The hero of Winter dressing will always be the overcoat. Warm, luxurious and thoroughly practical, a beautifully tailored overcoat gives any wearer an air of stature and style.

According to The Rake ‘London shoemaker Wildsmith is credited with creating the first modern loafer in 1926 for client King George VI, in response to the stuttering regent’s request for a bespoke casual shoe he could ‘loaf’ around his country houses in. A beefier ready-to-wear rendition suitable for outdoor use was soon put into production, and the style was quickly emulated by many more of Britain’s gentlemen’s shoemakers.’

When you do some research on the Pea coat you find some different origins. Probably, like with many things that people independently of each other, they have had the same idea or at least quite similar ideas to solve a problem.

Although it was originally called buta or boteh, meaning “flower,” People have seen resemblances to lotus flowers, a mango, a leech, yin and yang, a dragon, and a cypress pine.

I guess it was inevitable. I’d long resisted the urge and I blame no one, but COVID. If the dreadful virus hadn’t struck and rendered the whole country impotent earlier in the year, I’d never have succumbed.