No Lining, Big Problem

There is a phrase that appears on the product pages of certain expensive coats. It reads: "unlined, for a lightweight feel." This is a masterpiece of fashion marketing — taking something that has been left out and presenting it as a considered addition. The coat costs over £1,000. It has no lining. And the absence of lining is framed as a benefit to you.

It is not a benefit to you. It is a benefit to the maker's margin — or rather the brand's margin.

Let us be precise about what lining a coat actually involves. A lined coat requires a separate layer of fabric, cut to match every piece of the outer shell, sewn in with care so that it lies flat and does not pull, is finished so that it does not fray, and is attached so that it moves with the coat rather than against it. This takes skill and time. Done well, it is one of the more labour-intensive parts of making a coat. Done badly, it shows immediately — puckering, twisting, pulling.

An unlined coat, by contrast, requires bound seams — the raw edges of every seam finished individually, so that the inside of the coat looks presentable and does not unravel. The material — bias — is less costly than the coat's full metreage in a lining fabric would be. But, and there is a big but: bound seams generally take longer to complete than adding a lining. Each individual seam length must be measured; each seam allowance wrapped, pinned, and stitched, making this a time-consuming finish.

If the brand usually lines in polyester or viscose and the lining would cost more — in materials and in labour — then you can be quite certain that their labour is paid at rates of next to nothing. The decision not to line is, in most cases, a decision to reduce costs while maintaining or increasing the price. "Unlined, for a lightweight feel" translates, in manufacturing economics, to "unlined, for a healthier margin."

This is not to say that unlined coats are never appropriate. In summer, in lighter cloths and when you are going for an informal or unstructured finish, an unlined coat can make perfect sense — it is cooler for one. Our summer weight coats are a case in point.

But a winter coat — a wool coat, a cashmere coat, a coat designed to be worn in the cold over layers — needs a lining. The lining protects the outer fabric from the inside, extends the coat's life, holds its shape over years of use, and, if the lining is silk, breathes in a way that keeps the wearer comfortable rather than clammy. Omitting a lining from a winter coat and charging over £1,000 for the privilege is a choice made for one reason only.

At EdNerat we line all our winter coats in silk. Not because we have to. Because it is the right thing to do for a coat that is meant to last.