Every autumn the same question comes across the counter on the first floor: what coat do I actually need? Not what looks well on a model in a studio — what will get you from the car park to the office, through a match in Cusack Park, and out for a meal after, without you carrying it over your arm all evening.
Ireland makes this harder than it needs to be. We rarely get properly cold, but we get wet, and we get wind. A coat built for a dry Continental winter will let you down in Clare. Here is how the four main options actually behave.
The overcoat
Wool, long, usually to the knee or just above. The overcoat is the smartest thing you can put on over a suit or a jacket, and nothing else comes close for looking pulled together.
What it does well: warmth without bulk, and a clean line over tailoring. What it does badly: rain. Wool absorbs water, gets heavy, and takes a full day to dry. Unless it has been treated, an overcoat is a dry-day coat.
Buy one if you wear a jacket to work, go to weddings and funerals, or want one good coat that makes everything underneath look better. Look for a wool content above 60% — below that you lose the drape and the warmth. Our Bugatti overcoats are the place to start.
The quilted jacket
The one you see on every second man at an underage match, and for good reason. Quilted jackets are light, warm for their weight, pack down small, and go over a jumper or under a heavier coat.
What it does well: everything, moderately. What it does badly: heavy rain and real cold. Most quilted jackets are shower-resistant rather than waterproof, and the diamond quilting that makes them look well also creates cold spots along the stitch lines.
This is the coat to buy first if you only own one. It is the least likely to sit in the wardrobe. See the Barbour quilted jackets, including the Powell, or the Tommy Hilfiger jackets.
The waxed jacket
The Irish and British countryside standard, and the one people get most wrong. A waxed cotton jacket is genuinely waterproof, genuinely windproof, and will last decades — but only if you re-wax it. The wax is the waterproofing. It wears off at the cuffs, shoulders and elbows first, and most makers, Barbour included, recommend re-waxing once a year with regular use.
What it does well: rain, wind, and ageing. A waxed jacket looks better at ten years old than at one. What it does badly: warmth on its own — most are unlined or lightly lined, so they need a jumper under them — and they are not machine washable.
Buy one if you are outdoors regularly and you are the sort of person who will actually maintain it. If re-waxing a coat on the kitchen table sounds like a chore rather than a Saturday, buy something else. See the Barbour wax jackets — the Bedale, Ashby and Ogston.
The parka and the padded coat
Longer, hooded, and built for weather rather than for looks. A good padded parka is the warmest thing in the shop and the most useful on the worst days.
What it does well: cold, wind, driving rain, and standing still outdoors for two hours. What it does badly: anything smart. A parka over a suit rarely works.
Buy one if you walk to work, stand on a sideline, or commute by public transport in winter. The Superdry jackets are the strongest part of that range — hooded puffers, softshell trekkers and the padded Fuji styles.
Fit: the part people get wrong
An outer layer needs room for what goes under it. The test is simple — put a jumper on, then try the coat. You should be able to cross your arms in front of you without the shoulders pulling. If you can only do that in a size up, take the size up.
Sleeve length should cover your wrist bone when your arms are down, and just show a half-inch of shirt cuff when you reach forward. Shoulder seams should sit on the edge of your shoulder, not down your arm. Shoulders are the one thing an alterations tailor cannot easily fix, so get them right in the shop.
How many coats do you actually need?
Two, for most men. One that handles weather — quilted, waxed or padded — and one that handles occasions, which is the overcoat. If you can only buy one this year, buy the weather one. It gets worn ten times as often.
What to wear underneath
Layering is what makes a coat work across a whole season. A merino or lambswool jumper from our knitwear collection under a quilted jacket takes it from October to February. A gilet under a larger coat adds core warmth without bulk in the arms. And an overshirt over a tee works as a mid-layer on the days that are cold but not cold enough for a jumper.
Finish with a pair of proper boots from our shoes and boots range — a coat does very little for you if your feet are wet. Our guide to trainers, smart casual and formal shoes covers which pair to wear with what.
Browse the full coats and jackets collection online, with free delivery on orders over €89 across Ireland, or come in and try a few on across our four floors on High Street in Ennis. Click and collect is available on everything.