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The Best Peacoats for Unpredictable Weather

The Dutch invented it, Brits popularized it, and now everybody owns one. (Or at least they should.)

collage of three peacoats Courtesy

By Evan Malachosky

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The peacoat’s kind of weird, right? It’s like someone sawed the bottom half off a topcoat and called it a day. But when you consider the peacoat’s original function, it kind of makes sense: They were first made for Dutch navy men, and they were called “pijjekkers,” or “pijes” for short. (If you know how the Dutch pronounce “J,” you know where the “p” comes from.)

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History of the Peacoat

The coarse wool coats worked well on the windy, wet decks and docks, which is why they quickly maneuvered through the Dutch, British, and American militaries. And, as most garments do, they reached the general public post-war. The features that were added specifically for sailors — the double-breasted front for buttoning up all the way, the side slits for easy access to internal pockets or belts, the tightly wound wool exterior, the wider hips for easy mobility and the form-fitting torso to keep you planted when the wind picks up — were instant hits with the general public, who were happy with its gentlemanly qualities and its obvious abilities to keep you warm, dry, and dapper.

What to Look for

And although I’d argue the style is less popular now than it was, say, 10 years ago, it’s still plenty stylish: an option someone should splurge on if the right one crosses their plate. But what does the right one look like? Well, if it’s true to form, it hits right at the waist (or slightly below it), has a double-breasted front and a high collar.

Avoid non-traditional colors — stick to navy, black or gray — and historically inaccurate materials. Sure, leather accents might look nice to you, but storied brands rarely stray from the style’s origins, which means most will assume yours came from a fast fashion outpost like Zara, which historically has no problem altering icons.

How to Wear a Peacoat

When celebrity stylist Ilaria Urbinati puts her A-list clients in a peacoat, she’s always sure the rest of the outfit is equally as tidy. These waist-length coats work well with tailored trousers and slimmer shoes, like all-white sneakers, as she’s previously suggested. Avoid wide-leg pants if you can, and stick with simpler layers underneath. The peacoat works well with nice, knit sweaters, even chunky ones, too, which nod to the style’s aquatic origins. But most won’t fit much more. Peacoats were trim to make sailors’ silhouettes a little more aerodynamic, which meant they’ve long been tailored, not oversized. Most modern renditions skew slim, too.

This is the best representation of the style, in my opinion. Ralph Lauren turns in a wool-blend Melton Peacoat in a naval-inspired navy color, complete with the high, double-breasted front, pronounced collar, and a hem that hangs just below the hips.

The buttons are spaced appropriately and the shoulders don’t immobilize your arms. Plus, the collar rides high enough to protect your chest, even when it’s flipped up.

Todd Snyder’s new peacoat breaks one of my cardinal rules: avoid non-traditional colors. But I’ll make an exception for this super-soft Italian cashmere. The soft brown isn’t patent leather or bright green, so it still works with the same outfits, even if it’s not a color navymen would’ve worn.

This fabric also isn’t a material shipmen would’ve trusted, just because cashmere is more supple than straight-up wool, which was innovative at the time. It could repel water, keep you warm and withstand salt stains and rope burns. This jacket builds on earlier silhouettes, but makes its own adjustments.

Although it looks black, L.L. Bean’s traditional peacoat is actually dark blue. It falls in line with traditional finds — from the fitted body to the button formation, the pocket placement and the spot where it hits (which is just below the hip).

And for $279, few coats feel this nice — or will keep you this warm. Made from 100 percent Italian wool, L.L. Bean’s Wool Peacoat is the best value by far.

Brooks Brothers’ 100-percent wool peacoat’s proportions are akin to a blazer, meaning it doesn’t sit as far down as others on this list. Its shoulders are less robust, but the collar is plenty tall. Are you following? It blends the best of a less significant jacket and something you could wear well into winter.

That means it’s less like the ones navymen would’ve worn earlier on, but more fit for modern settings — like, in the office or on an outdoor date. It’s more like what people imagine a peacoat looks like.

Buck Mason’s peacoat stays true to its predecessors despite its non-traditional hue. It’s new but certainly naval-inspired, meaning it has a high collar, buttons that run the length of the body and pockets right at the ribs.

The finer details are really what makes it, though: the substantial melton wool fabric, the button throat latch, the oversized body buttons and the extended collar. It’s an excellent coat at an okay price.

American Trench’s The American Peacoat references designs that arrived earlier than the Deck Jacket, which they’ve made a copy of before. Their peacoat is instead a nod to the outerwear European navies would give to its cadets, a shorter, tighter, single vent peacoat with four pockets and two parallel rows of horn buttons. It’s made in Boston using Connecticut-made woolen fabric.

Schott is behind several monumental menswear inventions: zippered outerwear, moto jackets, and, well, at least in the US, the peacoat. It popularized the style stateside when it design its version for the US Navy. Eventually, it made it to the civilian population and, well, here we are.

Schott’s version somehow buttons even higher than most of its earlier peacoats. It has an eight button, double-breasted front, a trim body, and tailored shoulders. Oh, and it’s made from 100 percent wool, the same fabric the originals were cut and sewn from.

Armor Lux’s peacoat is lighter than others on this list, and lined with polyester instead of viscose or silk. That makes it cheaper, but still plenty of a splurge — it’s $410 dollars, and that gets you a whole hell of a coat. The 100 percent natural fabric proves highly insulating, water repellent and easy to care for.

Schott already made this list. But it’s back its collab peacoat made with Best Made. It’s a faithful reproduction of the jacket Schott made for the US navy, which had served as inspiration for every peacoat you’ve seen come out since.

Made using a blend of premium wool and durable nylon, this jacket has some heft and a pronounced front placket, where two parallel columns of eight buttons each bundle the wearer, protecting them from the elements. There’s a tiny accent on the left arm, too: a red “X” signifying Best Made had a hand in its production.

This is a rather simple rendition by AG Jeans. It’s presented in a color called “After Dark,” finished with six front buttons, and looks more casual than other coats like this. It also boasts a slimmer profile, which means if you’ve been looking for a lightweight peacoat for a place where it doesn’t get open-ocean-cold, this is your best bet.

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