The Donegal Overcoat - Dark Navy

The dark navy Donegal overcoat is a heritage piece of outerwear, born out of the need for a versatile coat that could be worn with jeans for a walk, or tailoring to the office. 

Says Simon: "For this latest iteration of our most popular coat, I wanted to create a version that was the easiest possible colour, weight and pattern to wear. Readers ask so much about versatility - about having one good coat - so I knew making something that could be smart and casual would be welcome. ."

The Donegal coat is rigorously designed to be simple to wear, yet flatter the owner. A higher collar frames the face; an insert in the collar keeps it up; a throat latch protects the neck yet sits elegantly when not in use. 

It's casual, yet luxurious. The 680g merino wool is warm yet malleable, the two-hole horn buttons recall Savile Row tailoring, and the pockets are lined on both sides of the pocket with cashmere, to warm the hands. 

There is also a large internal hip pocket, mitigating the need for a bag, and the coat is manufactured in the UK by Private White VC in Manchester. 

You can read the full launch article here

Alterations

The coat is made to be easy to alter:

- It is cut a little longer than most modern overcoats, as Simon considers it more practical and flattering

- But it can easily be shortened by a tailor - a good 10cm without interrupting the balance

- It can also be lengthened if needed, by around 5cm

- The sleeves can also be lengthened by around 4cm. And they can be shortened. Shortening by 1.5cm would be easy - more than that would require the wrist strap to be moved, but that is not a big job for a tailor

- The body can also be narrowed, but isn't recommended, as the style is supposed to be roomy, easy to wear, and flow

Measurements

- Have a close look at the measurements below if you're unsure of sizing, and if in doubt compare to a coat you already own

- However, the coat is standard size, so take your normal size - roughly Small for a 48 chest, Medium for 50 and so on. Unlike the Bridge Coat, it is not slim in fit and there should therefore be no need to size up.

- Simon is six foot tall and usually wears a size 50-chest jacket. He is wearing a Medium.