I’m not sure when it happened, but there was an overcorrection in the shawl collar outerwear market. Like, for a few years, they were on everything, regardless of whether it made any sense for them to be there, but then they just disappeared*. And while it is nice to not see shawl collars grafted onto hoodless Gore-Tex anoraks or whatever, I miss a good one. This MotivMFG English Army Kapok Covert Coat is a good one.
(*I have no empirical evidence to prove this statement, but it feels right. They were so powerful in the mid-2010s that they improbably conquered sneakers, then, poof.)
Made exclusively for Division Road with a 19oz. Fox Brothers Fawn Covert Cloth—a military-grade stepped twill wool that was originally developed by the company in the 1900s to “endure regimental riding and harsh conditions”—this unit was designed to exist somewhere between WWII officer coats and modern outerwear, per Division Road.
Using the WWII British Army Tropal Kapok Coat as a reference point, this one brings in details from the WWII US Army Mackinaw overcoat for good measure, and features about 225 details, including a concealed three-button storm front, Bemberg-lined sleeves, a center-pleated back with a loop-button closure, welt pockets at the front, raglan sleeves, taped and felled seems and natural Corozo buttons.
Statement outerwear might seem like a relic of the past, but I’m holding out for a post-vaccine genre comeback this fall. And if that’s the case, this one makes a pretty strong statement.
Available for $1,185 at Division Road
