hen ordinary computer hacker Thomas Anderson, known by his handle, Neo, is shown that he lives not in the real world but in a computer simulation, while in reality humans are kept in tanks to provide living fuel for machines, he is thrust into a strange adventure. Neo is freed from his prison and brought into the real world, where he joins Morpheus, who informs him he is "the one," the one human who can enter the Matrix and fight the machines from within. Humanity, he discovers, is counting on him.
An interesting premise for a science-fiction movie, but the first Matrix film caught the imagination of audiences not only for its science-fiction themes, but for its slick style and intense action. In The Matrix, Neo, dressed menacingly all in black with an amazing trenchcoat, enters the computer simulated world with his partner, Trinity, clad in tight leather. Together, they storm the lobby of a large building, making film history in one of the most stylish action sequences yet put to celluloid.
In the much-awaited sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, Neo returns to the computer simulated "real" world and this time he's dressed even better than before. While in the actual world, humans dress in rags and tatters. In the simulation, the humans control the systems of the Matrix and can dress however they please. Neo has chosen well. The true star of this film is a piece of clothing—Neo's long black trenchcoat.
Quite different from the trenchcoat from the first film, this one is a long black greatcoat that resembles an 18th-century Catholic priest's cassock. It is probably the single most beautiful costume in film this year.
Now fans of the film can dress as Neo did when he encountered hundreds of clones of Agent Smith in a back alley. Thanks to costumers AbbyShot, Matrix buffs can own a coat strikingly similar to the one Neo sports in the most dramatic scenes in The Matrix Reloaded.
The Lobby Reloaded trenchcoat is long, slim and beautiful, sporting a mandarin collar, 21 cloth-covered buttons stretching from the neck to the floor, two side pockets and fine, thick satin lining from top to bottom. The coat is custom-fitted to the customer, so the fit is perfect. Its waistline is made to be form-fitting, including a design curve in the seam for a comfortable but snug fit. It flares out widely at the bottom, and the amount of material in the coat is obvious from the sheer weight of it. It is a substantial garment.
Dress to kill—the machines
In The Matrix Reloaded, Neo has accepted his role as "the one," as have the rest of the humans who live free from the tanks in an underground city called Zion, where they hide from the machines and prepare for the war to take back the Earth. He is treated as a saint, a priest, a god. The comparisons to Christ are obvious, and his treatment by his fellow humans humbles him as they ask him to touch them or to heal them.
Befitting his role in Zion, we see him in the Matrix dressed in a trenchcoat that appropriately resembles a priest's robe, and he wears it well.
AbbyShot's version of this coat is carefully designed to match Neo's closely. The staff scrutinized the film to get every detail correct. They go through pains to ensure a perfect fit by requesting various measurements of the customer, including several measurements around the neck to ensure a perfectly fitting mandarin collar; and two measurements from the arms—from the shoulder to the elbow, and elbow to cuff, which ensures the best fit possible without actually modeling the coat during creation.
The fabric for the Lobby Reloaded coat is a basketweave wool blend specially woven in Italy. The buttons are covered in the same black fabric (swatches are visible in one of their online newsletters). The lining is a thick black satin, and is as beautifully done inside as out. The coat flares out from the waist to an abundance of fabric, giving plenty of range of movement.
While the review sample of this coat is a close, straight match to Neo's coat, AbbyShot also accepts custom orders and customizations, and seems willing to accommodate most reasonable requests for special features sewn into their garments by altering pockets or changing the design on a case-by-case basis. These are truly one-of-a-kind coats designed with the customer in mind.
AbbyShot prides itself on custom-fitted, hand-crafted clothing designed after popular films including The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, Blade, Blade II and anime favorite Trigun. Check out their complete line at their Web site.
To quote Patrick Foran of AbbyShot, "the real reason people will want this coat is the feeling it delivers when it is worn. This coat places the wearer into The Matrix. It transforms him from a humble office worker into a bullet-stopping, agent-fighting hero. It's more than his coat, it is his fantasy!! (or hers ... )"
He's right. And I couldn't have said it better myself.
