Pea coat, like many other hard hitters in popular fashion, owes its origin to military designs. It stands right up there with the ever renowned fashion icons like the Aviator, trench coat and so on. The pea coat stands out with its double breasted nature, slash pockets and broad lapels. It has stood the test of time over many decades and is still standing strong, even though the design has barely deviated from the original form. The appeal of the pea coat lies in its versatility. It can be both the perfect weekend coat and can provide a special elegance and classiness at the same time.
How to wear the pea coat
As with any other iconic dress piece, the pea coat has to be worn the right way or it’s going to wave over more to the fashion disaster side. Sported right, the Pea coat can ooze style like none other.
- First thing to note is that the pea coat is an outer layer. All other clothes should be present under it. Only things that should extrude from it are the accessories and nothing else.
- Length is an important criterion when buying the pea coat. The length of the pea coat should be such that it reaches just below the hip, except for maybe the naval coat, which is slightly longer than the typical pea coat.
- When wearing a pea coat, it may be useful to remember that the coat was originally designed for the navy; it was built for the high seas. So, the coat has to be buttoned up to radiate the intended appeal of the pea coat. The buttons are what gives the pea coat the iconic hourglass look.
- Always buy the smallest pea coat which you can fit in, because a pea coat which is too big for you will make you seem like you’re packing a few pounds extra. Always try on the pea coat at the store to determine the right size before taking it home.
An authentic pea coat always looks more fashionable. It has higher arm holes and is made of 24oz wool. The classic is boxier with lower arm holes, shorter sleeves and being overall shorter.
Extra stuff to know about the pea coat
- Remember to not machine wash or iron a pea coat but dry clean only. Even though people tend to wash their wool coats to soften them up, this might not be the best idea.
- Often someone confuses a pea coat with a car coat. It is very much distinguishable in that a car coat is single breasted and thigh length unlike the pea coat.
- Be careful to buy good quality fabric coats, because if the wool content is less than 80%, the coat tends to give a lackluster appearance.
- Even a small change in button placement, length, color size, lapel size, material, cut, notch gap size or any additional stylizations can drastically change the look of your pea coat.
What makes the pea coat transcend time barriers is its versatility: it can be worn by young and old alike, can be worn over as t-shirt and looks just as good over a shirt and even another coat can be worn under it. It can be said to be a must have in every man’s wardrobe.
