A Long Double-Breasted Chesterfield Coat Tailored in Zegna Charcoal Grey Cashmere

Tomohiro Hayashi

We are pleased to present this exceptional double-breasted Chesterfield coat, tailored in lustrous cashmere. Completed through a meticulous process that included a basted fitting, this bespoke piece truly exemplifies the beauty of made-to-order craftsmanship. We invite you to take a closer look.

Background of the Order

Mr. Y first visited our store to consult with us about a made-to-order coat. He had been looking for a long cashmere Chesterfield coat and had tried on several from luxury maisons. Although he appreciated their designs, he found that none of them fit quite as he had hoped. This led him to consider made-to-order tailoring as another possibility.

While searching online for a made-to-order Chesterfield coat, he came across images of our double-breasted Chesterfield coat and decided to visit us for an initial consultation. He had a clear preference for cashmere, and after selecting several candidate fabrics that day, he later returned with his wife to make the final decision on both the fabric and the design.

The fabric was ultimately selected from Ermenegildo Zegna's cashmere collection. Mr. Y preferred a more subdued and softly lustrous finish rather than the highly glossy appearance sometimes found in cashmere. The deciding factor was a deep charcoal shade, almost black, which was very close to the color he had been looking for.

As for the design, he considered both single-breasted and double-breasted Chesterfield coats until the very end, trying on each sample several times. The choice was between the simplicity and versatility of the single-breasted style and the stronger presence of the double-breasted version.

Both suited him well, but the double-breasted Chesterfield, with its peak lapels and more commanding front, has a certain presence that does not suit everyone in the same way. On Mr. Y, however, with his refined demeanor and tall, elegant proportions, the double-breasted style looked very natural and beautifully balanced. We therefore decided to proceed with the double-breasted Chesterfield, leaving the single-breasted version as a possible choice for the future.

Our standard double-breasted Chesterfield sample is knee-length, but Mr. Y requested the longest possible length. He also wanted a clean, column-like silhouette that followed the body closely from the waist down, reminiscent of coats he had tried on at luxury maisons. To achieve this, we decided to include a basted fitting so that we could carefully refine the button placement, length, and overall silhouette.

Basted Fitting

At this stage, the pockets and buttons are represented by temporary pieces of white cotton cloth, known as silesia. The easily removable basting stitches not only hold the garment together, but also serve as useful guidelines when evaluating the fit and balance.

The fitting took place during one of our bespoke shoe order events, so we were surrounded by shoe samples. Even at this early stage, the coat already looked very good, but this is where we begin refining the finer details.

The coat fits closely from the base of the neck through the chest. The shoulder slope is well balanced, allowing the weight of the coat to be distributed evenly. Despite the generous volume of cashmere and the long length, the coat does not feel excessively heavy when worn.

During the fitting, we widened the spacing between the buttons and slightly lowered the position of the waist pockets accordingly. Closer button spacing and higher pockets can create a sharper and more formal impression, so we intentionally introduced a little more space to give the coat a softer and more contemporary mood.

We also narrowed the shoulder width and back width slightly to refine the silhouette further. The hem circumference was adjusted to emphasize the clean, column-like line Mr. Y had in mind.

Final Result

Simply beautiful. The polished black horn buttons add a subtle and refined accent.