Product Review - The Burton Miliary Coat

That Dapper Chap reviews the Burton Menswear military style coat which came top of his recent blog on top five coats available from the current collection

We all know the Burton brand. Now owned by the Arcadia Group who also look after Topman, it's a well established British institution. With over 400 stores in the UK you're never far from a store.

Product

For this product review I am focussing on the coat which came top of my recent blog on winter coats available from Burton menswear.

As we know, a lot of coats are inspired by military design, for example, the trench coat and the pea coat all have their roots deep in military soil. This coat however embraces this fact and doesn't pretend to be anything other than a Naval coat. With its wide ample collar, double breasted front and metal buttons embossed with Anchors, it's not a shy piece and is more of a statement coat compared to others we're seeing on the high street.

Price

The RRP is £99, and for a coat which is very 'now' it's well worth the cost, particularly as it is 65% pure wool.

Packaging & Presentation

This particular coat is a sample piece and was sent to me by the Arcadia group so didn't arrive in Burton packaging. from experience I know that items from Burton arrive on hangers and are sealed in clear cellophane bags before being sealed in plastic bags for posting.

No, it isn't glamorous and opening the package isn't part of the buying experience as it is with more high end brands, where some of the packaging is as beautiful as the items itself.

Burton are a high street brand, their packaging is nothing but practical and functional, and is there simply to protect the garment during transport which it does very well.

Performance

As I mentioned above the coat is 65% wool and 26% polyester with 9% 'other'. It felt good to wear and was heavy enough for it to feel substantial but not too heavy that it felt cumbersome. I have a vintage Tweed coat by Dunne & Co and I really know I'm wearing it, it's very heavy. You can put this coat on and forget about it, knowing that you look good.

It fitted well, and gave a very slim silhouette. When done up it looks very sharp, it's a serious coat. It's a good length on me and finished well on the arm (if an inch long for me personally). I often find sleeves on coats a tad on the long side as I am slightly shorter than the average gent. Aside from having a bespoke coat made for my exact measurements I have no option but to live with it. Chaps taller than me (5'10-6'0) won't have a problem here.

The pockets were deep, and ample enough for a wallet and phone. The inside pockets were roomy too.

As it is a sample piece I didn't test it for it ability to shed water. It didn't rain during the shoot so I am unable to comment on its water resistancy, but with a significant wool content I would assume that it has a natural ability to keep the wearer dry in a shower.

Pertinency

If you're looking for a new, masculine style coat in a classic colour but with a distinct look, this is for you. It does stand out from other more simply designed coats, and you will get noticed in it. So, if you are a more sedate chap that likes to stay on the sidelines more, maybe a more basic style is for you.

Pro’s & Con’s

The coat fits well and looks great. It feels good on and is well made. While shooting however, one of the button did fall off and on checking the others it was clear that they could have been fastened better. I managed to reattach it for the shoot but we have to take into consideration the fact that this is a sample piece and has been to more shoots than I have, and maybe hasn't been cared for as much as yours will be.

It may be worth just adding a few more stitches to the buttons when you get yours however as they are quite distinctive and if you lost one it would be very difficult to replace it.

People

My team really liked the coat. There were no negative comments. "ooo, that's really nice" and "That's a lovely coat" were just a couple of the compliments that it received.

They thought the cost was very reasonable and that the quality was high for the price.

Précis

Overall it's a very good coat for the cost. It'll most definitely last you a few years and you won't be disappointed if you do decide to take the plunge and buy one.