Five Steps You Can Take Right Now to Enjoy Your Coat for Years to Come

Do you have any clothes you'd still want to wear ten years from now?

Clothing can certainly be seen as something that wears out over time, something to eventually replace. And yet, there's a special kind of joy in encountering a coat, a stole, or a pair of shoes that feels like it could last a lifetime.

A coat is surely no exception. Perhaps it's the classic duffle coat style you've been eyeing for a while, telling yourself "this year's the year." Or maybe it's a cashmere coat you've promised yourself you'll finally splurge on once you're a little older. Coats come in all kinds of materials and designs, but from the very first day you slip one on, a little bit of care can make all the difference in how it feels and how long it lasts.

This time, we'll introduce ways to care for and wear your coat so it lasts for years, framed as "five steps you can start today"—including surprisingly overlooked tips like "the right way to take a coat off" and habits worth building into your daily routine, like "proper brushing technique." Please give these a try with the coat you already own.

Before we get into the steps for making a coat last, let's first consider why coats wear out in the first place. There are two main culprits that compromise a coat's quality: "fabric abrasion" and "loss of shape." When the surface texture of the fabric wears down, that's abrasion; when the silhouette you wear becomes fixed and won't return to its original form, that's loss of shape. These are the two reasons coats age.

Of course, clothing—coats included—develops character over time. Some changes, like the surface fibers wearing thin and losing their good looks, aren't so welcome. But other changes, like fabric softening and becoming more comfortable to wear, are. Ideally, we want to nurture our coats so that they gain more character than when they were new, becoming an even more appealing piece over time.

Now, let's look at the five specific steps.

【Step 1: Take It Off Properly】

This is a point that's easy to overlook, but keeping a coat looking beautiful depends less on how you wear it and more on how you take it off. For instance, do you keep your coat on while riding a train with the heat running, breaking into a light sweat? When the humidity is high, coat fabric absorbs moisture. If you then walk outside in the dry winter air with the cold north wind blowing, still wearing that same coat, it leads directly to set-in wrinkles and a distorted silhouette.

Likewise, when you're driving a car, or sitting down for a quick break at a café, if you keep your coat on because it's cold, the fabric around your waist and lower body bears extra strain, leading to stretching and friction-related wear. It's a small thing, but whenever you're somewhere warm enough to work up a sweat—on a train, in a car—don't be lazy about it: take your coat off, even if it's just for a short while. This is remarkably effective at preventing fabric abrasion from friction and keeping the coat's shape intact.

Step 1 is something you can put into practice right away: take it off properly, at the right time.

【Step 2: Make Use of Stoles and Turtlenecks】

One type of fabric damage worth watching for is staining and soiling around the neck. Even in the cold of winter, we sweat more than we realize. Since it's a season for bundling up, there are few places where skin comes into direct contact with the coat—but the neck is the one exception.

The neck area is also a common spot for sweat stains on shirts and knitwear, and coats are no different—they absorb sweat there before you even notice, making it prone to soiling. If it's a truly special coat you hope to wear for the next ten years, pair it with a turtleneck sweater so your skin never touches the fabric directly. Otherwise, wrapping a soft wool, cashmere, or silk scarf or stole around your neck works just as well, with the added bonus of extra warmth—two birds with one stone.

This is especially true for coats with hoods or high necklines, which you might feel tempted to wear casually without a scarf. But if your goal is to keep the coat looking good for years, it's best to avoid letting your skin touch the fabric directly.

【Step 3: Use the Right Hanger】

Once you're home, the steps for keeping your coat in good shape for years continue. The first of these is using the right hanger. A hanger determines the coat's silhouette whenever it's not being worn—it's practically the coat's partner. Even while it's hanging, try to keep it in as natural a posture as possible.

If you've gone to the trouble of finding a coat you truly treasure and want to get a hanger dedicated to it, keep these three points in mind:

① Avoid thin wire hangers and choose a thicker, sturdier one instead.

② Choose a hanger whose overall length matches the shoulder width of the coat.

③ Cedar wood, which absorbs moisture and resists odor, is preferable to metal.

If you've been using a thin wire hanger up until now, simply switching to a thicker one today can make a real difference.

