The Lemon Fool

I'm trying to think of a word. The teachers and headmaster at the neighbouring school all wear the subject cut of outer-wear when wondering around in the playground during break. The females white ones, the head-master a dark blue one. They're the same cut as a white lab-coat. People will be familiar with calling a white one a 'lab-coat'.
Ronnie Barker's character in Open all hours wore a brown one, that's associated with tradesmen. Googling suggests it might be: 'Arkwright still fitted Ronnie as comfortably as, well, an old brown shop coat'. Is that the term, I don't think I've heard it before?
I even browsed the mega DIY shop Screwfix's listing but they don't seem to stock them.

What might the head-masters blue coat be called, simply a coat, without reference to it's function?

p.s. IIRC a 'house coat' was the kind of blue nylon coat Dot Cotton in East-enders wore; very popular through circa the 1960s, but AFAIR only women used them.

When my father wore such a brown coat as a factory worker in the 50s/60s/70s he and everyone else referred to them as his 'overalls' because the went 'over' ordinary clothes just as when you wear a coat to go outside in colder weather the coat goes 'over' your indoor clothing. A little search on the internet brought up for me this definition of 'overalls':

a loose-fitting coat or one-piece garment worn over ordinary clothes for protection against dirt or heavy wear.

so it does look as if the word 'overall' can refer to just a coat which protects your ordinary clothes from dirt and damage and not necessarily only to one piece garments which cover your body, arms and legs.

DiamondEcho wrote:..Ronnie Barker's character in Open all hours wore a brown one....

There seem to be a wide range of terms used 'in the trade'. 'Warehouse coat' seems to be the generally accepted term for the brown ones...

Storemans Warehouse, Open All Hours Shopkeepers Coat, Dust Jacket

https://www.yarmo.co.uk/clothing/outerw ... oat-ct01k/

Brown Coat.

Perennially used by on-camera scene shifters on BBC programmes as well.

Meatyfool..

I had a white lab coat, until it got splashed with hot tar when I kicked a stopped steam trap, which fell off the pipe.

Replaced with a brown one, which I think I still have, 60 years on. Used when washing the car once or twice a year.

One lad in our lab used to shout "Gunstones"! after a firm of bakers in Sheffield when one walked by.

TJH

+1 for warehouse coat

Smock is another word that has been used.

TJH

Chore coat?

By the way, denim jeans used to be called waist overalls before the 40's.

Dust Coat