Autumn's Covert Coat

Autumn's most useful dress coat may be the covert, a topcoat that's named for a cloth that's named for a thicket where game birds may shelter (as we shall see the brush played a role in the coat's design). I like it because it's city wear that, unlike its relative the chesterfield, is also appropriate in the country.

Covert cloth is a fawn-colored, medium weight (18 ounce) twill-weave fabric that's sturdy and warm. It's principal use is in the eponymous coat, which is supposed to be single-breasted, fly-fronted, and knee length. It is characterized by four rows of stitches on each sleeve cuff and on the bottom hem that were intended as reinforcements to minimize wear that might occur while the wearer was riding through those thickets.

The classic covert coat has two side pockets and an interior game pocket that's just right for the day's newspaper. A brown or green velvet collar is an option for a dressier look and particularly appropriate for men who, like the dandies of old, wear their hair long enough to leave marks on their collars over time. After all, it's easier to replace a bit of velvet than the entire coat when you can't find new collar fabric.

Reasonably authentic ready to wear versions of the covert may be found at London's Cordings for £425.00 including VAT (about $680 ex VAT) or New & Lingwood for £450.00 including VAT (about $720 ex VAT). It's a bit more difficult to locate in the United States - the "covert" shown at New York's Alan Flusser Custom Shop, for example, is undoubtedly a very nice coat but it's definitely not a covert.

A Closet Full of Coats

A man needs a coat, or several of them, for the rain and the snow.

Every wardrobe has to start somewhere. If you have one coat it should be a tan raincoat with a zip-in lining that will help keep you warm when the temperature falls below freezing.

Your second coat should be designed to get you to and from your work in cold weather, like the navy guard's coat in the drawing. Less useful than a raincoat in the rain, an overcoat can literally keep you from freezing on very cold days.

Variety being the spice of life, larger wardrobes have five or more coats for different purposes. In addition to the raincoat and an overcoat, you could constructively add a topcoat, like the covert coat pictured in the center of the drawing, for milder days.

A more formal overcoat, such as a charcoal Chesterfield with a black velvet collar, will be more appropriate than a conventional coat at solemn occasions and in the evening.

Finally, a tweed coat with raglan sleeves will look fitting worn over tweed suits and odd jackets.

We differentiate between overcoats and topcoats because a topcoat is four to six inches shorter than an overcoat and less cumbersome on a train or in an automobile. It's also lighter.

Coat fabrics come in several different weights. Very heavy overcoat fabrics, suitable for a Moscow winter, weigh as much as 30 ounces and are increasingly difficult to find today. Normal overcoat fabric runs 20-22 ounces, and topcoat cloth 17-18 ounces. In warmer climates such as Naples or San Francisco, topcoats may be made from suiting fabric weighing as little as 13 ounces.

The classic colors for overcoats and topcoats are the usual navy, charcoal and tan. For variety, you should acquire one of each color before considering a second or third in a similar color. For example, your closet might contain:

• Tan raincoat
• Charcoal Chesterfield
• Navy guard's coat
• Fawn covert coat
• Brown and cream houndstooth tweed

If you prefer other choices, such as a camel polo coat instead of the navy guard's coat, you can maintain color choices in your closet by substituting, for example, a black and white herringbone topcoat for the covert.

If you've earned an indulgence this winter, remember that coats may be the best opportunities to employ luxury cloth in your wardrobe. Cold weather is significantly less uncomfortable when you're wrapped up in a cashmere overcoat.