How Long Should Your Winter Coat Be?
Balancing taste and personal style with principles of proportion
The winter coat is an indispensable wardrobe item in most parts of the world, and Canada is certainly one of them. Like many countries in the Northern Hemisphere, it gets pretty darn cold up here for an extended portion of the year.
When one must periodically venture outdoors during the wintertime, staying warm is of paramount importance. However, function is only half the battle, as those with a more discerning stance on what they wear wish to be warm and well dressed.
Winter coats that offer both can be hard to come by, with certain styles suiting some better than others.
Thus, the perennially appearing question: which style of coat is best for me? And, more specific to this conversation; how long should my winter coat be?
The (Proportionately Sized) Short Answer
Like most things in life, the answer to this question is relative — in this case, relative to you, your body, and your taste.
You won’t win any prizes for surmising that taller men require longer coats; it’s simple arithmetic that the longer one’s body is, the more fabric is needed to cover it.
That’s not really a matter of preference nor aesthetics, however, which means a more apposite answer to this particular question justifies further consideration. What we really want to know is: which coats can we pull off and which make us look like we’re dressed in costume.
Talking Proportions
The proportion of coat to body — specifically, height to hem length ratio — follows a similar philosophy as fine tailoring.
If you’re somewhat familiar with tailoring terms you’ll know that garments are constructed in “Regular,” “Short,” and “Tall or Long” sizes, which chiefly concern the height to hem length (the bottom of the jacket) ratio. Two men may both have 40-inch chests, but if one is 6’2 and the other 5’8, they will require two very different hem lengths of the same size 40 jacket.
Proportionately, this is because a jacket’s hem length is in part responsible for creating the overall silhouette and visual balance between the top (jacket) and bottom (trousers) of a suit for the wearer. When it comes to coats, the same idea applies.
A coat that’s too long or too short will throw off an outfit’s visual proportions, causing the wearer’s body to look deceivingly different. While there’s no such thing as a golden ratio for determining where your coat’s hemline should end, retaining balance between the upper and lower ends of your body is always necessary.
On Longer Coats
Some men love the look of longer winter coats, drawing inspiration from styles like the Overcoat, the Chesterfield, or the long Parka. That being said, not every man should wear longer coats.
Generally speaking, longer winter coats look better on taller to average-height men as there is more space for the coat’s hem to drape down over naturally without bunching up. Creating clean lines is essential for any outfit’s silhouette to shine, which means reducing fabric breaks and bunches is always ideal.
Shorter men can wear longer coats too, but the coat must be cut to the man’s proportions. Where a “Short” coat might work well, a “Regular” or (god forbid) “Long” cut coat will most probably appear unsuitably long on gentlemen under about 5’8”. The last thing more diminutive men want is to look like their coat’s wearing them rather than the other way around.
Longer coats also tend to provide more warmth to their wearers that shorter coats. If you’re searching for something to stand up to an especially cold climate, a longer coat is a much better option than a shorter one.
On Shorter Coats
Over recent eras shorter winter coats have risen sharply in popularity. Typically, shorter garments are considered ‘sportier’ and more casual across everything from jackets and blazers to trousers as well, with coats being no different.
Shorter coats are also typically easier to pull off, especially for shorter men. A more compressed hem length means the longer leg lines of taller men look odd in comparison, while shorter leg lines offer less contrast with shorter coat lengths.
In any case, however, shorter coats run undeniably cooler than longer coats as they cover less of their wearer’s body. Providing less coverage of the body and more exposure to the elements, shorter coats are best reserved for comparably warmer climates or situations when one doesn’t need to be outside for an extended period of time.
