The Case for One Good Coat

A coat is the only garment most people wear every day for six months of the year. It is also the garment most often bought badly — in a hurry, in October, at whatever price the moment allows.

The alternative is unromantic: measure the shoulder, check the cloth weight, ignore the lining. A double-faced wool at 700 grams will hold its line for a decade. A bonded fabric will not survive three winters.

Buy the coat in the colour you already wear. Have it repaired rather than replaced. This is not austerity; it is the cheapest luxury available.