The Best Double-Breasted Men's Overcoats of 2024

Much like how reruns of Harry Potter make a guaranteed comeback during the festive period, there are some sartorial classics that will always be due a renaissance. And in 2024, the double-breasted coat is top of that list.

See it as the Cillian Murphy of the outerwear world. It’s humble, not particularly showy but oh-so-good at its job, destined to elevate any old ensemble into a more sophisticated outfit. And it's been making the rounds on the catwalk and the celebosphere once again.

What Is a Double-Breasted Coat?

Ok, so it’s not rocket science. A double-breasted coat is… double-breasted, as opposed to the single line of buttons that may populate your other outerwear.

How it came to be as we know it today is hard to pinpoint, but can be attributed to the style known as double-breasted reefer jackets or officer coats. Made by the Camplin Family in the 19th century, it was designed for Her Majesty’s senior military seafarers in the British Navy. These are most recognisable as pea coats; the mini version of today’s showstopper with a thigh-skimming hemline.

Decades later, the likes of James Dean and Marlon Brando popularised the longer-length we’ve become familiar with, and their effortless way of wearing it has infiltrated into the outfits of today. James Bond is also partial to the design. Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig (in the famed finale of Quantum of Solace) all wore the design during their tenures as James Bond – the latter was contractually obliged to wear Tom Ford – and it continues to be a favourite amongst the spy's fans today.

The style associated with the aforementioned movie stars is not to be confused with a pea coat, or a similarly double-breasted trench coat (made with waterproof materials and usually fitted with a buckle belt). We're harking on about the overcoat iteration, consisting of a hemline no shorter than knee length, a composition (or blend) of natural fibres like wool or cashmere and a V-neckline with peaked lapels. With these key points in mind, spotting your desired style couldn’t be easier.

Who’s Wearing Them?

There’s some celebrity style stalwarts that have been always been purveyors of double-breasted outwear: David Beckham, Jake Gyllenhaal and Bradley Cooper, for example. But there’s a few players on the scene that are switching up how to wear the traditional garm.

Austin Butler endorsed a double-breasted coat at Saint Laurent’s spring/summer ’24 womenswear show last September, styling it with a matching double-breasted suit underneath and without shirt or top – clearly taking full advantage of the look’s deep-V. While Timothée Chalamet swapped out the usual tailored trousers for a pair of leather-like jogging bottoms when donning his check style around New York.

Why Are They Back Now?

Not to be presumptuous, but you’ll likely have heard of a ‘quiet luxury’, the trend that dominated 2023 and gave Succession characters notable style kudos. Built from the ethos that your wealth should speak through the design nuances of high-end labels rather than showy logos and ostentatious trends, last year saw many traditional silhouettes have a renaissance. And yes, the double-breasted overcoat is part of that arsenal.

The timeless outerwear comes as an antidote to the abundant ‘insert-random-aesthetic’-core vids that have infiltrated our social media feeds. It's also helped reintroduce the desire for tailoring, the perfect under-layer for this outerwear hero.

Perennial it may be, but the double-breasted coat can still be fashion-forward, as proven by the sheer amount of them featured during spring/summer ’24 shows – a surprising entry for the warmer season.

AMI’s take was layered over a mix of smart-casual ensembles: think suits with sandals, or jeans-and-a-smart-shirt combo. Kim Jones debuted several different coloured tweeds at Dior, while Dolce & Gabbana and Pharrell’s first Louis Vuitton show respectively pushed the boat with satin and checked styles. Dries Van Noten, Valentino and Givenchy all presented classic takes on the design.

How To Style Them

The great news is that there’s not really any wrong way to wear this gem, mainly because its all-encompassing nature means that it’s going to attract the most attention from your look.

If you’ve opted for a classic navy design, or a black or grey number, it’s worth experimenting with some printed accompaniments to add a bit of life to the look – winter may have you feeling drab, but your outfit needn’t be. Lean into the nautical nature with a striped turtleneck underneath, or if that isn’t your jam, add a printed scarf as an accessory.

And if you’ve opted for a charming herringbone print or bouclé texture, don’t feel pressured to keep your undergarments on the safe side. A blue-striped shirt can looking quite charming alongside the aforementioned tweed, and a grey bouclé would offset a pop of neon rather nicely. If you are willing to experiment, avoid any faux pas by sticking to one standout item, whether it be the coat itself, the clothes beneath it or the accessories.

For more formal occasions, avoid going tonal to match your suit. You don’t want your layers to blend into one mass colour when the coat is left unbuttoned, so add dimension by making sure your coat is a different colour/print/texture to your suit.

The Best Double-Breasted Overcoats To Buy