How to choose a long wool coat

A long coat is the piece you put on every morning from November to March, often for ten winters or more. It is worth choosing slowly. Here is what we look at, and what we would tell a friend who came to the studio to try one on.

Start with how you will wear it

Before length or colour, ask yourself what goes underneath. A coat worn over a shirt and a light knit is not cut like a coat worn over a suit jacket. If you wear tailoring to work and a thick jumper at the weekend, choose for the bulkiest of the two: a coat that is roomy over a jacket will still look right over a knit, the reverse is rarely true.

The Fenté 125 is cut for both. It has a straight, oversized line, dropped shoulders and sleeves darted at the elbow, so the sleeve follows the arm when you move instead of pulling at the back. It is worn by men and women alike.

Choose the length for your height and your stride

A long coat falls below the knee. Mid-calf is the length that protects best from wind and rain, and the one that gives a coat its presence. It also asks for a little attention: on a shorter frame, a coat that falls too low can swallow the silhouette, so look at yourself in a mirror from head to toe, not only from the waist up.

The Fenté 125 takes its name from its length: 125 cm at the back in size T6. The length follows the size, from 118 cm in T00 to 127 cm in T8, and the coat is designed to fall to mid-calf. If you are unsure, the size guide on each product page gives the back length of every size: compare it with a coat you already own.

Read the label: composition and weight

Two figures tell you most of what you need to know about the cloth. The first is the share of wool. Wool keeps you warm even in damp weather, breathes, and airs out rather than needing to be washed. The second is the weight of the cloth, in grams per square metre. Below 400 g/m², a coat is made for mid-season; above 500 g/m², it is a true winter coat that holds its shape and keeps the wind out.

In black, dark navy, dark heather grey and chocolate, the Fenté 125 is cut in 100% wool at 530 g/m². The camel version is 80% wool, 10% polyamide and 10% polyester. The cloth is woven, dyed and finished in Portugal by Albano Morgado, a wool weaver since 1927.

Find your size

Take the size you would take in a jacket, then check two things in the mirror: the shoulders should sit without pulling when you cross your arms, and the sleeve should cover your shirt cuff with your arms by your sides. An oversized coat is meant to look relaxed, not too big: if the shoulder seam falls far down your arm and the sleeves cover your hands, go down one size.

The Fenté 125 runs from T00 to T8, one scale for men and women: T4 corresponds to a men's M and a women's XL, T2 to a men's XS and a women's M. The size guide on each product page gives the equivalences and the measurements of every size. Between two sizes, write to us and tell us your height and what you will wear underneath: we will tell you which one we would choose.

Look at the details you will use every day

A winter coat is buttoned most of the time, so think about how you reach your keys, your phone, your card. On many long coats, that means unbuttoning everything at every door.

The side slit is the signature of the Fenté 125. With the coat buttoned up to the chin, a slit on each side lets you reach your trouser pockets in one gesture, without opening it. Two buttons let you wear the slit open or closed, and even closed it lets your hand through. The pocket openings are cut in trompe-l'œil, like an open envelope. The body is lined in cotton, and the sleeves in viscose so that the coat slides on easily over a jacket.

Ask who makes it

A good coat should tell you where its cloth comes from and where it was sewn. We design, pattern and test the Fenté 125 in our Paris studio. It is the coat we presented when we won the Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris in 2022. It is made in Portugal by Calvelex, a workshop we have worked with for years; the black and white tweed version is made in France.

Look after it

Wool needs less care than you think. After wearing, brush the coat down and let it breathe on a wide hanger, away from a radiator. Dry clean only, and as rarely as possible: airing does more for wool than solvent. Never machine wash or tumble dry, and iron at low temperature if needed. If it is damaged in a few years, write to us: we either repair it ourselves or tell you who will do it properly.

Try it on

The best way to choose a coat is still to put it on. We welcome you by appointment at our studio, 76 boulevard de Magenta, Paris 10, to try the Fenté 125 over your own clothes. If you order online, you have 14 days after delivery to return or exchange it; return costs are at your expense.

See the Fenté 125 in all colours · Book an appointment at the studio · Read our FAQ