Brand new raincoat is nouvel?

Question

Why is it « nouvel » and not « neuf » when the raincoat would be brand new from the store? I thought neuf is for new, never been used, and nouvel is for been used but still pretty new.

Accepted Answer

Hi Aoede, 
The English says -
"... because he needs a new raincoat "
you wouldn't say in English 
because he needs a brand new raincoat 
that sounds just as strange as saying in French -
il a besoin d'un imperméable neuf 
The emphasis is on the fact that it needs replacing not the fact that the raincoat will be brand new, although it is bound to be.
Bonne Continuation!

Answer

Sorry - doing edit and hit wrong button! Chris has covered now, so won't retype everything! Link from previous answer though https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/neuf-vs-nouveau/

Answer

Agree with Maarten. In my observation, nouveau is used in a broader context as neuf, because "new to the owner" can also include something brand new. Though in cases where you want to make clear that it is indeed brand new, you're obligated to use neuf. Here is an example (cited fromhttps://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/neuf-vs-nouveau/) where their difference really comes out nicely:un restaurant neuf  is a restaurant that just newly opened.un nouveau restaurant  is a restaurant that may have existed for a long time but that is new to me, i.e., I've never been to it.