My fashion formula for the perfect winter coat… How to dress like a grown up with SHANE WATSON
- UK style expert reveals the new rules for winter coats
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Can a coat be too smart? I think it can. I dream about a navy military-style coat I once saw on a woman in the park — it had red flashes and looked like it cost three months’ rent.
But in real life, even if I could afford it, how often would I wear this coat? Once a year? Twice? Never, because it would always feel just a bit too smart?
I’m mentioning this because this year sees the return of the proper coat. Go into any shop on the High Street and you will find tailored, double-breasted long coats; belted midi wrap coats; short, neat swing coats; plaid coats; and fake fur coats in every length.
What they all have in common is they’re old-school coats. Proper coats with buttons and lapels in fabrics and styles we used to wear before the advent of the down-filled puffa, the fleece-lined parka and the hooded all-weather mac.
Last autumn a quilted khaki liner was top of the fashion crowd’s wish list, this year it’s a coat that Kate Middleton could easily wear on her public engagements.
Emily Blunt’s navy blue peacoat with gold buttons adds an air of sophistication to her casual look
Kate Moss’s grey faux fur coat worn over a dress and boots gives her evening look a glamourous edge
Great! But with this much choice, how to pick one?
First, choose a coat you instantly really like (you’re keeping your hooded waterproof for all the weather days) and then check the following.
Will it keep you warm? A lot of coats look substantial, but feel the quality and they’re not going to keep the cold out. Plus, the flimsier it is, the less it will keep its shape.
Will it swamp you? I’m tall and I have tried on double-breasted midi coats that feel like lead and look like drainpipes.
Does it have some movement? Not all coats require a back vent, but a longer overcoat can look solid without one.
Does it feel nice on? A good-looking coat, if it’s stiff and scratchy, will not be nice to wear and you’ll end up putting it away for that extra smart day that never arrives.
Which brings us back to . . . think how you will wear it. You want a coat that goes over most of the clothes you own (is it roomy enough to accommodate a thick polo-neck?), that makes you look instantly dressed but not over-dressed.
After all those calculations, you’ll have eliminated half the coats out there, leaving you with the following choices:
A relaxed, knee-length coat like the one worn by Gigi Hadid goes with everything and goes over anything
THE PEACOAT
There are a ton of double-breasted mannish coats out there, but for versatility you can’t beat a shorter tailored coat — bottom-covering to mid-thigh with a bit of an A‑line flare.
In other words a peacoat or variation on the double-breasted, chunky-lapelled iconic naval style.
I’m a longstanding peacoat fan because they flatter everyone, you can fit anything under them and they never go out of fashion.
Stand up the collar and you look cool New Yorker; leave it down and you’ve got a neat coat to take you to work or out to dinner.
In my book it should always be navy — try John Lewis (£159, johnlewis.com), or & Other Stories (£225, stories.com), or Marks & Spencer does a relaxed variation on the theme (£99, marksand spencer.com).
THE RELAXED SHORTER COAT
It’s all about the relaxed fit and the shorter length, so it’ll go with everything and go over anything, but at the same time it needs to look neat and smart.
Marks & Spencer has a good twill, tailored single-breasted coat in an electric blue (£69) and I like Mango’s short double-breasted relaxed Crombie-style coat (£99.99, mango.com) in black, sage green or a pale oatmeal.
If you prefer to go longer then Hush does a good-looking relaxed-fit coat in camel (£249, hush-uk.com).
WINTER COATS: THE NEW RULES
- Go shorter for versatility
- Choose navy or a colour
- Look for a roomier fit
- Try chic faux fur styles
THE FAKE FUR ONE
If you feel you have your everyday coat covered and want to inject some pizzazz that goes with everything, then a fake fur coat could be the answer.
This year’s come in every length and are smooth and chic, not the fun furs in bright colours of last year. I’ve just bought one from Zara in ice grey which looks not unlike Max Mara’s (£79.99, zara.com).
A pale grey fur coat seems wildly impractical, but providing you don’t let the dog sleep on it, there’s no problem and the whole point is it’s fun — a smile-raising topper for when you’re in the mood — not to mention extremely warm. I haven’t seen a better priced, better quality faux fur out there.
If you don’t fancy fur, then how about a soft blue plaid M&S coat similar to the sold-out pink one Sienna Miller put on the map in that ad (£160).
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