Editing Overcoat (section)

{{short description|Coat worn over street dress}}
{{Other uses}}

[[File:Mens Coats 1872 Fashion Plate.jpg|right|thumb|Overcoat (left) and topcoat (right) from ''The Gazette of Fashion'', 1872]]
An '''overcoat''' is a type of long [[coat]] intended to be worn as the outermost garment, which usually extends below the knee. Overcoats are most often used in [[winter]] when warmth is more important. 

They are sometimes confused with or referred to as [[#Topcoat|topcoats]], which are shorter and end at or above the knees. Topcoats and overcoats together are known as '''outercoats'''. Unlike overcoats, topcoats are usually made from lighter weight cloth such as [[gabardine]] or covert, while overcoats are made from heavier cloth or [[fur]].