How a Winter Coat Should Fit

A coat is the hardest piece in a wardrobe to buy online, because it has to fit not you but you plus a sweater, and it has to move when you reach, sit and drive. Most coat returns come from sizing it like a dress. The checks below take a minute each and predict fit better than the size label does.

Measure over what you will wear under it

Take your chest and shoulder measurements over the heaviest layer the coat will cover, not over a T-shirt. A coat sized to your bare measurements will feel right in the fitting room and tight by November.

The shoulder seam sets everything

Where the sleeve meets the body, the seam should sit on the point of your shoulder. Beyond it, the coat looks borrowed; short of it, you cannot lift your arms. Sleeve and body length can be altered. The shoulder cannot, so decide on that first.

Sleeve length changes when you bend your arm

Sleeves that reach the wrist bone with your arm straight ride up two to three centimetres when you bend the elbow. Check the length with the arm crooked, as it will be on a steering wheel or a phone.

Room to sit down

Fasten the coat and sit. If it pulls across the hips or the buttons strain, the size is right for standing and wrong for the rest of the day. A coat that closes comfortably seated will close standing; the reverse is not true.

Weight is not warmth

A heavy coat is not necessarily a warm one. Wool blends with a high wool content hold heat at moderate weight; a heavy coat with a low wool content mostly holds weight. Read the fibre line on the product page before the description.

Length and the wind

Hip-length coats suit driving and short walks; knee-length or longer earns its keep on a platform in January. Choose by how much time you spend outdoors standing still, since that, not temperature, is what makes a short coat feel cold.

Closures and pockets

Buttons and zips are where cheap coats show first. A zip should run without catching when the coat is fastened over a sweater, and buttons should be sewn with a shank so they sit flat under strain rather than pulling the fabric into a pucker. Pockets are worth a second look too: a coat you will wear daily needs at least one deep enough to hold a phone without it showing, and lined pockets hold their shape where unlined ones sag within a season.

If it still is not right

Every coat on this site lists its measurements and fibre content so you can check before ordering. If one arrives and does not suit, our Return and Refund Policy gives you 30 days, the FAQ answers the common sizing questions, and sending us your measurements through the Contact Us page gets you a straight recommendation.