From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oversized, heavy overcoat
"Shinel" redirects here. For the short story, see
The Overcoat
.
The greatcoat:
Rear and front perspectives of the uniform greatcoat for an officer of the Light Infantry of the
Grande Armee
commanded by Napoleon.
A
greatcoat
(also
watchcoat
) is a large, woollen
overcoat
designed for warmth and protection against wind and weather, and features a collar that can be turned up and cuffs that can be turned down to protect the face and the hands, whilst the
short rain-cape
at the shoulders protects from the wind and repels rain. In the 19th century, the 'watchcoat' was part of a soldier's
military uniform
, to be worn whilst on watch (guard duty), hence the term
watchcoat
.
[1]
The drape of the greatcoat reached to below the knee of the wearer, the short cape drapes to the elbow, and the capacious external pockets allow the wearer to carry dry food and other items; an example is the
Petersham coat
, named after
Viscount Petersham
.
[2]
In the fashion of the
Regency era
(1795?1837) a greatcoat might feature several short capes, usually designed, cut, and
tailored
to the specifications of fit and
aesthetic taste
of a
dandy
.
[3]
Gallery
[
edit
]
-
The greatcoat for a French dragoon soldier. (1812)
-
Models of
Bundeswehr
greatcoats from the 1960s.
-
-
Royal Air Force
officers in uniform greatcoat, inspecting a French aeroplane.
-
Winston Churchill in a
British Warm
coat; Stalin in a greatcoat, Yalta, 1945.
-
A sentry of the
Coldstream Guards
dressed in his
watchcoat
. (2011)
-
A British Tommy in his Army-issue greatcoat; First World War (1914?1918).
-
Filipino Cadets Marching in the Rain Wearing greatcoats.
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]