Custom overcoats

Custom Overcoat, Chiang Mai: fit it over what it goes over

This is the one thing that matters most and the thing most often got wrong.

An overcoat is outerwear. It has to close over a suit jacket, or a knit, or whatever you actually wear underneath in winter, and it has to do so without straining across the chest or restricting your arms.

That means it must be fitted over that layer. If you are measured in a shirt and the coat is cut to that, it will look excellent in the shop and be unwearable over tailoring the first cold day at home.

Bring the jacket you intend to wear under it. If you cannot, say clearly what it needs to accommodate so the allowance can be built into the pattern.

Cloth for the destination

Almost every overcoat made here is going somewhere colder, so the cloth is chosen for the destination rather than for Chiang Mai.

Wool is the default and the most sensible for most people. Durable, weather-resistant, holds its shape, and a heavy melton or a coating wool will last decades.

Cashmere is softer and warmer for its weight, and correspondingly more expensive and more delicate. It pills where it rubs, particularly at the seatbelt line if you drive.

Wool-cashmere blends are the practical middle: much of the softness with far better durability.

Coating cloths are heavy, and that weight is doing a job. A light overcoat is a jacket.

Length and shape

Knee length is the most useful single choice. It covers a suit jacket properly, works over casual clothing, and is not so long that it becomes an occasion garment.

Below the knee is more formal and warmer, and it needs a certain amount of height to carry.

Above the knee is a topcoat, more casual, easier to drive and travel in.

For shape, a single-breasted coat with a notch or peak lapel is the versatile answer. A double-breasted coat is warmer across the chest and reads as considerably more formal.

Details that earn their place

Lining. A full lining is standard on outerwear. A slippery lining matters more than people expect, because it is what lets the coat go on over a jacket without dragging the sleeves.

Pockets. Deep enough for gloves and a phone. Flapped pockets shed weather better.

Collar. A collar that can be turned up and actually stays up is worth specifying. It is the difference between a coat that works in wind and one that only looks like it would.

Getting it home

If you would rather not carry a heavy coat through airports in tropical heat, it can be shipped once finished. Check your country’s import rules first, as coats are higher-value items and more likely to attract duty.