A long, heavy coat worn over other clothing to stay warm in cold weather.
Compound word combining 'over' (Old English 'ofer') and 'coat' (from Old French 'cote'). The term appeared in English around the 1600s as a practical description for an outer garment worn on top of regular clothes.
The Victorian era made the overcoat a symbol of respectability and fashion—wealthy men wore them as status symbols with specific fabrics and tailoring. Today, the 'overcoat' silhouette in fashion keeps returning because it's the perfect blend of warmth, formality, and visual drama on the human body!
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