with an open seam as I prefer them on overcoats. The hand work and sewing in general is what one would expect from the finest old school Italian tailors.

I have to admit to being pleased with this coat. It is not a cut you see everyday, but it offers great comfort and style: the two things we seek most in crafting bespoke garments.
Concordia
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Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:00 pm

You could probably do without the 4 sleeve buttons, and either way could extend the coat to normal full length.

Nevertheless, that looks really very good.
Gruto

Tue Jul 07, 2009 4:25 pm

What a lovely coat. I agree there is a certain charm to a full length coat, but a 3/4 coat is just so much more practical.
alden
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Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:45 pm

I set out to make a 3/4 length car coat so it did not occur to me to make it full length. And to make sure I did not flinch at the last second (and make the coat longer, as my tailor wanted), I chose a 2.5 m length of cloth. And frankly speaking I am very happy to have a coat that is so easy to live with. Jump into your car or 4 wheeler with ease and go. Walk through the country with more protection than a standard length sportscoat but with the ease of motion that a full length coat cannot afford. And this is essentially a country coat, though something similar could be very handy for weekends in the city.

Cheers

Michael Alden
edhayes
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Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:35 am

so we can't use the same fabric? oh. how much will it be?
dopey
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Wed Jul 08, 2009 3:00 pm

alden wrote:I set out to make a 3/4 length car coat so it did not occur to me to make it full length. And to make sure I did not flinch at the last second (and make the coat longer, as my tailor wanted), I chose a 2.5 m length of cloth. And frankly speaking I am very happy to have a coat that is so easy to live with. Jump into your car or 4 wheeler with ease and go. Walk through the country with more protection than a standard length sportscoat but with the ease of motion that a full length coat cannot afford. And this is essentially a country coat, though something similar could be very handy for weekends in the city.

Cheers

Michael Alden
Very clever. As I mentioned, I have a 2.5 m length of the Moorebrook brown houndstoooth coating.
I don't think it would work as a 3/4 length coat, too refined, but if you have any suggestions, I am all ears.
As you know, I have been keeping it in my head for a short Eisenhower Jacket style bomber jacket. A casual winter jacket.
Richard3
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Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:29 pm

edhayes wrote:so we can't use the same fabric? oh. how much will it be?
Same question here.
alden
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Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:40 pm

As I mentioned, I have a 2.5 m length of the Moorebrook brown houndstoooth coating.
I don't think it would work as a 3/4 length coat, too refined, but if you have any suggestions, I am all ears.
:D I know the cloth. I think it would look very well in the 3/4 ghillie collar style with horn buttons showing.

I was looking for an alternative to the Chrysalis styled English field coat when I made the LL 3/4 , something that would be more appropriate for weekend city wear. I have always felt that the great field coat looked so out of place anywhere but in the field.

I think the Moorbrook cloth would make a handsome weekend coat. I do not see it as a bomber jacket.

Cheers

Michael
alden
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Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:45 pm

As regards remaking the Hunter's tweed used in the LL 3/4 length coat, we could certainly do it if there were enough interest among members. We should open a topic in the Cloth Club. Figure on a cost of 70-75 gbp a meter.

Michael
kolecho
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Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:07 am

Congratulations on what seems like a fantastic OC, but I think these pictures do not do the OC justice. You should post pictures of it on your back, summer or not!
dopey
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Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:33 pm

alden wrote:
As I mentioned, I have a 2.5 m length of the Moorebrook brown houndstoooth coating.
I don't think it would work as a 3/4 length coat, too refined, but if you have any suggestions, I am all ears.
:D I know the cloth. I think it would look very well in the 3/4 ghillie collar style with horn buttons showing.

I was looking for an alternative to the Chrysalis styled English field coat when I made the LL 3/4 , something that would be more appropriate for weekend city wear. I have always felt that the great field coat looked so out of place anywhere but in the field.

I think the Moorbrook cloth would make a handsome weekend coat. I do not see it as a bomber jacket.

Cheers

Michael
I know your distatset for using this as a short jacket. I am not quite satisfied with the idea either - really, it should be something like a covert cloth or a melton.

Your idea for 3/4 length car coat is pretty good. I might want raglan sleeves for wear without a sportcoat underneath.
alden
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Fri Jul 10, 2009 6:09 am

Your idea for 3/4 length car coat is pretty good. I might want raglan sleeves for wear without a sportcoat underneath.
I gave this a bit of thought as well when I made the LL coat as a set sleeve. My conclusion was that the raglan works best in a long coat. I have never seen a good looking 3/4 length raglan, they tend to look umbrella like and lack line.

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The English field coat if often made as a raglan for ease of movement in outdoor activities but it remains a very rustic coat.

The set sleeve gives the coat great line in tandem with the ghillie collar. The improved line of the coat increases its versatility and takes it beyond the confines of rugged country attire.

Cheers

Michael
Concordia
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Sun Nov 08, 2009 6:28 pm

Breaking the line a little but making it more comfortable would be a corduroy collar. The field coats made from similar tweeds sport some version of this. A wide-wale brown in the same shade of the tweed shouldn't be too disruptive.
alden
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Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:33 pm

Breaking the line a little but making it more comfortable would be a corduroy collar. The field coats made from similar tweeds sport some version of this. A wide-wale brown in the same shade of the tweed shouldn't be too disruptive.
Might be a nice device for normal cloth, but I would not want to cover a long searched for vintage tweed with a cord collar.

Michael
alden
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Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:56 pm

Three Quarter enthusiasts

Well I am posting a 3/4 frame video for a 3/4 length coat. Still learning... :oops:




Cheers

M Alden
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