How to Choose a Well-Fitting Coat

With the days getting warmer and thick woolly jumpers being relegated to the winter clothing drawer, you might be starting to think about getting a new coat. You can afford to get something a bit more fitted at this time of year—layering is still necessary but they’ll be thin layers rather than thick ones—so a tailored look could be just the thing to welcome in the new season. But just how can you choose a well-fitting coat?

Well, whilst you can sometimes take a coat off the rack and have it fit perfectly, it won’t always be that simple. The key is making sure you’re getting a snug fit around every part of your body with no part of the coat looking too tight, and particular areas of concern tend to be across the back and chest as well as the upper arms. But, finding a coat to suit can sometimes be a challenge. They tend to be made to generic sizes without taking things like muscle into consideration and some styles (such as our duffle coats) are specifically made to be roomy so you might find you need to choose a smaller size than normal, but there are some things you can do.

Trying several on will of course be a given, but if you really want to make sure you’re getting a proper fitted look you could always take your coat to a tailor to have a nip and tuck or two. Or, you could even go all-out and have a coat tailor-made to your exact size, in which case you’ll need to be even more specific in your measurements—you’ll need to consider everything from the size of your neck and upper arms to the desired sleeve length, ensuring that everything is a perfect fit and totally suited to your dimensions. This could be ideal if you’re getting a coat for a special occasion but you don’t always have to be that fancy, and as long as you make sure to try on several options before you make your decision (and ideally have someone with you who can see the fit across your back, for example) you could find the perfect well-fitting coat to suit.