In today’s climate-controlled environment, when a man steps from a heated car into a temperature-regulated office building, or from an airport terminal to his castle, the traditional topcoat may no longer seem necessary in the male wardrobe. Not so. The elegant overcoat still occupies a pivotal place in the well-dressed man’s wardrobe.

By the end of the 19th century, the most popular overcoat to wear “in town” was a single-breasted model known as the Chesterfield, named for the sixth Earl of Chesterfield, a Regency-period dandy who would have given Beau Brummell a run for his cravat. Today, the Chesterfield looks much as it did then. It can be worn with or without a black or taupe velvet collar. There is a covered-button placket front and slightly pulled-in waist. In charcoal or hunter green herringbone, solid navy, gray melton, or cashmere, it is the most elegant of all overcoats.

When the weather is particularly harsh, or when traveling, an alternative to the Chesterfield is the stylish wool tweed, English-born Ulster. This coat is always double-breasted and features sweeping lapels that can be turned up for protection from wind, rain, or anything else a storm may conjure up.

Sport was responsible for the elegant, versatile polo coat, which is often executed in tan camel hair or cashmere. But more than anything else, military conflicts have been the mother of invention in overcoat design, from the classic trench – designed expressly for British troops holed up in trenches (aptly enough) on the Western Front – to the raglan coat named after Lord Raglan, a British noble and field marshal in the Crimean War. Though seen infrequently in America, other coat styles with military history include the British Warm and the duffel coat (a favorite of Field Marshal Montgomery and named for the Belgium town of Duffel where it originated). After World War II, the duffel coat made its way to Civvy Street with ease. Indeed, the adoption of the duffel coat by American beatniks and Paris Left Bank intellectuals stands as one of the first instances where an overcoat was used as a style statement.

Wear It Well

To my mind, there is nothing like a classic Chesterfield in solid black, navy, or charcoal for adding an air of dignity to any cityscape. My personal rules regarding overcoats are quite simple. A well-tailored Chesterfield in a solid dark color is best, although a coat made up in a subtle, classic pattern such as herringbone is fine. Ideally, the coat should reach below the knee; exactly how much depends on the individual, but anywhere between 6 and 10 inches is acceptable. Any longer and the coat will begin to look theatrical.

For the country or more casual occasions, the loose-fitting raglan sleeve topcoat, tailored in a minigun check, twill, or tweed fabric, is highly versatile and travels well. Edward VIII, as the Prince of Wales, a man given to breaking rules of fashion, favored this coat, which he wore in town over his pin-striped suits and reverse-calf oxford shoes.

While the overcoat may not lend itself to color and pattern as well as a suit does, finely tailored topcoats marry extremely well when made in luxurious fabrics such as alpaca, cashmere, camel hair, and, in Europe anyway, vicuna. Inside the coat, linings may be made of woven silk – a remarkably practical fabric in and of itself. Or, if the climate demands it and one has the means, fur also works well as a topcoat lining. Just be on guard, militarily speaking, for PETA-philes.