One of the best things about fall and winter is that you get to break out and wear your favorite coat almost every day. That is… unless you don’t have a coat you actually like, and you’re stuck in that frumpy old thing, or worse yet, that very functional but not so good looking jacket you hit the slopes in.
A good coat is like a good suit. Put it on and you feel darn near invincible. All of the following should help most on a budget get that feeling, but just don’t go testing out your new found invincibility by running into traffic or hammer bros. But if your date looks cold, by all means offer her your coat. When she takes it and puts it over her shoulders, at that point you might as well be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Note: All in-person coats below are size medium.
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Banana Republic Charcoal Houndstooth Wool Coat – $192.50 w/ BRFALL ($275)
One of, if not the best of this year’s crop of topcoats. Got a huge spread in GQ and for good reason. It has a better than decent off the rack fit, the arms are nice and trim, and while it’s a more formal length, it’s not goofy long. Pretty damn dashing. Nothing fancy other than the subtle houndstooth check pattern, which isn’t as defined in person as it looks on GQ, but still plenty nice to see. Working sleeve buttons. The contrasting under collar is well done. Medium to lighter weight 70% wool blend. It fits pretty close so while there’s room for a suit jacket or slim blazer underneath, a beefier tweed blazer might be a bit of a struggle to get layered under this thing. Size shown is a medium. Code BRFALL expires today at 11:59 pm ET.
Banana Republic Moleskin Coat – $175.00 w/ BRFALL ($250.00)
Wasn’t anticipating liking this at all, but it’s incredible. Somehow has a little more room in the shoulders and moves better than the BR houndstooth, but it cuts a little closer at the sides. That should accommodate blazers and suit jackets a bit better all while still looking nice and trim. Covered placket, but unlike some other coats where the buttons don’t show, this doesn’t look like a big blank rectangle. It’s all thanks to the great off the rack cut and the real rich looking texture of the cotton. Moleskin is like a matte velvet that’s been given a buzz cut. So the fibers are nice and short, but there’s still some depth to it. Somehow shot to the top of the personal most wanted list, despite not really liking brown coats or covered plackets. Well played BR.
Lands’ End Wool Blend Peacoat – $132.30
w/ STARSHIP & 7624 ($189)
Incredible for the money. This isn’t a Lands’ End Canvas coat, but instead it’s from big brother Lands’ End. Yet the fit is great. No sizing down necessary. The 50% wool blend is honestly one of the better half wool/half other stuff blends you’ll find. The coat is thick without being bulky or too heavy. Buttons feel high quality and the inside houndstooth lining is a nice detail. Nice and tall collar for flipping up when it’s windy. Handwarmer pockets are positioned on the lower third of the jacket. Has to be at or near the top for under $150 peacoats. Also available in charcoal. Code and pin expire tomorrow, 10/23/12.
Indochino Essential Camel Topcoat – $345.00
A bit of a splurge and it’s from the quite polarizing Indochino, but the option for single breasted or double breasted and belted or not is a nice option to have. Also that suede interior scarf loop is a nice touch.
J. Crew Authentic Bayswater Peacoat – $275.00
Same old Bayswater Peacoat from J. Crew. And that’s certainly not a bad thing. Nice weight, great feel, and terrific fit. The shape is a little better than the Lands’ End peacoat, but double the price better?
GAP Four-Pocket Quilt Lining Jacket – $118.00 ($88.50 at 25% off)
The fabric on this one is interesting. It’s a 62% cotton blend that feels tougher like canvas, but has more of a smoothed out texture. Lots of great reinforcing stitch lines give it a utility look. Sometimes jackets with four pockets on the front can look off thanks to all that storage space on each quadrant of your torso, but these blend in nicely and don’t jut out. Hood folds into the stand up collar. Quilted inside too so it should keep you warm.
