Ulster coat

The Ulster was originally a Victorian working daytime overcoat, with a cape and sleeves. It is often seen in period productions of Victorian novels, such as those of Charles Dickens and was referred to in the Sherlock Holmes stories A Study In Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, A Scandal in Bohemia, The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor and The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.

Often made of hard-wearing fabrics, such as herringbones or tweeds, it was not a formal coat at the time, though in the 21st century a cape would be seen as such. After the Edwardian period, it lost its cape, and continued to be used as a heavy-duty overcoat, often in a double-breasted style.

See also

• Inverness coat