In search of the “Grail”: the ideal light coat – Carte blanche to Nicolò

What is your image of an ideal coat?

For my part, I have always seen the coat as the noblest of all the pieces in a man's wardrobe.

Imagine for a moment that your closet is a court, and its clothes are its courtiers...

When you open the door in winter, you should hear a shirt solemnly announce:

"This is Sir Prince, Longcoat XIV, Lord of the Winter Kingdom."

The coat, prince of a wardrobe

This "prince", there was a time when I imagined him more as a martial monarch.

The coat was like a suit of armor: structured, grandiose in shape, sober in color and material. A little more strictly elegant, let's say.

I had a preference for these coats with structured shoulders and very sturdy wool fabric.

While today, the ideal coat seems to me a little more like a prince more... Decadent, let's say. But all the more charming.

So I'm looking for a result that's closer to a cape than armor : enveloping, supple, with a touch of relaxation.

I want a coat that I can lean on—well, slump down on!—on a counter or the corner of a table.

The weight of winter is already heavy enough as it is, I don't want my coat to further restrict my movement.

And so that it does not lose its splendor despite this voluntary relaxation, it needs a sumptuous material.

But this change in preferences is not just about me, actually.

What I was explaining in my article on Soft Tailoring is that the entire sphere of menswear is beginning a gradual transformation towards a less stiff elegance, so that it can survive in a world where formal style has lost much of its meaning.

Anyway, there you have it, my feelings about this ideal coat. I have formulated the general feeling of what I want the piece to give off.

My method for defining a clothing "Grail" is to start with this emotional starting point, and then translate it into tangible ideas , details, colors, materials and shapes.

1. The light coat, a light in the winter

Let's start with color, since that's the first thing that comes to mind.

At first glance, I imagine a light color : when a coat is made of a splendid fabric, it has the merit of making it stand out all the more.

To be honest, this article was almost called "In Search of the "Holy Grail": the Camel Coat" . Before digging into the question, I was already convinced.

It is true that this color brightens up the gray winter, absolutely enhances all neutral tones, whites and ecrus, blues, and even works with well-chosen shades of burgundy and green.

And to top it all off, it must be said that it exudes a decidedly retro charm.

2. The Camel's Dilemma

But, thinking about it, I still find two or three drawbacks.

Already, this retro charm comes precisely from a certain image which seems to me to be well anchored in the collective imagination...

Bruce Boyer says it very well in this article , where he calls it the classic "Polo Coat" from "Most Aristocratic of all Coats".

He tells the story of this classic piece, most often made in this very clear camel, which seems to be more yellow than light brown.

And I think it's precisely this "aristocratic" side that makes me tick. And it concerns very specifically this camel, and not another.

On the one hand, I'm not going to deny the "princely" appeal that this represents, since by my own admission, that's a bit of what I also look for in a coat.

But on the other hand, when I think of these shades of camel on a coat, I can't help but associate it with Christian Bale in the movie American Psycho , or models in an old Ralph Lauren ad.

And once I let my mind wander, the flood of images continues: I see young, blond, preppy-looking, square-jawed Americans wearing "rep ties." snobbish airs, accompanied by their handsome dads with salt and pepper hair.

It brings to mind an image that glorifies money and the "caste" of a fantasized elite a little too much.

And to relate this to France, I also imagine it as the coat of a Parisian West of yesteryear, a little worldly.

But that's not what I mean by "The Prince of my wardrobe" when I talk about the coat. I understand that for some, these are completely positive images, and even an ideal to achieve.

But for me, it leaves me rather lukewarm.

But to return to our camels sheep, this business of connotation, it's played out with a nuance near. A nothing!

And yet it changes everything in my eyes.

Once this feeling is clarified, other light colors suggest themselves to me as alternatives.

Roof first, I'm considering a slightly browner camel. Another shade, then.

A little less messy, and a little more modest too. Maybe not as flashy, but bright nonetheless (the quality of the fabric plays as much as the color).

Another detail, but not the least, this shade is more likely to suit a light-skinned brunette (like me) in winter.

Three shades of camel, from the most "yellow" on the left, through the most beige in the middle, to the most "brown" on the right. (Loewe, Lardini, Suitsupply ) Then there is also the greige.

It's this slightly bastard color , halfway between beige and gray, which is often underestimated in humans. It's like a lighter taupe!

A neutral tone par excellence, it is perfect for creating shades or gradients of gray, beige, white, etc.

I also thought about light gray, as well as white, but the former will give off something too neutral for what I'm looking for. But that's the role of gray, after all.

As for the second... The white coat is good for showing off at Pitti Uomo, but I think I'd get tired of it a bit quickly.

I wanted one two years ago when I suddenly had a liking for light shades, but I think I did well to leave it at the desire stage.

3. Camel or not camel?

Then comes the question of fiber.

Of course, a coat worthy of being called the "Grail" will be made from a precious fiber .

It is not so much a need to have exceptional softness on a coat (which is never in contact with the skin), nor a simple bout of textile snobbery.

Rather, it is because the rarer, finer and more delicate fibers than simple wool tend to give a fluid drape and a luminosity that most wools do not offer.

We therefore think of wools such as cashmere, alpaca, yak, or, precisely, camel , the fiber to which the "Camel Coat" owes its nickname.

Because the polo coat, which has its origins on English campuses at the beginning of the 20th century , was indeed made of camel hair.

It is an extremely soft and warm fiber, whose "hairy" appearance reflects light in a very unique way.

On the coat that a good friend who is a fan of sartorial art had custom-made at Ardentes Clipei, it looks like this:

Alexandre made himself a Polo Coat according to the rules of art, the real one.

