My First Bespoke Coat Made with Camel Hair: The Double-Breasted Chesterfield Coat

Tomohiro Hayashi

I had my beloved double-breasted Chesterfield coat made to order through bespoke tailoring. With personalized details and the perfect fabric I had envisioned, the result is a coat I hope to wear for a lifetime. I invite you to take a look.

Motivation Behind the Order

I've long worn coats from our single-collar collection, raglan coats, and Spritumn coats. However, when it came to Chesterfield coats, I only owned one -- a navy double-breasted Chesterfield made over a decade ago.

That coat, crafted from a wool-cashmere fabric by Dormeuil, has accompanied me on business trips to Italy and holds many memories. Yet, after years of heavy use and having been tailored quite slim when I was younger, it no longer suited my needs after becoming independent. It now rests in the closet, watching over my other clothes.

A year has passed since we launched our Bespoke Line. I've been fully captivated by the charm of bespoke tailoring, having already ordered three suits. The next natural choice was a coat. While I was drawn to more casual military-inspired pieces like duffle coats -- a specialty of our tailor Mr. Kojima -- I decided that my first bespoke coat should be a classic yet personally challenging Chesterfield coat.

Chesterfield coats come in single- and double-breasted styles. Both are beautiful, but I personally have a strong preference for the double-breasted version.

Why the preference? The double-breasted version, with its broader lapels and layered structure, helps enhance my slight frame and offers better insulation thanks to the overlapping front panels. Above all, it provides a feeling of being securely wrapped, which is something I truly enjoy.

That said, there's something inherently intimidating about Chesterfield coats for me, whether single or double. Unlike single-collar, raglan, or trench coats, which trace their origins to military wear and are relatively casual, the Chesterfield -- named after the Earl who originally popularized it -- is an elegant, formal coat with aristocratic roots. This makes it all the more refined, but also harder to approach casually.

Since I was going bespoke, I wanted to ease that intimidation and create a double-breasted Chesterfield that felt more like "me."

Concept

If I had to sum it up: "A double-breasted Chesterfield that reflects who I am." Something with a soft, relaxed feel -- like a hand-me-down from my grandfather. Nothing too polished or stiff, but easygoing enough to pair with casual outfits. Listing these features out makes me question, "Is it even right to expect this from a double Chesterfield?" But that's exactly where the power of bespoke tailoring shines. I brought my full vision to Mr. Kojima and let him work his magic.

I shared my concept along with vintage photos of double-breasted coats that captured the look I wanted. Mr. Kojima, drawing from his extensive experience and creativity, proposed subtle but unconventional touches to steer the coat away from standard norms. Together, we shaped a new vision for what a double-breasted Chesterfield could be.

Fabric

Choosing the right fabric was crucial to realizing the concept. I ultimately selected a baby camel hair cloth from Piacenza, Italy, part of their "DUNES" collection. This luxurious fabric is woven from camel hair, not wool.

Initially, I had intended to go with midnight blue in cashmere -- aiming for a timeless, lifelong coat. However, as beautiful as cashmere is, pairing it with midnight blue leaned too far toward elegance and luxury, which risked contradicting the relaxed feel I envisioned.

That's when I discovered Piacenza's camel hair -- the color was perfect. A muted midnight blue, more black than blue, giving it understated depth. Unlike wool, camel hair can't be bleached, meaning it either showcases its natural hue or is dyed dark. As such, camel hair coats usually come in camel, navy, or black. This special navy -- nearly black -- was exactly what I had imagined.

The texture is also unique. While cashmere offers a glossy sheen and silky touch, camel hair is fluffier and matte. This subtle ruggedness fit the concept perfectly.

Details

After going through the basted fitting and intermediate fitting stages, the long-awaited double-breasted Chesterfield coat was finally completed!

I tried it on right away.

The coat length falls well below the knees, offering full coverage. The silhouette is roomy, especially around the waist, which gives a more relaxed fit compared to modern Chesterfield coats. The shoulders are also slightly extended to emphasize a casual, laid-back look.

A peak lapel is a signature feature of double-breasted Chesterfields. The angle of the peak was kept low and the tips were rounded to soften the overall impression. We also widened the gap between the lapel and the collar to further enhance its approachable feel.

The roll of the lapel was another point of emphasis. We designed it to roll more deeply, allowing the third button to be fastened like a "3-roll-2" jacket. While it's a more relaxed styling choice, it provides a casual yet intentional look. It pairs perfectly with a hands-in-pockets stance like this.

The waist pockets are slightly slanted -- a style known as "slant pockets." This is my first garment with this detail. Originally designed for ease of access on horseback, slant pockets add a sporty touch, softening the coat's formal structure. While they may appear heavily angled in the photo, the slant is actually subtle when viewed from the front. The idea of "slant pockets on a double-breasted Chesterfield" was a brilliant suggestion from Mr. Kojima -- a creative touch I wouldn't have thought of myself, and now something I truly love.

There's another hidden detail here: if you look closely near the pocket area, you'll notice there's no side seam. Traditionally, a Chesterfield coat consists of three panels: the front body, side body, and back. However, this coat eliminates the side body, using only the front and back panels. While reducing seams makes it more challenging to construct a three-dimensional shape, the result is a simpler, softer appearance. It's these subtle, almost invisible elements of craftsmanship that make bespoke truly fascinating.

The back details also stay true to the concept. The eye is drawn to the back belt, but the standout feature is the wide action pleats on either side.

These pleats are often found on sports coats like the polo coat. Chesterfield coats typically have a clean, tailored back, but the pleats give this one a more dynamic, sporty look. I believe it creates a tasteful contrast without compromising the coat's dignity.

Even the back belt design was treated as a playful accent. The curved cut softens the impression of the garment.

The shoulder line gives a slightly sloped, natural silhouette. No shoulder pads were used; instead, the shoulders were made wider and set to drop slightly. Combined with the upward curve of the collar, this design emphasizes the natural roundness of the shoulders. I particularly love how it looks from this angle.

A Bespoke Coat for a Lifetime

Thanks to Mr. Kojima's exceptional guidance, I now have a coat that will last a lifetime -- one that turned out even better than I had imagined. This coat perfectly reflects my personal taste, offering a top-tier combination of tailoring and fabric, yet managing to look effortless and natural when worn. From the moment I put it on, it felt like something I had worn for years. I look forward to aging with this coat -- throwing it on over a sweater and heading to a café with a newspaper and coffee in hand. I can already picture it.

This bespoke experience reminded me once again of what makes custom tailoring so special. The true advantage of bespoke over ready-to-wear isn't just choosing your favorite fabric or getting the perfect fit -- it's the ability to tune a garment to your personality and character. And that tuning is remarkably precise when developed through dialogue.

It's not just because a paper pattern is drafted from scratch. It's the fact that the client and tailor meet at least three times -- first fitting, basted fitting, intermediate fitting -- spending a total of 3-4 hours together. That level of communication allows the tailor to deeply understand not just the garment the client wants, but also the person themselves. That's why, when the finished piece is finally worn, the client can say, "Yes -- this is exactly what I wanted."

The deeper the conversation, the greater the understanding and trust -- and the better the result. This experience has reaffirmed my belief that bespoke tailoring is truly wonderful. As Mr. Kojima's biggest fan, I'm already planning my next commission. I look forward to sharing that journey with you as well.