Coat models: the chesterfield, the polo coat and the ulster
The coat season in Baku is short but demanding: a damp wind outside, warmth indoors. In that gap a coat is not only warmth but the most visible layer of everyday dress.
The conversation about a coat usually begins with the cloth. Yet the model itself — the shape of the lapel, the number of breasts, the presence or absence of a belt — shapes the silhouette no less than the cloth does.
The classic coat models did not appear by accident: each grew out of a particular way of living, and each keeps its logic today.
The chesterfield: the most formal line
The chesterfield is the most urban and most formal form of coat. A straight silhouette, no belt at the waist, a covered or open button placket, a set-in sleeve.
Its defining quality is a minimum of volume. The chesterfield does not follow the body, but it holds no surplus cloth either: the line runs almost straight from shoulder to hem.
This model was conceived to be worn over a suit, and that is exactly why it counts as the most universal coat in a working wardrobe.
A dark navy or grey chesterfield works both for daily business dress and with evening clothes. The coat worn over a dinner jacket usually takes this form as well.
The polo coat: soft and generous
The polo coat is built on the opposite logic: a generous silhouette, a double breast, a belt and usually a camel-hair cloth in a light tan tone.
It is not formal, but it is not rough either. The polo coat looks natural on broad shoulders, while on a slight build its volume can overwhelm.
It is chosen not for the office but for weekends and relaxed dress: over knitwear, or over a casual jacket.
The ulster: heavy cloth and a wide lapel
The ulster is the heaviest and most enclosing model. Its mark of recognition is a wide, low-falling lapel and a double breast.
The size of the lapel is not decoration: turned up, it closes the neck and chin against the wind. It is a solution conceived for a coastal, humid climate.
The cloth here is usually a heavy wool and the length runs below the knee. The ulster gives the silhouette weight and, depending on height, can look either commanding or simply oversized.
For a Baku winter an ulster is often more than is needed, but on the windy days its advantage is felt at once.
Covert and British warm: the coats in between
Not every coat has to be a winter coat. The covert is a short, light coat in a densely woven cloth — for autumn and early spring.
It carries several rows of stitching at the hem and cuffs; this is both an ornament and a detail that strengthens the edge of the cloth.
The British warm is double-breasted, cut to the knee, usually in a thick wool. It is lighter than an ulster and freer than a chesterfield.
These two models suit the climate of Baku best: they can be worn on far more days of the year.
Which model suits whom
The choice depends on three things: height, the width of the shoulders, and what will be worn underneath.
On a shorter build, wide double-breasted models shorten the figure — there a straight chesterfield is the safer answer. On a taller build the wide lapel and the belt give the silhouette shape instead.
The most forgotten question is what goes underneath. If the coat is to be worn over a suit, extra room is needed in the shoulder and the armhole; if only over knitwear, that room becomes surplus.
Bespoke making
A ready-made coat most often goes wrong in the shoulder line and the sleeve length — and those are the hardest places on a coat to correct.
At Atelier Baku 1984 coats are made bespoke and by the made-to-measure method; the making takes up to four weeks.