Churchill at the Yalta summit, wearing a British Warm

A British Warm,[1] British warm[2] or British Warm overcoat is a type of woollen overcoat based on the greatcoats worn by British Army officers in the First World War.[3]

History

The British Warm first appeared around 1914 as a military greatcoat for British officers. It was made famous, however, by Winston Churchill.[4] According to Scottish clothmakers Crombie, the term "British Warm" was coined to describe their version of the coat worn by around 10% of British soldiers and officers.[5] It is currently the only authorised overcoat for serving British Army officers.[6]

Characteristics

A British Warm is typically a heavy, double-breasted wool coat made from a 100% wool cloth known as Melton.[4] It is taupe-coloured, has peak lapels and leather buttons, often has epaulettes, and is slightly shaped. It falls just above the knee, and is sometimes belted.[3]

References

  1. ↑ British Air Forces 1914-18 Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine by Andrew Cormack and Peter Cormack, Wellingborough: Osprey (2001), 5.
  2. ↑ Merriam-Webster: British warm
  3. 1 2 Introducing the British Warm Overcoat Archived February 10, 2015, at the Wayback Machine at www.h-huntsman.com. Retrieved 10 Feb 2015
  4. 1 2 The British Warm Overcoat at britishwarm.com. Retrieved 10 Feb 2015
  5. ↑ Crombie Heritage at www.crombie.co.uk. Retrieved 10 Feb 2015
  6. ↑ British Army Dress Regulations (FOI, 2017). Accessed 9 December 2017.
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