Sure, winter’s coming to an end, and while that might mean phasing out your big down puffer jacket, your wool overcoat should be staying very much within reach. Why? Because no matter what the season is, there will always be the right moment to wear a formal coat.
In the same way that a well-tailored suit is a year-round thing, a good wool overcoat is not weather-dependent. Although they’re definitely best suited to chilly climes, any event that means sharpening up warrants a clean, classic overcoat.
Better still, the best formal coats are completely timeless. Sticking vaguely to the rules of time-tested men's tailoring, these pieces are, of course, a bit of an investment, but when you know that you could just as viably wear your Gucci Double-Breasted Overcoat in 1953 as 2023 — and, it follows, 2073 — the price begins to make more sense.
Below, we’ve put together seven smart coats for men with the help of MATCHESFASHION. From the likes of Our Legacy to Issey Miyake, the selection covers all styles, and each one promises a long life of relevance.
Shop our favorite men's wool overcoats below.
Our Legacy Uniform Coat
Our Legacy's ability to play both sides of the field is not to be underestimated. This coat is at once classic and avant-garde: its oversized fit makes for a bold silhouette while a classic notched lapel and hidden button placket ensure it's super-clean, too.
The Row Hugh Overcoat
When it comes to clean understatement with a large helping of refinement, there are few better places than The Row. This velvet overcoat carries all the hallmarks of a piece to follow you your whole life. Slim tailoring and minimal detailing stand in contrast to the less common velvet build.
Gucci Double-Breasted Overcoat
Tracing the roots of tailoring reveals a long list of reasons why you look better in a tailored garment. The shapes and proportions have been carefully planned to emphasize your good bits and minimize the less good bits. The end product is a piece of clothing that makes you feel invincible and extremely sexy, like a suit of woolen armor. This Gucci overcoat, with its big double-breasted fastening and chunky lapels, is concrete proof of the power of tailoring.
Issey Miyake Technical Pleated Overcoat
Slightly out of step with the other selections in this roundup, Issey Miyake's overcoat manages to translate the iconic late designer's signature technical pleats into something much less modern than it looks. Aside from the heavy pleated fabric, this overcoat is a clean, peak example of a classic men's formal coat.
Lemaire Raglan Overcoat
Similar to the above selection, though with less noticeable impact, is this Lemaire iteration. Cut with sporty raglan sleeves and a subtle seersucker texture, it's a slight deviation from the archetypes of men's overcoats. It makes for a piece that's easier to incorporate into your everyday looks.
Saint Laurent Double-Breasted Coat
A slightly cinched waist gives this Saint Laurent wool coat an unusual silhouette. It's enough to offset the classicism that pervades every other aspect of the piece. Clean shapes and perfect craftsmanship are the rules of engagement here.
Bottega Veneta Curved-Seam Peacoat
This Bottega Veneta Peacoat features the final boss of lapels. The huge collar rests on the clean-cut shoulders, powerfully leading down to a pair of huge patch pockets and a double-breasted fastening. The proportions are the star of the show.
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