I'm thinking of acquiring a MTM harris tweed overcoat (light, full, American)

[NJ2MDdude]

To that end, I've gotten several wool swatches, weighing between 19 and 22 oz. I was surprised by the thinness of the material and expressed my concern to the clothier. He said not to worry. My current Burberry overcoat is fairly thick, but I'm not sure about the weight of the wool. Does anyone think 19-22 oz wool is too light for an overcoat that will be worn the mid-Atlantic area?

[Gerania]

That sounded a bit light to me - the woman who is always cold - so I read through a few fabric and tailoring sites. Standard overcoat weight is 20-22 oz.

It then comes down to where, how and with what you'll be wearing the coat.

Are you in Virginia or northern NJ?
Will you wear the coat over a suit jacket or sweater?
If you drive to work, door to door, standard coat weight is fine. If you walk to work in all weather, it might not be enough.

"We differentiate between overcoats and topcoats because a topcoat is four to six inches shorter than an overcoat and less cumbersome on a train..."

A Suitable Wardrobe: A Closet Full of Coats

[NJ2MDdude]

Thanks for your response. I'm in Baltimore, MD and would be wearing a full length harris tweed men's overcoat over a suit/sports jacket. It appears these type of coats are no longer available off the rack, as men's style has moved towards shorter length coats and solid colors.

I hope 22 oz is the historical standard. The men's full length overcoats I've tried on in recent years have been considerably lighter than my 20-year old overcoat.

[Gerania]

Coats used to be heavier. Prewar suiting was commonly 15-16 ounces, topcoats up to 24 and overcoats upper 20's to 30 ounces. WWII field trousers were 18 ounce, winter weight 22 ounce and the greatcoats 30 ounce.

Coatings
J&J Minnis - John G Hardy (http://www.hfw-huddersfield.co.uk/hardyminnis/asp/showroom.asp?seco=M - broken link)

"Harris Tweed...is different from its predecessor because it is both softer and lighter—6 ounces versus the 12 to 14 ounces of the 1960s version...."
RobbReport.com - Article (http://www.robbreport.com/archived-issues/Article.aspx?article=14425 - broken link)

You may not be able to get anything heavier in the tweed.

[NJ2MDdude]

Nice article. I still have several pair of heavy weight tweed slacks that I purchased 20 years ago. It's very difficult to find today. Flannel trousers and winter weight suits are also difficult to find. I know of a seller in the UK:

Tweed Jacket for Made to Order Jackets and Suits

Not my style though. Too English. I prefer American traditional.