WearsMyMoney

Well, OK, ‘forever’ is a slight exaggeration, but I think these six styles will stand the test of time and be the ones you reach for year after year. I say this with some experience, as I have a version of every one of these from winters past. I’m trying my absolute hardest NOT to buy a new coat this year, as I feel my coat wardrobe is currently complete. Apart from possibly a new ‘football manager’ coat. By that I mean something VERY warm for wearing on the sidelines. I will get into those in another post. For now, we will concentrate on some everyday outerwear.

Let’s dive straight in…

THE QUILTED COAT

Let’s call this the ‘it might rain, it might not; it’s cold, but not freezing; I need a sensible coat that will withstand some elements but also look stylish’ coat. If that’s too much of mouthful, we can call it our ‘sensible coat’. It should be long but not too long, quilted but not too puffy, and large enough to wear over a chunky jumper. We will be wearing this coat to walk the dog, pop to the shops, and even to throw over our PJs to put the bins out. I’ve picked one from Barbour as my top choice, mainly because I’m a big Barbour fan.

1. Suermondt cashmere blend magic waistcoat 
2. M&S Pure Merino Wool Crew Neck Jumper
3. COS Indigo Tapered Arch Jeans
4. Anya Hindmarch Eyes Reusable Coffee Cup
5. Barbour x The Edit by Alexa Chung Amy Quilted Jacket
6. Russell & Bromley Snaffle Trim Brogue Ankle Boots

THE COAT FOR WEARING WITH LONG DRESSES

This one isn’t as tricky as you might think. The key is to seek out a really long maxi coat to have in your outerwear arsenal. What I don’t like when wearing a nice dress is a coat that only covers a bit of it. It’s fine if you have a small portion of your dress poking out under your coat, but when it hits just below the knee it will cut you in half like a magician’s assistant.

1. M&S High Neck Ruffle Midaxi Tiered Dress
2. Loel Large Gold Spiral Gold Plated Necklace 
3. Gaueiour Gold Statement Geometric Dangle Drop Earrings
4. Gucci Horsebit 1955 mini shoulder bag
5. Whistles Black Lori Longline Coat
6. John Lewis Purcie Leather Ankle Boots 

THE FLUFFY COAT

We’re talking texture, we’re talking touch, we’re talking pure winter gorgeousness. The fluffy coat is a sweeping general term: could be faux fur, could be shearling, could be some sort of fleece caper. Works perfectly to elevate a pair of jeans to bring a bit of extra interest to your outfit. I have the cream version of this coat from Mango and it shows it was a good buy as they’ve brought it back for the third year in a row.

1. Liberty Burlington Top Handle Bag
2. Hush Cora Chunky Cashmere Crew Jumper
3. Mango Fur-effect coat with appliqués
4. Whistles High-Waisted Barrel-Leg Jeans
5. Dune Odele Brown Suede Ankle Boots 
6. Black & Beech Do No Harm Take No Shit Wrist Warmers

MY FAVOURITE COAT

I’ve spoken about this Jigsaw coat on many occasions. I got it back in 2020 and it immediately became my favourite coat. It feels like cashmere, it’s got an amazing shape and, for me (at 5′ 7), it’s the perfect length for a long winter coat. It’s a style Jigsaw sell every year. I have it in brown, and they also do it in grey and black this season.

1. Damson Madder Fluffy Stripe Scarf
2. Uniqlo Cashmere Crew Neck Jumper
3. Jigsaw Wool Maxi City Coat Chocolate
4. JW Pei Women’s Mini Flap Crossbody Bag
5. M&S Jersey Mini A‑Line Skirt
6. Sezane Julianne Leather Loafers

THE GREY COAT

There’s something about a good grey coat that feels so chic and smart. I’m not even sure why. Black is great, and it’s a given that we should all have a good black coat, but grey works so well with navy, with red, with all the gorgeous aubergines and burgundies we are seeing this year. It’s slightly less harsh than black for most skin tones, too.

May I also recommend, for those who suffer from frizz when the winter weather gets moist, get yourself one of these Uniqlo beanie hats. I swear by it during these months when getting to and from my destinations. It’s light enough to not give you hat hair and soft enough to not make your head itch.

1. Uniqlo Cashmere Beanie Hat 
2. Uniqlo 3D Knit Merino Blend Ribbed Jumper
3. YMC Heidi floral-intarsia knitted cotton vest
4. Mango Flecked wool-blend coat
5. Anine Bing Anine Bing Rio Tote Bag (use code KATE15 for 15% off)
6. COS flecked wool straight leg trousers 
7. All Saints Escher Metallic Leather Lace Up Shoes Gunmetal

THE SHORTER COAT

I mean, I guess that technically this could be called a jacket. But when is it a jacket and when is it coat? Is there a definition? I don’t know, the lines are blurred when looking at something that falls from waist to mid-thigh. What I’m thinking about here is anything that might be considered a peacoat. Double-breasted, slightly oversized, works well when you want something shorter. Looks good with full skirts and wide-leg trousers.

1. COS Ribbed Merino Wool Turtleneck Jumper
2. H&M Rectangular tortoiseshell sunglasses
3. COS Double Faced Wool Pea Coat 
4. River Island Green faux leather pleated midi skirt
5. DeMellier New York Medium leather tote bag
6. & Other Stories Pointed-Toe Knee-High Boots

Happy coat season everyone.

K x