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A display screen icon, well-known on the web – however how does it stack up in actual life?
In case you have been to cross reference James Bond followers with guys who received into males’s model within the early 2010s, one merchandise they’d all have in frequent is the pea coat. Not solely is that this rugged coat an outerwear staple, however 007 himself wore it in two movies—first within the black-and-white pre-credits sequence of On line casino Royale, after which extra prominently in Skyfall. Ask anybody who was into menswear in 2012 which peacoat Daniel Craig wore within the Shanghai scene and the reply can be instantaneous: the Billy Reid “Bond” peacoat.
Like a very good member of the overlapping Venn diagrams talked about above, I used to be impressed by all of the badass jackets of Skyfall, and I too made my pilgrimage all the way down to Billy Reid’s Bond Road location throughout a lunch break in the future in 2013. (The gross sales workers have been extremely pleasant, by the way in which, and I’m positive I aggravated them with my many questions.) I attempted on what appeared at that time like a mystical coat, marveled on the price ticket, and walked away. Over time, I’ve stored tabs on cool outerwear from the Craig movies, however a lot of the 007 wardrobe is just too pricy to purchase on a whim.
Two presidents and a world pandemic later, I got here throughout the Bond peacoat on winter clearance on the Nordstrom Rack web site, in darkish brown, for under $210. This was January 2021, on the then-worst level of the pandemic, and I knew that the events to put on this coat can be restricted. However at that value I simply couldn’t move it up as a purchase order for when issues lastly returned to regular. I’ve nonetheless barely worn the coat, on condition that I work at home and, if I do depart the home, it’s often with a toddler that may love nothing greater than to go away grubby handprints throughout that 80/20 wool mix. However I needed to place collectively this evaluation for anybody contemplating it in 2022.
And I get it—there are already rave opinions of the Bond coat on 007 websites, menswear websites, and YouTube. But when we’re trustworthy with ourselves, there’s quite a lot of hype surrounding this peacoat. Even some hero worship. In any case, Daniel Craig himself loves this coat and reportedly requested it for the movie. And it’s human nature to need to imagine that one thing we spent lots on is the truth is value it. What I hope to do is to share some lesser-known particulars and supply a balanced professional/con overview.
First, a word on match.
I’m a few measurement 40 chest and a stable medium throughout the board in most manufacturers (Banana Republic, Hole, Polo, Uniqlo). I’m even a medium in Billy Reid’s shirts. However I’ve come to count on his medium outerwear to suit me approach too tight within the shoulders and underneath the arms, which is an issue you don’t need with jackets and coats. And whereas sizing as much as a big in most manufacturers can be too large and throw off all of the proportions, on this case I received fortunate. In case you’re on the fence (both by way of sizing or buy determination), I wouldn’t rule out your subsequent measurement up. The measurements of the massive (laid flat) are:
- Chest pit to pit: 22″
- Shoulder seam to shoulder seam (in again of coat): 18″
- Sleeve size from shoulder seam to cuff: 26″
- Size from base of collar to hem in again: 30″
Second, a bit concerning the material and manufacturing.
Apparently the very early variations of the Bond coat have been 100% wool, however since then Billy Reid has relied on an 80% wool, 20% nylon mix. I’m not a stickler for 100% wool on this context; I really feel like 80% is fairly stable, and if the added nylon offers some sturdiness and climate resistance, that’s okay by me.
Extra importantly, the material is thick and durable. I can’t verify whether or not mine is melton wool, and I’ve by no means owned a Schott for comparability. Nevertheless it’s noticeably extra substantial than a mall-brand peacoat. This manifests itself not solely within the hand of the material but in addition within the drape: whereas a wool-blend coat off the rack at Hole or H&M tends to really feel like felt and dangle oddly off the physique, this coat seems like armor.
My model of the coat continues to be made in Italy, however I seen that the present iteration on the Billy Reid web site is now made in Portugal, and the wool content material is all the way down to 75%. Is it a results of pandemic supply-chain points and financial pressures? I don’t know. However hold this variation in thoughts in case you’re trying on the newest model. I additionally got here throughout a video that claims the newer model is barely roomier throughout the again and likewise has some stretch within the materials.
Third, the Bond peacoat has some distinctive aesthetic options I actually like.