Also, after hanging up your coat, don't put it straight into the closet—leave it hanging somewhere with good airflow for a while first. As mentioned in the section on taking your coat off properly, this helps prevent the coat from losing its shape while it's still holding moisture.

Let the moisture the fabric has absorbed escape before you put the coat away in the closet. It may seem like just a hanger, but don't underestimate it. A coat spends more time hanging than being worn—it's a bit of a special garment in that sense. Seen that way, the hanger is clearly not something to take lightly.

【Step 4: Master the Use of a Clothes Brush】

The final step is care using a clothes brush, put to proper use.

A clothes brush serves two purposes: "removing dirt" and "smoothing the surface of the fabric." The trick is to brush quickly and lightly, so as not to damage the fabric.

The brushing steps are as follows:

① Brush against the direction of the fibers to lift up dust. (If the fabric has fine, delicate fibers, you can skip this pre-care step.)

② Brush along the direction of the fibers over the large surfaces. Thoroughly smooth the fibers on the shoulders, front, and back.

③ Brush the smaller areas. Take care with the collar, cuffs, and pockets as well.

That's the general flow.

Another great thing about brushing is that, by visually checking the entire garment, you can notice small issues—dirt, snags, a loose button—that are hard to spot while simply wearing the coat. If you catch stains before they set, you can treat them, and if you catch a loose button before it falls off, you can sew it back on in time.

Also, if you're concerned about odor, using a fabric spray after brushing is recommended, and if wrinkles are noticeable, a wrinkle-release spray can help finish things off. If you don't already own a clothes brush, why not take this opportunity to add a wool and cashmere brush to your everyday essentials?

【Step 5: Reflect on when and how often you wear the coat】

First, try continuing steps 1 through 4 introduced so far for one week.

After that, take a moment to reflect on the occasions and how many times you wore that coat. That's Step 5.

Naturally, if it's your favorite coat, you'll want to wear it every day when you go out. But no matter how carefully you take care of it, wearing it day after day speeds up wear and tear, and shortens the time the fabric gets to rest, which increases the risk of it losing its shape. In that sense, if you want to wear a coat for a long time, it helps to think not just about wearing it often for long stretches, but about alternating it with another coat to reduce how frequently it's worn.

It's a good idea to keep two or, ideally, about three coats of different materials on hand that you can rotate between. Building the day's outfit around the coat is also a rather nice approach. That said, since it's a favorite coat, the best style for the coat itself is to keep wearing it consistently—rather than leaving it in the closet and missing out on its chance to shine—while continuing to care for it properly.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could gradually add more beloved coats that you can keep wearing for five or ten years, and eventually head out every day in one of these truly special coats?

Brands featured this time

【ZUTTO】

ZUTTO's original wear is designed with the aim of creating "designs you'll always love" and "clothes you can grow attached to." This season's coat uses a material called 【Double Beaver】, named for its soft touch and glossy, fur-like texture reminiscent of beaver fur. A special processing technique that introduces air into the yarn gives it both lightness and a plump, fluffy feel. The fabric is used generously and finished in a simple silhouette that lets its appeal shine through without holding back.

【smoothday】

smoothday is a coined term combining "smooth" and "day." What's especially notable is its material, beloved not only in Japan but by top maisons around the world. Manufacturing is handled by Ono Meriyasu, a long-established cut-and-sew manufacturer. The coat uses a heavy melton fabric made generously with Super 140 wool fiber. Its surface is extremely fine, with no scratchiness, and feels very smooth against the skin. Densely woven, it offers warmth as well as an elegant, refined impression.

【LONDON TRADITION】

A brand founded by Rob Hudson and Mamun Chowdhury, both from long-established apparel manufacturers, together with skilled craftsmen who had spent 25 years honing their craft at established manufacturers. Committed to production in the UK, the brand was launched with the goal of offering top-quality products at fair prices. It enjoys an extremely strong reputation at home, and LONDON Tradition, known for creating valuable products with an unwavering commitment to quality, is also famous for producing Burberry coats. The brand continues to make products that can be worn for years, unaffected by passing trends.

The duffle coat featured this time uses a fabric based on 70% wool, blended with 15% polyester, 10% nylon, and 5% acrylic. It's a coat you can cherish for years, combining the warmth of wool with lightness and easy handling.