The 'A' Wrap Coat
The 'A' Wrap Coat is the pièce de résistance of our fall/winter 2023. The ‘A' Wrap Coat’s ‘A’ stands for many things. It certainly does not relate to attenuation, but amplified, an A-line silhouette. Above it all, it is the ‘Anthology’ coat that shelters all fine Anthology garments, shielding them from rain and storm.
The ‘A’ Wrap Coat is a new silhouette to the house, a quest we have longingly been in the works for a creation that is less reliant on the 'perfect fit' through the tailoring lens. The design ethos is in the application of a new set of rules, allowing us to rethink form, lines and silhouettes in a new light. Our goal is to create an everything coat except for a dressy tailored coat. Going the opposite way of our Polo Coat and letting it keep its throne, preserving one side of the house's tailoring essence, this new silhouette suggests a divergent identity to our Anthologists — a majestic grandeur with drama and fluidity.
Silhouette
Years in bewilderment grasping the balance fit and flow, we are constantly in the play of proportions, understanding the nuances between tailoring's golden standard of 'well-fitting' and oversizing, and the extent of the latter pursuit. Concluded is a Balmacaan style, raglan-sleeved, A-line, over-the-knee coat. The design features a loose fit, dropped shoulders and a hidden placket that evokes the warm despite relaxed construction of a bathrobe, retaining an overall simplicity and minimality of design. With the inclusion of a belt and exclusion of a vent, once strapped around the waist, it adds shape to its voluminous silhouette, lending the whole affair a generous form, creating what we describe as 'drama'.
Details
In addition to a silhouette change for the house, the creation of a considered wrap coat design stemmed from the frustration of seeing a lack of functional details in modern coating: perhaps it is due to the deficit of attention to details, or worse, cutting corners in garment making, which is not surprising. Having been collecting countless raincoats and belted coats, ranging from WW2 pieces to archival pieces from the best of haute runway designers in the past decades, our creators have specifically 'consommé-d' the crucial details and applied to our design, making The 'A' Wrap Coat unequalled to its kind.
Slanted jetted slash pockets on the waist are cut wide and deep to the angle for an entire hand entry, also subtly complementing the overall minimal silhouette of the coat. The collar and lapel can be flipped up and connected to the other side, covering up the neck and chest entirely to guard off the wind.
Beyond other details, there is a detail adapted from old coat designs. It is viewed as the crème de la crème coming from personal experience. A slit cut on the backside of each waist pocket of the coat, which allows access to one’s jacket without the need to untangle it while being in the cold — nobody wants to bare oneself for another minute or second searching for the house key or phone in the sub-zeros.
Materials
The design diverges from the typical shell or gabardine jacket, the usual raincoat type of material. Specially woven for us in a 25/26oz (700gm) British wool cavalry twill, we are fascinated by the traditional cloth's double-twill visual feature. It is also naturally hard-wearing whilst water-repellent with no need for artificial coating, given the density of the cloth. The fabric is a creation that ensures strength, durability and warmth. With our unique specifications, it is also endowed with an unexpected flowingness on top of its promising drape, which is what we envisioned this piece to be.
Dyed in a matte brown with the slightest injection of olive to balance out the warm colour with a specific cool tint, making it a city brown in line with our ‘Pitch Black’ theme and with black.
Shot by Milad Abedi. Also revisit this season’s lookbook and feature on the new Crockett & Jones loafers.
