I’m sitting on the Underground at 9am on a baltic Monday morning, cocooned in my giant Gant coat, a silly little knitted snood and noise-cancelling headphones. It dawns on me that three other people in the carriage are wearing coats that are near-identical to mine: calf-grazing, thick and collared, and made from a traditional herringbone wool fabric. Two are women roughly my age, while the third is an octogenarian who may well have worn his version every winter since the Great Freeze of 1962.
In fact, if you google “famous people who wear a herringbone coat” (because why would you not?), the results span everyone from Sean Connery and Ronald Reagan to Alexa Chung and Claudia Winkleman, demonstrating the broad appeal of this particular heritage style. Like the bomber, the denim jacket or the trench, the herringbone coat has become one of those democratic wardrobe heroes that has infiltrated all different stratas of British society over the decades. And if the number of people wearing in London right now is anything to go by, its appeal has not faded – quite the opposite.
It’s said that the herringbone pattern dates back to Ancient Egypt, however the familiar fabric I’m talking about was popularised in men’s tailoring and military-wear from the early 19th century onwards. And while it long ago outgrew the confines of traditional menswear, it still holds some of that pipe-smoking, brisk-walking, country gent appeal.
In fact, Vivienne Westwood made a very good case for the ageless, aristocratic charm of the heritage coat in its autumn winter/2025 collection, with a double-breasted tailored wool version that was styled in the look book with a black bodysuit, socks, high-heels and sunglasses. Very walk-of-shame meets frazzled Englishwoman. But if you prefer to wear trousers in December, then know that this classic coat will work with anything and everything in your wardrobe – I wear mine over jeans and party dresses alike.
So whether you invest in a high-street iteration (see M&S and Whistles), a more premium piece (courtesy of Gant or Joseph) or choose our preferred option, exploring the many vintage coats out there, know that this is one investment that you will not regret making. Just ask the old man on the tube.