Whereas the usual US Navy peacoat has 4 rows of buttons throughout the entrance (plus a hidden lapel button) and one set of waist-level slash hand pockets, the Billy Reid model has solely three rows of buttons, however two units of pockets: a pair of waist-level button-flap welt pockets, and a pair of chest-height vertical slash handwarmer pockets. Pockets are extremely subjective, however for me, this mix is a win. The decrease pockets supply storage and visible curiosity, and the handwarmer pockets are excellent for winter commuting (if I ever return to the workplace).
Billy Reid is understood for including distinctive luxe touches to his clothes, and the Bond coat has pure horn buttons (vs. metallic or plastic) and a cool leather-based lining underneath the collar and pocket flaps. It’s not an enormous factor, but it surely’s good, significantly on the collar because it’s seen when popped however not as garish as a Burberry plaid.
The fourth level is each a professional and a con, relying on whom you ask: the height lapels.
In a purist sense, a peacoat merely doesn’t have peak lapels. It’s true that the unique designs had a big collar folded over like lapels. It’s additionally true that you simply lose some wind safety while you flip up this smaller, even anemic, peak lapel vs. the unique. You received’t appear to be Redford in Three Days of the Condor. However I’m okay with the smaller peak lapels as a result of I’ve all the time discovered that peacoat collars look awkward on me when not popped. But when I continuously pop the collar of a conventional peacoat, I appear to be I’m all the time anticipating a nor’easter or setting myself up for an insult from Succession’s Tom Wambsgans. The lower-key lapels appear much less ostentatious when worn up, which, once more, is subjective however a win for me.
Fifth, the cons.
I did promise that this wouldn’t be one other glowing evaluation telling you that it’s essential to go purchase this coat so to appear to be 007. The primary con is the dearth of an inside lining. This isn’t all the time clearly marketed, and it’s an enormous deal. The Bond coat lacks not solely an insulated lining for heat but in addition any sort of clean lining on the again or sleeves that you’d count on from a dressy, higher-end wool coat. Some may say that the dearth of lining makes the coat simpler to tailor, however actually that seems like bullshit. Having unlined wool sleeves positively makes it more durable to slip the coat on and off (significantly over knitwear), and it additionally means we don’t get any inside pockets. Once more, I do know there are 4 exterior pockets, however it is a $700 MSRP coat, and I don’t suppose anticipating an inside pocket is unreasonable.
The second con is the heat degree. Except you run sizzling, be cautious of anybody telling you this coat is amazingly heat and might be worn all winter, and so forth. It’s a pleasant thick wool, however within the Northeast US, it’s mainly a coat for fall or milder winter days vs. a real workhorse for the bitterest climate. As I discussed above, there’s no insulated lining, and the dearth of a sleeve lining makes it more durable so that you can layer over your heat chunky knitwear. It’s nonetheless doable—simply harder. And also you lack that pleasing feeling of sliding a coat easily over the layers beneath. Maybe in case you reside in a warmer space the place winters are milder, this isn’t such a destructive.
So what’s the decision?
Is that this coat value it? I hate to present the usual lawyer reply, however “possibly.” For me, I used to be capable of get it in darkish brown for under $210, which appears greater than truthful. It’s a less-expected shade for a peacoat, however that plus the height lapels implies that it may be a little bit of a press release coat with out breaking the financial institution. The brown continues to be obtainable at Nordstrom Rack for $367.46, however solely in XL and XXL.
Nonetheless, navy, black, and even grey received’t seemingly drop that low, however yow will discover them at Amazon for numerous costs relying on the algorithm. And it’s onerous to see paying full or close to full retail for this coat when you will get a Schott for much less or put the $700 towards one thing like a Personal White VC, which can be a really detail-oriented peacoat.
And that, I suppose, is form of the purpose after we come throughout extraordinarily hyped gadgets worn by our favourite characters. There’s an urge to tug the set off as a result of having the identical coat as Bond will, we’re advised, make us really feel like Bond. Nevertheless it’s all the time higher to decorate in a approach that takes inspiration from many sources however is pure and sensible for our personal life, sense of fashion, physique kind, and circumstances. I made a decision to maintain the Bond peacoat on the value I paid, however solely you possibly can resolve if it’s actually a sensible piece to your personal life.
However in case you’re the sort that appears good washed up on a seashore with a bullet in your shoulder, then I suppose it actually doesn’t matter.
Get a budget-alt Peacoat and see extra James Bond model:
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