Vintage Winter Coat
Today our modern lifestyle, current fashion trends and advanced weatherproof textiles mean that not all of us possess a traditional winter coat, but in the past a warm woollen cloak, mantle or sturdy overcoat were considered essential items in the outdoor wardrobe.
The male overcoat
Similar to the regular suit coat worn underneath but cut more generously, this garment was tailored from heavy, closely-woven woollen cloth which was almost impermeable in the days before the development of waterproof fabrics. It had a single- or double-breasted fastening. The late-Georgian and Regency greatcoat often featured several deep, overlapping collars or shoulder capes, fashionably emulating the coachman’s coat, but also providing extra warmth. During the early-1800s greatcoats inspired by eastern European styles were much in vogue, ‘Polish’, ‘Hungarian’ and ‘Russian’ coats being lined or trimmed with fur and decorated with frog fastenings and braiding.
