Custom Overcoats in Los Angeles
Mr James makes bespoke overcoats from $1,200. Each is cut from a pattern drawn for one man, made by hand in our atelier in Southern Brittany, France, and fitted at 221 Culver Blvd in Playa del Rey.
The overcoat is the garment everyone sees first, and almost nobody has one made properly. A coat bought off the rail is cut to fit over nothing in particular. One made for you is cut to sit over your own jacket, at your own shoulder, to the length that suits your height.
An overcoat, in Los Angeles
You need one here less often than in New York, and you still need one. Evenings between November and March are cold enough, and any man who travels to the East Coast, to London or to the mountains finds out quickly that a suit jacket is not outerwear.
The mistake is to buy a coat for a Chicago winter and leave it in the wardrobe. In this climate a mid-weight wool, cut cleanly, earns its keep. It goes over a suit, over a sweater, and over a dinner jacket, and it is not too much for a clear February night in Los Angeles.
What is decided at the consultation
- Length. To the knee is the most useful. Longer is warmer and more formal; shorter is easier in a car.
- Front. Single-breasted is the quieter choice. Double-breasted is warmer across the chest and has more presence.
- Shoulder and sleeve. Cut with room for a jacket underneath, which is the detail a stock coat most often gets wrong.
- Cloth. Weight first, then colour. Navy, charcoal and camel cover almost everything.
- Detail. Collar, pockets, vent, lining and buttons are all yours to decide.
Wear or bring the jacket you will most often have underneath. Measured over a shirt alone, a coat comes out too tight in the shoulder and the sleeve.
What it costs, and how long it takes
From $1,200. As with everything we make, the price is set by the cloth and the making is the same at every level. Unlimited fittings and a year of complimentary alterations are included. Fifty per cent on commission, the balance on delivery.
Four to six weeks in domestic cloth, six to eight in imported Italian or English cloth. If you want it for the winter, the time to order is the autumn.
For comparison, a two-piece suit starts at $1,795 and odd trousers at $450. The full card is on the cost page, and everything we make is listed on the services page.
Looking after it
A good overcoat lasts decades if it is brushed, rested on a proper hanger and kept away from moths over the summer. The same habits that preserve a suit apply, and they are set out in how to care for a bespoke suit. When a lining finally wears through, we replace it. More on alterations and repairs.
Questions we are often asked
How much does a custom overcoat cost in Los Angeles?
At Mr James a bespoke overcoat starts at $1,200.
Do you need an overcoat in Los Angeles?
Less often than in New York, but most men who travel, or who dress for winter evenings, are short of one. A mid-weight coat earns more wear here than a heavy one.
How long does a bespoke overcoat take?
Four to six weeks in domestic cloth, six to eight in imported cloth.
What should I wear to be measured?
The jacket you will most often wear underneath it.
Come and see us
221 Culver Blvd, Playa del Rey. Monday to Sunday by appointment, roughly nine until six, forty-eight hours' notice. Free parking front and back. The first meeting is an hour and free, with Robb or Ben.
Book a private consultation, or telephone 310-503-3592 and we will find a time. You can also write to mrjames@bespokemrjames.com.
More: bespoke suits · tuxedos and black tie · how a jacket is built.