Coats

A coat is a garment that is longer than the hips (unlike the vest or jacket ). It is worn over other clothes to protect from the elements. It opens in front, the sleeves are long and it sometimes has a hood. The materials also vary greatly depending on the use attributed to the coats. It can be worn by both men and women, although the cuts in women’s coats are different from those of men‘s coats.

History of coats

Before the vocation of a purely functional protection from the weather the coat knows today, it was previously used to establish one’s social position. Thus in ancient Rome, the citizen wore coats to differentiate themselves from slaves. In the Middle Ages , only nobles of the royal court were allowed the privilege of wearing the coat. It remained reserved for the nobility up till the 15th century and then gradually became a popular garment.

The coat will be overshadowed by the vest at the beginning of 19th century to gradually return to fashion from the middle of the century in various forms in particular as removable cloaks. The first fur coats only appeared in 1893.

Types of coats

There is a large variety of cloaks available on the market, the most popular ones being the caban, a blue coat characteristic of the Royal Navy, the chesterfield coat with hidden buttons, the Canadian coat, thicker coat which serves to keep the wearer warm, the waxed raincoat worn by sailor, the duffle coat, thick and with a broad hood, the waterproof coat with specific materials to protect against the rain and the Macfarlane, long coat with no handle and fitted with a cape among others.