How do I find a wool overcoat in May?

May 10, 2007 6:08 AM

I need help finding a men's wool overcoat . . .

I'm looking for, specifically, a wool overcoat that is:

- long
- dark blue/navy or black/charcoal
- single-breasted
- not a trench, nor a pea-coat

I've found a couple likely-looking examples online - this one is gorgeous, but rather beyond my price range (I'm looking for up to about $250, though $300 is doable). This seems nice as well, but doesn't look quite long enough, and appears to be only available in larger sizes.

Which brings me to my next question - I know nothing about men's sizing (US or Australian). The gentleman in question is rather tall (6'4), and very much on the slim/lanky side (under 170 pounds). I'm concerned that what I get will either be too wide in the body or too short in the arms and total length. This is a gift, so ideally I want to get it right without having to send it back. What US and Australian sizes should I be looking for?

I'm in northern California, so I have San Francisco and most chain department stores (Mervyn's, Nordstrom, JCPenney, etc.) available to me, and will be checking them out - though at this time of year, coming up on summer fast, I'm doubting the prospects I'll find there. I'll also have a small window of opportunity to shop in Sydney, Australia at the beginning of June - a much more likely season for coat-shopping there, but I can't seem to find online catalogs for David Jones, Myer, or other obvious stores to preview what I might find there.

Please hope me, Metafilter!

posted by po to shopping (13 comments total)

If you're not opposed to it you might have good luck going to a high-end consignment store and looking for a used one, then paying to get it tailored perfectly. I did that and it ended up costing about $150 for the coat and $150 for the alterations.
posted by true at 6:30 AM on May 10, 2007

www.bluefly.com has some, but is a bit more expensive than you'd like. Unfortunately most department stores are likely to have gotten rid of their winter clothing already, and a brief glance around the clearance places (overstock, etc.) doesn't show very much.

I'm really not sure that those are too big -- the number (38, etc.) represents the circumference at the chest in inches (US Sizing). Just as a comparison, the standard 'drop' (difference between waist circumference and chest circumference) for a man is 6 inches, so that someone who wears size 32 pants is likely to have a size 38 chest. Note that this can be off for the athletic or the extremely thin.

I bought my overcoat from Nordstrom's, but it was very much an overcoat -- it is deliberately cut quite large to allow you to wear a suit underneath it. The more recent fashion is for overcoats to be more slim, though, so, I'm not sure.

Good luck!
posted by Comrade_robot at 6:41 AM on May 10, 2007

Sierra Trading Post. I didn't look through to see if anything matched what you're after exactly, but it's the time of year for there to be lots of winter coats cheap there.
posted by mendel at 7:05 AM on May 10, 2007

Go to resale/thrift/consignment stores. Major department stores won't be carrying them, and anyone who is getting rid of one will probably have just done so, so they're likely to still be available at the thrift store. You can find real nice and fairly new stuff, especially if you go to an area of town where more old or retired people live.
posted by Mr. Gunn at 7:06 AM on May 10, 2007

Jos. A. Banks
posted by caddis at 7:22 AM on May 10, 2007

Check out the Filson catalogue. This is top-quality stuff. Lots of wool.
posted by recurve at 7:32 AM on May 10, 2007

If you're in San Francisco, a good bet is the Nordstrom Rack in Colma, or in San Francisco. The former's generally a little better, and they often have overcoats even this late in the year.

Sizing is going to be tough, though. Is the person you're buying it for a San Franciscan? If so... when are they going to wear an overcoat? And as comrade robot pointed out, you need to decide whether it's to be worn over a suit, or if you're just buying a long coat.
posted by YoungAmerican at 8:15 AM on May 10, 2007

My boyfriend is 6'3" and even thinner than your gift recipient. He got a great coat at a resale store - it's a wool coat, mid-calf length, probably an army officer's coat or something of the sort. It is a 38 and is a bit big on him - he wears size 30 pants, so Comrade_robot's mention of the 6" difference between waist and chest circumference are pretty spot on as my partner could definitely wear a 36 and be fine.

If you go to a men's clothing retailer and explain the height, weight, build, and pants size (if you know it) of the person you are purchasing the coat for, they will probably be able to estimate the size pretty well. As for stores, try Men's Wearhouse, and then head to Nordstrom Rack or other outlet stores as they are more likely to have off-season merchandise.
posted by bedhead at 8:22 AM on May 10, 2007

I've gotten two lovely wool/cashmere coats at thrift stores, each for under twenty bucks. Mr. Gunn is correct; the off-season is the perfect time to shop for 'em at Salvation Army and Goodwill.
posted by Greg Nog at 9:26 AM on May 10, 2007

Sizing: I got my first suit when I was 6'4", 180 and I wore a 41 Long. Your friend is likely to have a chest size of 40-42, but perhaps as low as 38 if he carries his weight lower.

My guess would be that for chest size, exchanging sizes is more feasible than altering, so can you measure? Perhaps along the lines of "I know something that will look great on you, but I need your size." You give a little away about the nature of your gift, but it makes for a much more satisfying gift if it fits well.

Nobody has said it yet, so let me emphasize that you almost certainly want the "Long" size. Regular sizes are nearly always too short in overall length and in the sleeves.

Where to get one: any good menswear store should sell overcoats matching your description. Department stores are unlikely to be able to help in the off-season, but menswear stores can often order what you need even if they don't have it in stock. They do things like this all the time -- think of mormon missionaries who need to buy a coat for 2 years in Russia, but have to get it in Utah, in July.

Good Luck!
posted by rossmik at 12:43 PM on May 10, 2007

ARMY SURPLUS STORE!!

way decent pricing, very good quality.. they are available year round and can be bought without army/navy/whatever markings.

yellow pages or google for one local to you.
posted by Lizc at 3:44 PM on May 10, 2007

Look at eBay! Since you wouldn't be able to have him try it on anyway, there's no reason not to. I got a beautiful red wool coat from eBay a few years ago for $40, and that's including shipping etc. Also, they tend to be pretty explicit about different measurements, precisely because you can't try on and there's no real standardization. They gave chest, arm, length, etc measurements on my coat, which was way better than I saw at many other online retailers.
posted by crinklebat at 6:22 PM on May 10, 2007

Thank you, everyone! Your advice is -much- appreciated... I'll definitely be checking out the Nordstrom Rack, local menswear stores, and the thrift/Army surplus options over the next two weeks. Comrade_robot, bluefly.com is rather amazing, and makes me wish I had a couple grand to spend rather than a measly few hundred - perhaps I'll have to start stashing money away for something really nice in the future. (As the gift recipient happens to be my beloved, it's something I'm definitely willing to do!) Thanks again, all. Hopefully I'll be able to find him something to replace the much-loved and much-mourned one that he left in the BART on the way to the airport on his last visit here. :)
posted by po at 6:47 PM on May 12, 2007