Which is not what I'm looking for, but still a great piece!

And from memory, it was a Holland & Sherry fabric that was used.

The result is quite striking, and we can see in this last photo how the camel has a very unique "velvety" texture.

However, camel wool fabrics are more often produced in this very specific shade of camel, reminiscent of the color of the animal itself... A shade which, as explained just before, does not suit me.

I thought for a long time that it was due to a technical limitation of the fiber, but it seems that it is more a question of tradition than anything else. So this is a first argument against camel, even if said fiber has a charm of its own.

The second point that would dissuade me from purchasing such a coat would be its extreme fragility.

This is one of the reasons why this fiber has lost popularity over the decades. Even cashmere, although a delicate fiber, is not as susceptible to abrasion and deformation.

And that's not compatible with my desire to have a coat I can slouch into.

I am willing to consider paying what is commonly considered an unreasonable amount. And even to wait a good number of years before being able to do so.

But if it's for a coat that falls apart three years later, it won't work.

But there is still a solution that I have heard good things about: by mixing camel or cashmere with a fairly soft merino wool, we would obtain a touch and fluidity quite close to a "100%" composition, but much better durability.

Having touched the 50/50 wool-cashmere blends from Loro Piana, honestly, the difference is not obvious.

And besides... It's still a little cheaper.

Yes yes, your Grail does not always have to be the most expensive piece on the market... It's just that it coincides a little often, unfortunately.

The question of material having been dealt with, there remains that of design. And it is far from being the simplest.

It is probably even my design requirements that will make my "Grail" so inaccessible...

Design: A look at women

I have always been quite inspired by women's coats.

Even as a teenager, I thought my mother's coats had a style that men's coats didn't seem to have. And it took me a while to understand why.

In my opinion, this is explained by the fact that the feminine coat has always had this aesthetic of fluidity and roundness , whereas masculine coats had, for a long time, a much more angular and structured look.

But now, the spirit of the times has changed. This roundness and suppleness have crept into men's coats.

So even if the proportions are not the same , there are many things about women's coats that can inspire the design of a men's coat...

1. Shawl collar and double-breasted coat

There are a lot more soft and neutral tones there, by the way.

But above all, women's coats often have two visual elements that I particularly like so that my hypothetical coat is a "Holy Grail": a belt and a shawl collar.

And hold on tight, that's not all.

I want this shawl collar on a double-breasted coat.

...

And I'm not done yet!

Because not only do I want it to be in the right proportions , namely not too wide...

Not too narrow...

But in addition, I want the collar and the belt to have relief , in particular with the help of a play of topstitching.

The edges of the collar should have a topstitch, which brings out the fabric in a sort of edging all along the coat.

The same goes for the belt, but this play on stitching can also be done in other ways, as below.

Otherwise, when it's too flat, it looks too much like a bathrobe. Or a dressing gown, your choice.

These are the kinds of things you probably notice "without realizing it" .

These are the details that give a room character, but which could easily be forgotten if you asked someone to list their criteria.

3. “Postman” pockets

Where my search gets even more complicated is that I want both of these elements (belt and shawl collar), which are much more often feminine than masculine, AND two design elements much more prevalent in traditional masculine menswear .

First, those pockets.

I've heard them called "postman's pockets." Because... I guess you can fit an envelope in them? I honestly don't know.

At the post office near my house, I've never seen employees with pockets like that, and neither has the mailman, so hey...

In any case, it is probably the detail that I like the most on the original polo coat, and one of the most characteristic: these pockets which are at the same time patched, square with rounded corners, and with flaps.

There are variations in shape, of course, but they always convey this image of spacious, functional comfort. It gives a secure feeling for your hands and for your belongings.

They have a frank and more raw elegance, which helps to relax the coat.

And I think they will have a very good synergy with the sleeves...

4. Raglan sleeves

This is the last detail that would characterize my ideal light coat: raglan sleeves.

Here too, it is a choice which contributes to the relaxation , and which removes the structured aspect that the shoulder of a classic coat can have.

And I'll confess something to you: I've never worn a coat with raglan shoulders.

Legend has it that it's much more comfortable than a regular shoulder. If that's true, here's one more reason.

But the reason I'm considering it is mainly to achieve a balance with my body type.

The coat is already a piece that thickens the build . Being rather short (1m72) and muscular, I am therefore looking to reduce its angularity.

Because structured shoulder can make me look like a walking rectangle.

It's less obvious on a jacket, but on a coat (a light one at that), it's obvious.

You should know that the classic shape of the structured shoulder was designed to "simulate" a well-built silhouette.

But when you're muscular , your body already provides a lot of structure to the parts.

But how am I going to find that?

...No idea.

The whole point of the Grail quest is that if I knew where to find it , I wouldn't have anything to tell you .

Of course, it's partly a question of budget, as the requirements of my "Grails" put them at the very top of the pile.

But if that were all, I would save up for a long time, one day I would buy the item, and I would say to you "look, here is my most beautiful coat" .

Or I will simply send you a link to the product.

So, no obstacles, no quest!

At the moment, I only see the option of true "Bespoke" which could materialize such a project.

That is to say, tailor-made with complete personalization. Of course, the prices of such a coat are completely prohibitive...

And then, even if I found a half-measure brand capable of offering precisely this design... The tailor would have to have access to the right fabric! The right shade of camel or greige. The right weight, the right drape, the balance of fluidity and warmth, the right compromise between robustness and softness...

I'm definitely going to dream about this coat for a long time to come , before I see it on my shoulders.

To conclude, I would ask you the same question as at the beginning of this article: what would your ideal coat look like?