Every autumn the same question comes up in the shop: what do I actually wear over everything else? Not a raincoat, not a puffer — the coat that goes over the dress at a wedding, over the blazer on Monday, over jeans on a Saturday in Galway when the wind is coming straight up from the bay. Most wardrobes have three mediocre answers to that question and no good one.
The Landskein exists for precisely that gap. It is an Irish label built around lambswool and herringbone tailoring, and it makes the kind of piece that is bought once and worn for a decade. If you have been searching for irish designer coats that look considered rather than costume, this is the house to know — and this guide covers how the coats are cut, which weight suits which life, and how to make one last.
What The Landskein actually makes
The collection is narrow and deliberate: full-length and knee-length coats, a small run of blazers, and cocoon scarves cut from the same cloth as the outerwear. There is no attempt to be everything. The signature is woven wool — lambswool and merino lambswool, herringbone and tweed — cut with a clean shoulder, generous armhole and a hem that falls without flaring.
That last detail matters more than it sounds. A coat that flares at the hem reads as fancy dress in strong wind. A coat that falls straight, with weight in the cloth to hold it down, reads as tailoring. The Tailored Full Length Lambswool Coat is the clearest expression of that principle in the collection — long, black herringbone, and completely undemonstrative.
Lambswool, merino lambswool or tweed — which weight for which life
The three cloths in this collection behave differently, and choosing between them is the single decision that determines whether you wear the coat or resent it.
Lambswool herringbone
Softer against the neck and hand than a coarse tweed, with a fine, close herringbone. It has drape, so it moves with you rather than standing away from the body. This is the choice if you commute, sit in cars, or want the coat to work over tailoring without adding bulk at the shoulder. The Lambswool Herringbone Tailored Coat in chestnut is the warmest-toned option and flatters far more complexions than black does.
Tweed
Heavier, denser, more textured. Tweed holds its shape rather than draping, which is why a double-breasted tweed coat reads structured even unbuttoned. It is the better choice for genuinely cold, exposed days and for anyone who wants the coat to do the shaping rather than the outfit underneath. Expect it to feel stiff for the first fortnight, then soften and start to follow you.
Double-breasted or single
Double-breasted gives you two layers of cloth across the chest — measurably warmer, and visually broadening across the shoulder, which balances a fuller hip. Single-breasted gives a longer unbroken vertical line and works better under a crossbody bag. The Herringbone Double Breasted Coat is the one to try if you tend to wear coats open, because the lapel roll gives the front something to do.
Fitting a wool coat properly
Coat fitting goes wrong in a predictable order. Here is what to check, and in what sequence.
- Shoulder first, and over a jumper. Never try a winter coat over a T-shirt. Bring — or borrow from the rail — the heaviest knit you actually own. The shoulder seam should sit at the edge of your shoulder bone or slightly beyond; if it is pulling, no amount of unbuttoning will fix it.
- Then the crossover. Button it and fold your arms in front of you. If the back pulls hard across the shoulder blades, size up. A wool coat has no stretch.
- Then sleeve length. A coat sleeve should cover the wrist bone and finish about a centimetre past the jacket sleeve underneath. Sleeves are the easiest thing to alter and the most commonly left wrong.
- Hem last. A full-length coat should end where it looks deliberate on you — mid-calf or lower. The one length to avoid is the widest point of the calf, which shortens the leg on almost everyone.
The blazers, and why they are the sleeper buy
The coats get the attention, but the blazers are what people come back for. Cut in the same wools, they solve the problem of a room that is too warm for a coat and too formal for a cardigan. The Dove Grey Relaxed Blazer is soft-shouldered and easy over a shirt or fine knit; the Dark Grey Herringbone Blazer is the sharper, more structured of the pair.
A practical note: a wool blazer worn under a wool coat needs room. If you intend to layer the two, buy the coat with the blazer on. Browse the rest of our designer blazers alongside them; there is more on proportion in our guide to styling a blazer.
Living with wool on the west coast
Galway weather is not kind to tailoring, but wool is better equipped for it than most people assume. Lanolin in the fibre means light rain beads and sits on the surface before it soaks. What ruins a coat is not the rain — it is what happens afterwards.
- Never dry it on a radiator. Direct heat felts wool fibres and sets a permanent hardness into the cloth. Hang it on a broad wooden hanger away from heat and let it dry slowly.
- Brush, don't dry-clean. A stiff clothes brush, worked downwards with the nap once a week, lifts out the grit that actually wears the fibres. Dry-clean once or twice a season at most; solvents strip lanolin.
- Store it breathing. A cotton garment bag in summer, never plastic. Plastic traps moisture and moths are drawn to soiled wool, so brush before you put it away.
Building around one good coat
Then let the accessories do the work. A Almond Herringbone Cocoon Scarf in matching cloth reads as a considered set; the Herringbone Lambswool Cocoon Scarf in a contrast tone reads as personality. Both are wide enough to wrap twice, which is the only scarf measurement that matters in a Galway wind. Our full range of designer scarves is worth a look at the same time, as is the knitwear that will live underneath the coat all winter.
For everyday wear, the Grayson Coat in blue-grey wool is the quiet workhorse of the line: neutral enough for work, relaxed enough for a weekend. See it with the rest of The Landskein coats, or the whole line at The Landskein. If you are weighing this against other options, our piece on choosing an investment winter coat lays out the trade-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are The Landskein coats warm enough for an Irish winter?
Yes, with the right layer underneath. Woven wool insulates by trapping air, so a merino or lambswool knit under a herringbone coat is warmer than a coat two sizes too big with a T-shirt under it. For prolonged standing outdoors — a match, a race day — the tweed and double-breasted styles are the warmer choices.
How should I size a wool coat?
Size for the shoulder and the layer you will genuinely wear underneath, not for the fabric. Sleeves and hems can be shortened by a tailor; shoulders cannot be meaningfully let out. If you are between sizes and plan to wear knitwear or a blazer beneath, take the larger.
Can I wear a wool coat in the rain?
In showers, yes — wool sheds light rain well. In sustained downpours, a technical raincoat is the sensible tool, and we stock Rains for exactly that. Whatever gets wet, dry it slowly and away from heat, then brush it once dry.
What sets Irish designer coats apart from high-street wool coats?
Cloth weight and construction. Woven lambswool and tweed at full weight hold a shoulder line and resist wind in a way that a thin wool-blend melton cannot, and the seam and lining work is built to survive being worn hard rather than looked at. It is the difference between a coat that lasts three winters and one that lasts fifteen.
The Landskein rewards being tried on — the weight of the cloth and the set of the shoulder are things a photograph cannot convey. Come and see the coats and blazers in person at 2-3 Church Lane in Galway, where we are happy to talk you through the cloths without any rush, or browse the irish designer coats and the rest of our designer coat collection online, with free shipping nationwide.
