One Coat for Winter: How One Double-Breasted Overcoat Replaces Two Coats
One coat, bought once. Many winter wardrobes carry two coats that each do half the job: one smart enough for work but too formal for the weekend, and one casual coat that never quite rises to a formal day. A single long double-breasted overcoat ends that split. Wardley's Greenwich double-breasted overcoat, £257.95, is the coat this guide is built around: a long coat with wide notch lapels, a six-button front, a half-belt detail at the back and a lined body, in Charcoal, Black and Camel, sizes S–XXL. Buttoned over a roll neck, it ends the outfit debate — and it works the same way over tailoring and over a hoodie.
The two-coat problem
The usual coat rail fails at both ends. The smart coat comes out for the office, a wedding or an evening event, then stays in the wardrobe at the weekend because it feels too dressed. The casual coat does the opposite: fine with jeans, wrong over tailored trousers. The result is two purchases, neither of which covers a full week. The one-coat answer is a coat with enough structure for formal days and enough length and ease to sit open over casual clothes — which is exactly the ground a double-breasted overcoat covers.
For work and formal days: buttoned over tailoring
Buttoned up, the Greenwich is the formal version of itself. The six-button front and wide notch lapels do the work, so what sits underneath can stay plain: a roll neck and tailored trousers, or a shirt and jacket on the coldest mornings. The coat is a regular fit, cut to layer over tailoring and knitwear, with a lined body. Our guide to what to wear under an overcoat covers the layering in full, and Double-Breasted Overcoat: Questions Answered answers the fit-over-a-suit question directly.
For the weekend: open over knitwear
Unbuttoned, the same coat changes register. Worn open over a hoodie and jeans, or over a chunky knit, the length gives an easy outfit a deliberate outline rather than a formal one, and the half-belt detail at the back keeps the shape defined from behind as well as from the front. That is the point of buying one coat properly: nothing about the coat changes between Tuesday and Saturday — only what sits underneath it.
Choosing the one colour
If a coat has to do every job, colour matters more, not less. The Greenwich comes in three colourways. Charcoal is the most forgiving over both tailoring and denim. Black is the sharpest for evening and formal wear. Camel is the lightest option and the one that lifts dark knitwear and dark trousers. Choose against the wardrobe you already own — the trousers and knitwear the coat will actually meet — rather than the outfit you might buy later. Our overcoat colour guide works through the choice in more detail.
Fit: one coat has to layer both ways
A single winter coat must fasten over a chunky knit and still sit cleanly over a shirt, so judge the size from the garment measurements below (measured flat, in centimetres, as supplied by the maker) rather than from a letter size carried across from another brand:
| Size | Length | Chest | Shoulder | Sleeve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | 95cm | 110cm | 47cm | 62cm |
| M | 97cm | 115cm | 49cm | 63cm |
| L | 99cm | 120cm | 51cm | 64cm |
| XL | 101cm | 125cm | 53cm | 65cm |
| XXL | 103cm | 130cm | 55cm | 66cm |
The simplest check is to measure a coat that already fits you over your intended layers and compare. The Greenwich is a regular fit, cut to layer — between sizes, size up if you will wear it over chunky knitwear. If you need help interpreting a measurement, email support@wardleylondon.co.uk with the size you are considering before ordering.
The fabric, stated honestly
The Greenwich is made in a wool-finish polyester cloth with a polyester lining. The maker does not publish an exact fibre-percentage breakdown, so we state the cloth as supplied rather than estimate a figure — it is a wool-finish coat, not a wool coat, and the page says so. What that means in wear is a structured, lined long coat at £257.95; what it does not mean is a heritage wool overcoat at a heritage price, and no part of this guide will pretend otherwise.
Price, delivery and returns — the practical details
The Greenwich double-breasted overcoat is £257.95, with free tracked UK delivery. Orders are dispatched in 1–2 working days and delivered in 6–10 working days from order — so order ahead of the cold week or the event, not in it. There are 30-day returns on unworn items; return postage is paid by you unless the item is faulty or incorrect.
Comparing coat types before you decide? See our longline overcoat guide, the complete guide to men's overcoats in the UK, or browse all men's coats and jackets.