What I Wore Today #41 - Monochrome in Primark

Craig of That Dapper Chap shows us what he wore today wearing a monochrome look from Primark

This look was entirely built around this simply styled coat from Primark. With it's micro check and slim fit design its a coat that's going to look great through autumn and winter but will also take you into spring.

The coat is 31% wool and is fully lined. With a simple collar, two flap pockets at the hip and a breast pocket it has a very classic design and could have been purchased from any high end men's store. 

I kept the styling simple to reflect he uncomplicated design of the coat and went for skinny fit jeans, boots and a slim fit white cotton shirt with black buttons.

WHERE IT'S ALL FROM

Boots: Primark £15.00

Skinny Black Jeans: Primark £10.00

White Cotton Shirt: Primark £10:00

Coat: Primark £35.00

Grey knitted gloves: Primark £1.00

Sunglasses: Primark £2.00

Belt: Primark £3.00

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What I Wore Today #40 - Autumnal Shades

Craig of That Dapper Chap shows us what he wore today, taking inspiration from the changing autumnal landscape and showing off his new boots from Chatham Footwear

Autumn is well and truly here, the leaves have turned a mixture of stunning ochres and deep reds, the nights have got darker and colder and it's time to pull out your winter coat.

I bought this coat last autumn from Zara while on a trip to London. It's still great for this year with its slim fit and classic military shape. As often with Zara they added a twist to this classic, and used a very contemporary fabric, making it stand out from other coats on the high street. Unfortunately it isn't available this year but there is an equivalent in a large black and grey check. It's also available in a blazer too, and it's something I've added to my Christmas list.

Think of layering I chose a floral shirt with a very autumnal colour scheme and wore this under a cardigan with hues of burnt umber. The tie is vintage and helps to bring the colour scheme together while making a bit of a statement against the floral shirt.

Footwear has to be substantial at this time of year so I opted for these beauties. These are the 'Stornoway' tan leather and tweed boots from Chatham. I recently listed my top five pairs of shoes and boots from Chatham and these were number one in my list. See the article HERE

Where It's All From

Stornoway Leather and tweed boots - Chatham

Wool check trousers - Topman

Floral print shirt - Burton

Brown cardigan - H&M

Vintage diamond check tie - Ebay

Coat hanger tie clip - Stitches of Style

Wool check coat - Zara

Leather gloves - Zara

Sunglasses - Primark

Leather suitcase - Vintage

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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.

Promotion

Find Burton Menswear in a town near you using their store finder here

  

  Burton on social media

    

Five Cool Coats by Next

That Dapper Chap shows us his top five favourite coats for this winter by Next

With the days getting colder and wetter its a good time to make that one seasonal purchase that we all do and invest in a new coat. Keeping it at the more dapper end of the range here are my top five coats from Next.

Looking like I own it. Image by PhotoByIan

Number 5 - The Pea Coat

With its large collar that can be turned up against the elements, the pea coat has stood the test of time as a classic coat. Double breasted and unbelted is gives a clean silhouette. 

With its design firmly rooted in naval history it has stood the test of time, so if it's been a solid wearable coat since its origin in the 1700's it's good enough for me.

Mine is a green colour but other colours such as black, navy and grey are available too. Next also offers one with a cosy Borg collar. 

I love mine but I would love it more if it were longer and I find the wrist straps somewhat fussy, hence it sits at number five. 

The classic double breasted Pea Coat by Next
Image by PhotoByIan

The Next pea coat with Borg collar £85

The basic black pea coat available at Next for £85

Number 4 - The Double Breasted Trench

Again with its roots in military design, I love this classic trench coat, with its collar slightly smaller than the pea coat it's still big enough to provide you with protection from the wind when turned up.

It's also slightly longer than the pea coat too, so it'll keep the tops of your legs warmer than the pea coat would.

Again, its the fussiness that keeps it at the lower end of my list as belts on coats can irritate me and I wear my own trench coat less than I should as the belt has a habit of twisting at the back which is most annoying.

Me wearing my own Trench Coat, Belt untwisted!

Trench coat available at Next £110

Also available in brown

Tie the belt on your trench coat for a different look

Number 3 - The Fur Collared Coat

At number three we have a single breasted coat with a cosy fur collar. Perfect for wintry walks and long enough to keep out the chills this example is made from 59% wool and 33% polyester. The lining and collar are 100% polyester. It's a great buy at just £99

Turn up the fur collar against the snow

A closer look at the detail

Number 2 - The Covert Coat

It was the colour that drew me to this piece. It's a little unusual to find a burgundy coloured coat so I jumped at the chance to get my hands one one. At just £99 it is available in grey, brown and of course burgundy. Made from 50% wool, 20% polyester, 15% nylon and 10% acrylic it has a 100% polyester lining.


Worn just as easily over a suit as it would be jeans and a sweater the only thing that stops it being at number one is the contrast collar. I dont know why it troubles me, it just does.

That Dapper Chap sporting the burgundy Covert coat
Image by PhotoByIan

Number 1 - The Epsom Coat

Made from 70% wool and at a good length the Epsom coat wins on the warm stakes. Classic in its design there is nothing fussy about this coat, no belt or epaulettes and with three simple pockets it has a super clean silhouette.

I bought mine a couple of years ago and it still wears like new and looks great. yes I've had it dry cleaned and stored over the summer but even so, it still looks fresh. 

Priced at just £95 you get a lot of class for the cost. 

 

I love my Epsom coat and my Instagram account is testament to that

The classic navy coloured Epsom coat from next £95

A close up look at the details of this classic coat

Also available in Khaki

Well, I hope that this article has whet your appetite and opened your wallet and that you are now waiting for your new coat to arrive. Once it has, be sure to post a picture to Instagram and tag that_dapper_chap or leave a comment on here! All the best.

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