Has much potential: Merona Quilted Jacket – $27.99 ($34.99)
Man that’s cheap. Haven’t found this in store yet. The price is almost too cheap. Looks great but… Has anyone seen these yet? Do they weigh as much as a napkin? Make screeching sounds when you walk? Attract zombies?
Boden Quilted Jacket – $148.00 – $198.00
This would be the much safer quilted bet. Boden makes quality stuff. Based out of the UK with most of their goods made in “imported”, they still seem to pay much closer attention to details and quality than other brands. The wool herringbone option is going to be the more expensive of the two, and it’s sold out as of right now. Looks like they’ll have more in 2 weeks. Boden stuff tends to run large, which is odd for an overseas company, so got one on the way for an in-person.
The Mneh: J. Crew Factory Classic Walking Coat – $130.00 ($218)
Affordable, warm, but really lacking in the shape department. Fit is very rectangular. 60% wool and 40% viscose with a quilted insulated lining. If you want warmth and simplicity but don’t care too much about the shape, it’s worth a look.
Obligatory: Banana Republic Camel Bridge Coat – $175.00 w/ BRFALL ($250.00)
Looks like this thing is a love it or hate it kind of deal (and hey, if you hate it? Let’s keep the “that looks terrible” blanket statements to a minimum. It’s your opinion. Don’t be a knockwurst.) Still haven’t seen it in person. Word from the guys on threads is that sizing down is a good idea.
The Simple Steal: Hilfiger Walking Coat w/ Scarf – $119.99
The key is to size down. That’s a small and it fit just fine. Wasn’t too tight in the least. The lighter grey is eye catching but not available online. The free scarf that comes with it is a great addition (smart branding Mr. Hilfiger). 59% wool and has a solid feel to it. This isn’t a super-thin barely there wool fabric. It’s quilted too, so it should do a decent job of keeping you warm. Hard to believe this was under $100 during the previous one day sale at Macy’s. *Update: product is no longer available online? Check your local Macy’s.
The Bargain Basement Best Bet: Merona Men’s Peacoat – $51.99 ($64.99)
An entry level peacoat that doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart in your hands. Surprisingly thick too. Collar is wide and should stand up well enough in a decent wind to keep your neck warm. 62% wool and there’s a layer of insulation so warmth can be expected. Could be a little closer at the sides, but if you get your usual (size shown here = medium) you won’t be swimming in it.
The Reminder: Go check out your local Army/Navy Surplus store.
Honest to goodness Made in the USA pieces of outerwear art can be found there. If some of the buttons are too showy, like on the Bridge Coat on the right, the price tag should be low enough that swapping out the buttons would be well worth it. Both of these were found for the low $100s.
The Splurge: Club Monaco Military Snorkel Jacket – $389.00
Great googly. Black watch waxed British Millerain cotton jacket with drawstring waist, hood, and corduroy trim at the collar and cuffs. Quilted interior as well. Just a bit of a looker.
The “You make MI6 kinds of money” Splurge: Billy Reid Bond Peacoat – $695.00
Apparently they sold out of the first 150 of these coats pretty quick, but they’ve made another 100 coats to coincide with the upcoming release date. They’re taking pre-orders now with the coats shipping 11/10. So if you had the nerd-tastic plan of wearing this to the movie on its opening weekend (it opens in the US on 11/9)… that won’t be happening.
The Update: Uniqlo Wool/Cashmere – $99.90 or Wool/Nylon “Chesterfield” – $129.90
A true Chesterfield coat is as formal as it gets and usually comes with a velvet collar. These don’t have that and appear to just be using the term “chesterfield” to be describe them as longer, getting close to knee length single breasted coats. Why the wool/cashmere blend is $100, and the wool/nylon mix is more is beyond me. But they’re on the way for an in-person. Standard shipping is $7 but free over $100. Full post to come on the Uniqlo launch tomorrow.
Looks like single breasted topcoats and quilted jackets are big this year. Additions from you guys? What do you have your eye on? Leave it all in the comments section. Stay warm.