The absolute godmother of all winter coats this season – for style, wearability, longevity, and investment into fashion history – is Burberry’s wool trench (pictured above).
Beautifully sculpted to fit the figure, you cannot get a more flattering winter coat than this one and the classic style will remain wearable season after season. Plus it’s the last winter season with the legend that is Christopher Bailey at the helm (he steps down in March 2018, though he will be ‘providing support’ until the end of the year), so this could be the last trench you buy that truly has his stamp on it. A true investment piece.
After a few lacklustre seasons and less-than-glowing reviews, M&S have aced their latest winter collection. Aside from the gorgeous cashmere (the grey with pink stars and the white with navy stripes are must-buys), their coat collection is well worth a look.
The single-breasted pink wool coat is gorgeous, but our favourite for overall styling and impact is the jumbo houndstooth black and white wool coat. In-store it is styled with the collar up and a wide belt to cinch in the waist, but it looks equally as good worn loose. A real statement coat that packs a punch but is classic enough in its styling and colourway to come out next year too.
Who can resist a military winter coat? Clearly not many of us, as the double-breasted military-inspired Carla is already almost sold out at Hobbs. Navy wool with red piping and classic metallic military buttons, the structure and slim silhouette mean you will look sophisticated and put-together, no matter what you’re wearing underneath.
You can wear this with the leather on the outside, which makes it feel cosier, thanks to the fact the soft furry later is closer to your body, but wearing it fur side out in our opinion looks a lot cosier – and more stylish too. This is a winter-after-winter job and that will keep it shape and look neat for years. Well worth the (actually rather reasonable for a full-length sheepskin) price tag – and we love the shadow grey shade as well. Will go with literally anything.
Utter class. This inky-black pure sable camel coat is baby soft and ultra warm, and the nappa sheepskin element adds a satisfying weight to the coat that makes it hang perfectly.
The collar can be worn open or up for a higher neckline. Sleek sophistication – but of course, beauty comes at a price. You could risk waiting for the sales, though a coat this classic may well be gone by then. Time to hope you’re getting a Christmas bonus?
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Everyone needs a leopard print coat of some sort in their wardrobe.
A leopard print coat is part Bet Lynch, part Kate Moss and all sass.
Bet wore hers with chandelier earrings and a bleached blond beehive; Kate wore hers (she had multiple in tones and styles) with all-black jeans and jumper, black mini dress and bare legs or just plain old blue jeans and T-shirt. Basically what we’re saying is, it’s a damn versatile style that can be dressed up or down – but will inject a massive dose of attitude into whatever you wear.
We couldn’t do a winter coat list without including a red option (see also: white and leopard print). there is something about a red coat that brings joy to both those who wear it and those around them – yes, it really is as easy as that to banish the Monday blues. Sort of.
There are lots to choose from – Burberry’s Chelsea trench, £1,495, is a hot take on the classic; H&M’s wool blend coat at £79.99 is an affordable way to enter in to the scarlet trend – but our top choice that balances budget with elegance and style has to be Reiss’s longline Chiltern wrap coat in maraschino, £365. It can be worn belted or unbelted and is an absolute lesson in elegant tailoring.
Not many people, other than the ultra wealthy (enter Liz Hurley) and about-to-be-a-princess TV stars like our own dear Meghan Markle live a life so free of grub and grime (and public transport, children, any red food, wine, coffee – the list goes on) that they can get away with wearing a garment as pristine and as beautiful as this more than once.
It’s the sort of coat you might dream you’ll wear when you grow up, while simultaneously acknowledging that will never happen. If you can pull off a white coat, this MaxMara version is absolutely supreme, from the silky smooth cashmere-wool blend to the slight volume about the hips, deep pockets and charming buttons down the side. The devil really is in the detail.
For an absolutely brilliant budget take on the white coat trend – and one you won’t mind as much when it has a chance encounter with a glass of Malbec – Boohoo’s white belted shawl collar coat at just 20 of your fine English pounds is a wonder.
Well, if this cashmere-wool blend trench isn’t just the sweetest thing. This stylish coat – at once classic and contemporary combines trad trench styling with some chunky hardware AND a generous (real) leather trim, which makes it perfection. And, if you think of it not as spending £465 but as saving £698, it makes parting with your hard-earned cash a bit easier.
Cheeky little 70s vibe to this coat – plus who can resist a white sheepskin collar? Rather festive in addition to being very cosy, thanks to its wool and cashmere blend.
And a bonus one, because it’s not really a coat, it’s a cape.
A black cape might seem like a frivolity, but let me tell you it is not. Firstly, sling it over almost anything and you look instantly chic. You might think you’ll get cold arms – but how many times have you been shopping on Oxford Street or similar, or got on to a hot packed Tube and wrestled to wrench off your winter coat while carrying all of the rest of your gubbins?
A cape solves that. Wear it over layers – a jumper and leather jacket – and long leather gloves for instant chic.
Our favourites are, without a doubt, Versace’s Baroque embroidered cape, £2,060, farfetch.com in cashmere, wool and angora blend with lambskin leather buckle… be still my beating heart.
And Burberry’s wool cashmere military cape, available in black and parade red and camel with black with a cute gold chain fix. It’s £995 and it’s a stunner.
However, for a more purse-friendly option, Zara have a collarless cape for £95.99 that has a satisfying weight to it and is more flattering and versatile on than the pictures of the model wearing the cape on the website give it credit for.
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