Is Your Topcoat Too Short?
We’ve officially hit that nasty stretch of winter when only the hardiest of coats will do. Puffers and parkas. Beefy peacoats and hardy duffels. And, of course, the all-powerful topcoat—that swaddle-y, sophisticated staple that syncs up flawlessly with suits and tailoring while leveling up all manner of jeans and hoodies and beyond. We are devoted, full-throated fans of great topcoats here at GQ. The only problem? We don’t see enough actually great topcoats out in the world.
Mostly, the topcoats we do see suffer from a maddening, outfit-ruining deficiency: they’re cut way too short, with the hemline hitting the mid-thigh (or sometimes even higher). That’s a sure sign your coat is a relic of the skinny-suit era, and it’s a fatal flaw from just about every possible angle.
First of all, practically speaking, you’re leaving yourself far too exposed to the elements. The whole point of an overcoat is for it to fit comfortably over the rest of your clothes, providing a barrier of heavy cloth between you and the cold. The longer your coat, the warmer your lower extremities will be, and the less likely your trousers are to be splattered with snow, sleet, or slush. You want your topcoat, then, to extend below your knees—perhaps even to mid-shin. (This rule also very much applies to trench coats, FYI.) A mid-thigh length is a paltry, rinky-dink, half-assed thing, exposing most of your legs to the cold. Why bother?
Beyond mere utility, however, a longer topcoat also provides a more aesthetically pleasing silhouette. Consider the “golden ratio” of men’s dressing, in which the ideal composition of an outfit divides the body between one-third and two-thirds. It’s why shirts have become boxier and more cropped in recent years, leaving some men to take matters into their own hands. A mid-thigh topcoat cuts you off at some dreadful three-fifths proportion or thereabouts—an undeniably inelegant sight. Knee-length, however, aligns with that sacred calculation, resulting in a brain-scratching, eye-pleasing equilibrium of style.
And last but not least is the matter of presence. Drama, even. Clothing, at its best, should be emotive, dynamic, transportive. There’s a certain swish when you walk in a long coat that lends your look a graceful authority that a truncated version simply cannot provide. In a knee-length, back-vented topcoat, the garment reacts to your stride, moves with you through the day, and complements your form. It has a sense of energy that simply cannot be replicated with a paltry quad-grazing coat, which acts more like a confining miniskirt for men, a sad hindrance to your outfit.
We still have plenty of bone-chilling days left to endure. It is a dismal time, to be sure, but the topcoat is here to help us soldier on with a surplus of comfort and elegance. Just be sure to choose a coat of appropriate length, or you’ll wind up regretting every frigid step you take.
