Single Breasted vs Double Breasted Overcoat: Which Should You Buy?
Single breasted or double breasted. It's the first question most men ask when they're buying a proper wool overcoat, and it's a real choice, not a stylistic preference. The two cuts look different, suit different occasions, and send different signals. We make both, and the question comes up constantly.
Here's how to think about it.
The short answer
A single breasted overcoat is more versatile, easier to wear with anything you already own, and works in more situations. A double breasted overcoat is more formal, more commanding, and makes a stronger statement. If you're buying your first proper overcoat, single breasted is the safer choice. If you want a coat with real presence, double breasted.
What's structurally different
A single breasted overcoat has one column of buttons running down the front, usually three or four, with all of them fastened. The lapels are typically notch, meeting the collar at a downward angle, and the silhouette is leaner through the chest. Our Covert, the Bond, and the Long Overcoat are all single breasted.
A double breasted overcoat has two parallel columns of buttons, with the front panel overlapping across the chest. Our double breasted long overcoat is a classic 6x2 configuration, six buttons visible, two that actually fasten. The lapels are peak, pointing sharply upward toward the shoulder, and the silhouette is broader and more architectural.
Those structural differences change how the coat reads in every other respect. Single breasted is quieter. Double breasted is louder. Neither is better. They're tools for different jobs.
How they wear in real life
A single breasted overcoat works over almost anything. Suit, blazer, knitwear, t shirt, hoodie. Worn open, it drapes cleanly down the front. Worn buttoned, it's smart and contained. You can wear it for the school run on a Tuesday and a wedding on a Saturday and it looks right both times.
A double breasted overcoat is fussier. It needs to be fastened when you're standing. An unbuttoned double breasted coat looks chaotic, with the overlapping panels flapping apart. That means you're committing to wearing it closed most of the time. It works beautifully over a suit, a shirt and tie, a polo neck. It looks slightly forced over a hoodie.
It's also harder to dress down. A single breasted Covert overcoat over jeans and a knit looks considered. A double breasted overcoat over jeans and a knit looks like you're trying to bend the rules of the coat. Sometimes it works, often it doesn't.
Which body type suits which?
Both cuts work on most builds, but there are some honest considerations.
Tall and slim: Both work beautifully. The double breasted adds visual mass across the chest, which can balance a long frame. The single breasted lengthens further, which is also flattering.
Broad or muscular: Single breasted is usually more flattering. The double breasted overlap adds bulk across the chest that you may not need.
Shorter: Single breasted is generally more lengthening. A double breasted with a low button stance can visually shorten the torso. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing.
Fuller through the middle: Single breasted is more forgiving. A double breasted can still work and even flatter, but only if the fit through the waist is right.
Formality, situation, signal
| Situation | Single breasted | Double breasted |
|---|---|---|
| Daily commute, office | Perfect | Excellent, slightly formal |
| Weekend, casual wear | Perfect | Often too much |
| Black tie event | Acceptable | Perfect |
| Wedding (smart day) | Perfect | Perfect |
| Funeral | Perfect | Excellent |
| Over a hoodie or knit | Perfect | Looks awkward |
| Over a three piece suit | Excellent | Perfect |
The history matters more than people think
Single breasted overcoats are the older form. The Covert, with its short collar and signature velvet trim, has been the English country gentleman's coat for a hundred and fifty years. The single breasted city coat, what people now call a Chesterfield, dates back to the 1840s. These coats were designed to be worn every day, over everything, in all weather. That's why the cut still feels universal.
The double breasted overcoat has a more military root. Naval officers, cavalry, formal city dress. The Ulster, the Greatcoat, the polo coat. All double breasted, all built for presence and warmth in serious cold. The cut still carries that history with it. Put a double breasted overcoat on and it looks like it's about to step out of a black and white film. That's part of the appeal. Our Greatcoat is exactly this kind of coat.
Lining and detail: where the difference shows
Both of our coats are fully lined, fully canvassed, and built to the same quality standard. The differences are in the details, and the details are deliberate.
The single breasted coats run quieter inside. The Bond has a hidden placket so even the buttons are concealed. The Covert has a velvet collar that nods to its country heritage without shouting. These are coats designed to be understated.
The double breasted is louder. Peak lapels, two columns of horn buttons, a sharper silhouette. The red lining in our standard double breasted is a deliberate signal. The outside is restrained, the inside has personality. It's the kind of detail you want a double breasted coat to have.
The "which one first" question
For a first proper overcoat, the answer is almost always single breasted. It does more things, demands less attention, and works with more of what you already wear. The Covert is a particularly good first overcoat because it works in both city and country settings and has just enough character to feel personal rather than corporate.
Once you own a single breasted coat and have worn it for a couple of winters, a double breasted becomes the obvious second. Different occasions, different mood, different presence. Most men who own one good overcoat eventually want a second, and they almost always choose the opposite cut.
If you're certain you want something bolder from the start, and some men are, the double breasted absolutely can be your first. Just go in knowing it's a more committed look, and it'll dictate slightly more of how you dress around it.
How to decide
Two questions.
First: when you wear this coat, what will you be doing most of the time? If the answer is "commute, office, weekend, errands", a working coat, single breasted is right. If the answer is "dinners, events, occasions where I want to look properly dressed", an occasion coat, double breasted is right.
Second: do you want a coat that disappears into the rest of your wardrobe, or a coat that defines the outfit? Single breasted blends. Double breasted leads.
Both answers are valid. They're just different uses for an overcoat.
The bottom line
Single breasted is the working overcoat. Versatile, quiet, easy to wear five days a week without thinking. Double breasted is the dressed overcoat. More presence, more formality, more deliberate.
If you're buying your first proper coat, start with single breasted. If you're building a wardrobe, you'll end up with both, and you'll wear them for different things.
Browse our overcoat range
We make wool and cashmere overcoats in both cuts. Single breasted styles include the Covert with velvet collar, the Bond with hidden placket, and the Long Overcoat. Our double breasted is a classic 6x2 peak lapel coat with red lining. Free tracked UK delivery. 30 day returns. Browse single breasted or browse double breasted.