The Coat
The Monclaire Guide
The Coat
The Designation
Max Mara 101801
$4,490
Anne-Marie Beretta designed this coat in 1981. Not a single stitch has changed since—because the proportions were correct the first time. Seventy-three production stages. Cupro lining, which outlasts the women who wear it. Canvas interlining that molds to the shoulder over years. The signature puntino—a pick stitch along every edge—executed by machines built to mimic an artisan’s hand.
The women who own this coat measure ownership in decades. Ten years in Chicago snow. Fifteen between New York and London. One inherited from 1987, still in rotation.
The camel. The black fuzzes and shows lint. The camel looks like next season because it was never of a season.
(For the full material, lining, and construction analysis, see The Coat · A Dossier.)
Designated.
Did Not Pass
Several houses demonstrated softness without structure. Others relied on linings that failed well before the exterior. In some cases, repair timelines extended beyond what is reasonable for garments at this level. In others, inconsistency from piece to piece made long-term confidence impossible.
These qualities do not meet the standard applied here.
(The full account appears in The Coat · A Dossier; the private-life perspective is introduced in The Coat · An Edit.)
Sixty-seven coats examined. One admitted.
Brand referenced:
Modern Monclaire maintains no commercial relationships with any brand, fashion house, or mill. This publication accepts no advertising, affiliate revenue, or sponsored content.
(Continue the object set: The Watch · The Monclaire Guide · The Scent · The Monclaire Guide · The Carafe · The Monclaire Guide.)
RELATED READING
FROM the edit
FROM the dossiers
The Scent · A Dossier
The Carafe · A Dossier
The Watch · A Dossier
