Sid, his navy topcoat, and the great Walter Schick (shoutout FedEx)
In a word, YES! I can help you get over it.
What I love most about a topcoat isn’t its elegance, although that’s up there. What I love is that I can wear it with my tuxedo or with a pair of jeans and it works.
But you are right that it doesn’t feel like the lowest-barrier-to-entry thing in your coat closet. I think it’s two things: the fact that it’s so tailored (a lot of guys aren’t wearing a suit or even a sport coat every day, and this is an extension of that) but even more than that is the above-the-knee length — which is not so common for men’s dressing. I’m willing to bet that you’re almost never in a garment that long. Think about it; women’s hemlines are all over the place and I see them wearing long coats casually all the time.
Our topcoat really is like a warmer, longer version of our sport jacket. It’s fully canvassed in Italy, it’s got the same lapel construction (8cm to party well with the length of our shirt collars and the width of our ties), a natural shoulder, and an armhole cut on the higher side to give you more mobility. Sounds counterintuitive but I promise it’s more comfortable. The nice thing about those lapels is that you can flip them up a bit outdoors to create a little extra neck protection in place of a scarf. And it gives you kind of a rakish, windblown look. Collar pop or not, if you can wrap your head around a sport coat, you can wrap your head around this.
You do have to make a concerted effort to just say, “I’m wearin’ my topcoat today.” Because it’s gonna take you to the next level mentally, emotionally, spiritually, fashion-ally. Don’t just pull a barn jacket out. This is on the other end of the rugged spectrum but just as protected against the elements. Keep it in the back of your car if you need to get used to it.
There’s a picture on our very first moodboard in the Atlanta shop that I’ve been bugging Ann to find. I think she pulled it out of one of those seasonal Bergdorf Goodman lookbooks they used to do in the 90s, it’s a guy in a camel topcoat and a pair of jeans holding a cigarette. And he looks cool. He’s wearing something impeccably tailored but he’s not posing and he’s not thinking too hard about it. He’s relaxed. And for me, that kind of captures the spirit of the topcoat — and of all the pieces we make, I hope. The whole point is to look and feel at ease in your clothes, even when those are a bit more dressed up than your usual. It's almost a little rock and roll — Ann and I saw Bryan Ferry perform onstage years ago in a topcoat. Another style inspiration. Anyway, If anyone can find this tearsheet, let me know — actually, let Ann know, so she can stop hunting for it.
In short, Miles, don’t save your topcoat for trips to the big (or windy) city. You’ve invested in it. A topcoat is a serious piece of outerwear, but you don’t have to wear it so seriously. You can wear that thing anywhere it dips below 65 degrees. And you don't need a sport coat underneath, either. With a cashmere polo and jeans and sneakers, with a plaid shirt and khakis and loafers, with a full suit and tie and derbies… any and all of the above. As the British say, it's smart.
Take it for a spin this weekend, Miles. I’m not sure where exactly you’re located, but it’s supposed to be 43 degrees this weekend in Atlanta. You can pull it off.
