Hi, winter is coming up (well, not quite yet but anyway...)

I'm wondering if I should get myself a classic navy pea coat. I happen to be tall and slim and the double breast feature would flatter this (making me appear broader). It seems it's very warm for winter while being more dressy than a nylon sport coat such as The North Face. Should I go with a fashion pea coat or an authentic military surplus 30oz melton wool? What should I know about pea coats before buying one? What are the best manufacturers? Any other interesting facts about pea coats?

Thanks
Frankie

USGI pea coats wear well and are warm, even when damp. Perhaps a plus if I understand the Montreal climate, cool to cold and damp with occasional patches of scary cold.

Down side is they require dry cleaning, at least the last one I used did. Also moths, particularly Florida moths, love to eat them, which explains why I don't have one now.

If your going for warmth I would get something a bit longer. Perhaps I'm less a fashion maven but I always thought the North face coats to be something of a rough and ready, verging on snooty for the upper end, fashion statement.

I've had but no longer have a peacoat. I got mine while in a maritime academy, when it was part of the uniform. Simply put, a fashion or designed anything seem to me to be a little effeminate, while a classic peacoat something for a sailor. I'd recommend one that was a little roomy. As far as brands, the coats we had never had a brand, as far as I recall. I'd think that the best way to get a decently inexpensive coat would be to buy from someone selling surplus. In which case, you might not know the brand. However, the real article is likely to be warmer because it is likely to be made with heavier wool.

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_coat

http://www.armynavysuperstores.com/peacoat.htm

I've got my fathers, but I've long since outgrown it.
I don't really have anything to add to the topic :p

Yeah, I do have an old pea coat, but these days, if it doesn't have Gore-Tex, I usually don't wear it.

Wool is a great insulator when wet but I prefer to stay dry.

Several years ago my wife, the former swabbie, wanted one, so I bought it for her. She loves it! She seems to be cold all the time, worse in the winter of course, and it keeps her toasty. Her son's girlfriend, who weights about 98 pounds soaking wet, liked the looks of one, so I got her one too, and she also loves it. But be careful to get the real thing, not one of the generic ripoffs that you find everywhere, including Costco...

I have a vintage GI one,it's from 1968. It's very well made & very very warm.

Yes exaclty, the humid continental climate can be a real roller coaster. Fortunately I don't seem to have problems with moths.

Frankie

I vote yes on the peacoat. It'll keep you warm and is fashionable for the winters. I have a "civilian-style" red peacoat from Brooks Brothers that I love. It cost a mint but was so worth it: I wear it for nearly half the year!

Which is the reason I left Minnesota for Texas.

Um, not because of Christina, because of the cold weather!

-Blast