A Guards Coat or Guard's Coat (sometimes Guardsman's coat) is a men's Overcoat which has a half belt in the back, and is based on the coat that used to be worn by English Officers of the Guard. It is a double-breasted garment in either a 6x3 (more traditional) or 6x2 (more formal) configuration; in a 6x3 configuration, all three working buttons can be fastened, or just the bottom two. The half-belt can be adjusted with buttons (more traditional) or sewn in place (more formal). The Guards Coat has either an Ulster collar (more traditional) or peaked lapels (more formal), turn-back cuffs (traditional) or button cuffs (formal), and welt or flap pockets. It comes mostly in formal colours such as a deep navy or

midnight blue Midnight blue is a dark shade of blue named for its resemblance to the apparently blue color of a moonlit night sky around full moon. Midnight blue is identifiably blue to the eye in sunlight or full-spectrum light, but can appear black unde ...

, and is more formal than the more countrified

Ulster coat The Ulster is a Victorian working daytime overcoat, with a cape and sleeves. The Ulster is distinguished from the Inverness by the length of the cape; in the Ulster, this cape only reaches the elbows, allowing free movement of the forearms. It ...

. These features mean that in its most formal configuration, it is largely similar to a

Paletot A paletot is a type of topcoat. The name is French, but etymologically derived from the Middle English word ''paltok'', meaning a kind of jacket. Historically, it was a semi-fitted to fitted coat, double-breasted or single-breasted, the f ...

or double-breasted

Chesterfield coat The Chesterfield is a formal, dark, knee-length overcoat with a velvet collar introduced around the 1840s in the United Kingdom, with prominence attributed to its namesake George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield, then a leader of British fash ...

, being distinguished primarily by its color and the presence of the half-belt in back; in its most traditional configuration, it is similar to a military

greatcoat A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat that is typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the ...

but without epaulets, or to a capeless

but with a half-belt, different pockets and more formal fabric.

References

Coats (clothing) {{Clothing