The Launch of the Raglan Overcoat
Versatility and Style
I’ve had through a few overcoats over the years. I had a double-breasted alpaca blend that just looked wonderful, a blue herringbone half-belted Chesterfield that I wore to death, and a light grey knee-length raincoat that made me feel like a darn superhero.
They were all wonderful in their own unique way but all had the same thing in common….they looked their best when paired with a suit. I wore them often on a weekend but always yearned for a touch more softness to really get the best use out of them.
So I’ve been so excited to launch this style that I nearly did it at the height of summer (we did have one didn’t we) but decided to hold it back until now. A few of you have noticed the master models and samples dotted around our Birmingham suite and enquired but I’ve really held off pushing them until now.
The new Raglan Overcoat is here and ready to order. The “raglan” refers specifically to the shoulder which is very distinct and much more rounded than the “set in” sleeve normally used (see picture below).
My advice always seeks to focus on what the wearer gets out of it and how to use it. The main takeaway should be that it significantly rounds the shoulder line, therefore casualizing the coat as a result. As such this style of coat is very adept at crossing the weekday and weekend divide but always erring towards the casual.
I made up a sample in a house navy dogtooth by Vitale Barberis around December time last year and wore it during the second half of winter (pictured below). As usual, I like to road-test new styles and refine them before launch.
Some styles never see the light of day such as the Cuban-inspired seersucker shirt that just wasn’t Colmore I’d been spending too much time on Instagram and got lured into the style.
But I’m happy to say that the Raglan did what I expected pretty darn quick, and save for a couple of small style tweaks and additions went into regular rotation with ease.
I deliberately made the Barberis up in a longer length to just below my knee, as shown in the pictures above. This wont be to everyone’s taste but we did a shoot a couple of years back where I wore a longer-length coat. I took an objective view of the pictures and felt they made me look better. The colour-blocking effect of the longer length really elongated me so it was something I was keen to explore
But I don’t expect the longer length to be what most people plump for, but expect a length a little shorter to prove popular.
Sometimes the differences between what feels long and what feels right can be subtle. The Drago brown check shown below is only "2” shorter but feels like a more natural length.
The brown check Drago cloth shown above and below was deliberately designed to be as traditional feeling as possible. Whilst people may have other ideas of what they consider traditional this is how I viewed it in my mind.
The 5-button front and split sleeve are the core features of this style, and I added welted pockets and a sleeve strap. Welted pockets for me are all about function. I walk around with my hands in my pockets and use them constantly so the diagonal line of the pocket is very comfortable. You can add a button to the welted pocket if you wish or change it to patch pockets too. We have samples of both in-house for you to view.
Sleeve straps are something I never use. It’s a personal choice and I know a lot of people enjoy them so put them on the Raglan for people to see.
The cloth is from Drago’s seasonal collection and is now sold out. That’s the risk of designing pieces so far in advance and something I’ll have to learn from. But Abraham Moons stocks a wonderful pure wool version of this check (fabric ref GLEN 9487/E04) and has over a thousand meters in stock so this would be my preferred alternative. The cost of it would be £1024.99
I made a couple of little design tweaks that I fell really enhanced the style. Both are available as options when designing.
The first option is a small button that can be added to the collar to help it stand up (shown below). It really helps keep the elements out and I found myself buttoning it up daily.
A by-product of buttoning it up was that it removed the daily need to carry a scarf which proved useful when caught out by England’s changing weather. I certainly found it useful but If you always wear a scarf then it’s not needed.
Another small addition was the belt. The belt style I initially looked at was the traditional style with a buckle as shown below left. Whilst the buckle worked It wasnt really to my liking. I’ve kept it but we now also offer it without the buckles and as a simple tie front style. This to me is more in keeping with the casual style and would be recommended.
You don’t have to have it with a belt though. I sometimes wear my raglan over a suit, and sometimes just over a shirt or thin gauge knit. When I have a suit jacket on I let the belt out, but when it’s just over a shirt I can really cinch it in. I found myself using and adjusting the belt often.
The navy overcoating fabric is worth a mention as it really is something special. It is a wool, mohair, and alpaca blend with around 2% poly in the mix by Vitale Barberis Canonico and we stock it in Portugal. It has a rough-looking texture without actually feeling rough, a lustre radiating from the mohair, and a wonderful softness from the alpaca. It’s a busy man’s dream as the maintenance is so low and it just seems to go with everything. Highly recommended and also available in grey (we have a sample made up in grey you can view in-house).
For info - Our cloth reference for the Vitale Barberis Canonico cloth is VB0388/14 and is priced at £899.99
As always there are more style options and I have put together a capsule collection of 6 styles that are all in-house for you to try on and view. I’ve tried to design them so that every style option is available to view and used varying cloth styles to show the versatility of the overcoat.
As always I’m here to help, guide, and advise on styles, and see myself as part of the process. It’s prudent I give honest and experience-driven feedback so that you get the right garments for the right usage.
Any queries please fire away.
The coats are made to measure and appointments can be booked here
Thanks to Adam for the wonderful photos. You can view his work over at
https://www.instagram.com/adammelvinphotography
For info - The Barberis cloth reference is VB0388/14 and is priced at £899.99
The brown cloth is from Drago’s seasonal collection and is now sold out. Abraham Moons stock a wonderful pure wool version of this check (fabric ref GLEN 9487/E04) and this would be my recommended alternative. The cost of it would be £1024.99
Prices correct at Sept 2023
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