Smart vs. warm: how to solve the winter coat conundrum
By anyone's standards, I own a lot of coats. Three trenches, two puffas, two overcoats, one pea coat, one frock coat, one duster - and this is disregarding my rather larger jacket collection.
Come winter- temperatures are set to plummet further this weekend- though, I find myself wearing only one coat - my three-year-old Vince parka. It's heavily insulated, and snugger than a bug in an emporium full of rugs. In a classic khaki shade, it goes with denim and all-black and any print I think to throw at it. But - and there is a but - it’s not very smart. It’s not meant to be - it’s a parka. So while it’s perfect for weekends, pub lunches, and any countryside pursuit, when I wear it to the office, I look like I’ve come directly from doing one of those things.
Luxury : 20 best cosy coats, down jackets, shearling and parkas
And therein lies the problem: smart and warm appear to be mutually exclusive propositions when it comes to coats. If you want to be smart, then you must be content to dodge gusts of wind in a thinly-lined wool jacket; if you want to be warm, then expect to resemble a dog walker or arctic explorer. It appears my father was right all along, and the most fashionable coat isn't often very practical: style over substance.
Shearling is one solution, but at these prices (£1k plus on the high street), I can only assume these coats have been shorn from Jason’s golden ram himself. Faux fur and teddy bear pile are more affordable without losing that cosiness. Stick to dark or neutral colours - navy, burgundy, shades of brown - for the most grown-up take (though a leopard print faux fur can look very chic indeed).
Coat, £119.99, Mango
If you’re having Fraggle Rock flashbacks, though, then you might try a puffa jacket - this season’s plush velvets go a long way to rendering what is a very casual silhouette office appropriate: try Marks & Spencer's or Karen Millen’s burgundy for day, and Urban Outfitters’ gold for evening.
Coat, £75, Marks & Spencer
There are also a few more classic options with substantial weight to them. Look for textured wool or thicker twills: a good twill peacoat (try Jigsaw and APC) will cut the wind. Toast has a good range, from boiled wool swing coats and duffles to a very subtly padded knee-length coat. Margaret Howell’s heavy wool great coat comes in brown or navy and while, at £795, it’s definitely an investment, it’s a worthy one.
MHL coat, £795, Margaret Howell
And if you’ve already bought your winter coat, only to find it’s not warm enough, then make haste to Uniqlo, where you’ll find lightweight down liners to layer underneath in every length and colour imaginable.
