Hmmm…I really have never been a coat fan, preferring to bundle up in cashmere, scarves and jackets (Which I can do, living in Austin). But I definitely think that every woman should have one “good” coat in her closet. Even if you don’t wear it very often, it’s still nice to have, you know, for emergencies like trips to Amsterdam in December, or whatever 🙂
I ended up wearing my old Marc by Marc Jacobs wool coat when we went to Amsterdam last year, and while it wasn’t warm enough, it was good that I had it. Otherwise, I never wore it often, even in Atlanta, especially since I’ve always lived in a place where I have to drive everywhere; coats are bulky and annoying for getting in and out of cars, and can get very hot. BUT, I love the look of a nice wool coat, or parka for winter. And since I also love to shop, here are some that I found for your viewing pleasure:
Etoile Isabel Marant parka | $800 at Net-a-Porter
Tibi scuba & padded twill coat | $795 at Net-a-Porter
Rag & Bone colorblock coat | $995 at Shopbop (love this, although it doesn’t look very warm…and whoa…the price!)
Pomandere coat | $640 at Steven Alan
Zara belted coat with hood | $179 at Zara
Emerson Fry topper coat | $325 (this one kills me; it’s perfect)
Since we are moving to the Dallas-area in December, I will probably get a down coat from Uniqlo for those times when I want to spend a bit more time outside, AND, it will be great for traveling, since it’s packable and lightweight, unlike wool. I’m very observant when it comes to what people are wearing, and 4 out of 5 people in Amsterdam were wearing down jackets. They looked warm.
Do you live in a climate where you wear a coat all winter? How many coats do you have? Wool? down? parka? What’s your favorite?
more more more coats!!
Living in Ottawa, I have so many winter coats, I can’t even count. Wool (for the less severe months) and heavy down (December to March) are my favourites. I tend to buy Canadian brands like Mackage and Soia & Kyo because they know how to make coats that are warm for our climate, and are stylish, too. I was in Amsterdam last November and wore a wool coat and was nice and toasty, except when it rained heavily and I smelled like a wet dog. 🙂 (Maybe a sheepdog? Ha ha.)
haha! i wouldn’t say i was FREEZING exactly, but i could have been warmer. the tops of my legs especially were cold, because my coat is short.
then again, if it’s below 70 and i’m not in the sun, i’m cold, so i may be a little over-sensitive!
I love, love, love Spiewak coats. They are super warm (I live in upstate New York). I also love your blog, Grechen!
I can relate to Laurel’s comment about coats. I collect them. My favorite coat currently, is a vintage Jil Sander cashmere boucle. I bought it on Etsy last year. I’m in Vegas this week visiting my mom, and wish that I’d brought it to wear. I thought that my cashmere sweaters would be warm enough, but there’s a bitter breeze blowing. I don’t own a down one yet, but appreciate your style suggestions. BTW: Maybe I’ll take a pole dance class while I’m here, my husband might like it. Viva Vegas!
I have lots of coats in my closet – vintage cashmere, ski jackets, fleece, wool capes – since I’ve lived in cold climates. I rarely wear coats in NC – mostly they’re for travel, or I’ll throw on a fleece if I need to walk somewhere at lunch. I work on a college campus but park nearby, so I’m not outside all that much. Combine that with being fairly cold-hardy, I just don’t need heavy coats. I still love to look at them – and we love to travel to cold climates in November, so….
I think the Nordstrom sale starts tomorrow (usually I get an email and haven’t seen one today….) and there is a leather coat I have my eye on if it goes on sale- haven’t had a leather coat ever, Have had a couple suede (have a suede jacket now but I don’t wear often…) But really I’m hoping the black ankle boots I want go on sale!
Sadly, I don’t really have much opportunity to wear heavy winter coats living in Northern California. I have a great lighter-weight Rebecca Taylor boucle coat with super-soft knit jersey lining that I got last year, and it’s the perfect weight for year-round here.
I love that Emerson Fry coat–it would be a great layering piece and I suspect I’d get a lot of wear out of it. Odd as a short-sleeve coat sounds, it would work really well here. Emerson Fry is killing it with their collection this fall–the skinny pants with the ankle slits, the black silk tuxedo shirt, the amazing heeled booties (not that I ever wear heels, but…) and those black wedge lace-up booties–I want to buy it all.
I just got a cute Theory jacket / coat. It’s called the Laura and it’ll be warm enough for the So Cal winter. I did have another Theory coat, more like a down jacket with cropped sleeves like the Emerson Fry one. I got rid of it. I wore it in Europe one winter and my arms were constantly cold because of the sleeves. I don’t have too many coats because they just aren’t useful in San Diego. BTW I think the Nordstrom sale started, I was there yesterday and the racks were out. Also Saks is in 40% off presale and Neimans is at 30%…. umm yea I spent way too much yesterday lol.
thank you kathleen! i have found quite a few spiewak coats that i like too – just have to justify buying one somehow!! 🙂
oh la la!! lol – you seem to find the best vintage/secondhand stuff!!
Nordstrom website says Nov 6 under their sale FAQ question – I haven’t been to the store since the ankle boots I’m interested in aren’t in stock at my local store……
i am LOVING all of emerson fry’s stuff this season, and that coat is so good…i would totally wear that, and it’s perfect for the weather in TX. Not so great anywhere else though! i guess because i don’t have any experience with the brand, i’m hesitant to order…that and the price is prohibitive right now. but she’s doing beautiful work. i’ll just wait to see what ends up on sale. the sale prices are always really good.
i know. so many sales going on right now. i wish i could stay away, since i don’t need to be buying anything, but… 🙂
oh. thanks, i forgot about the nordstrom sale 😉
once we get back on our feet financially, we’ll do more winter traveling – after my initial apprehension with amsterdam last december, i’m ready to do it again. off-season travel is the best because you’re not surrounded by tourists everywhere and it’s generally a little cheaper. so what if it’s snowing & cold??
Oh I bet they were in presale then… but they were letting people take stuff home, Neimans too! There have been so many great sales lately, way too tempting!
Yes, way too many good sale emails every day in my inbox – I made a list and I’m trying to stick with it so far…..
A good parka is a necessity when it gets to -40 on the Canadian Prairies. The heavyweight parka with a topper, hood, boots and mitts will allow you to get on with your life. Have you heard of
Canadian designer Linda Lundstrom? She does a takeoff on the Inuit parkas that are beautiful!
Living in the mountains at 7,000ft, coats are a definite necessity! We have a lot of sun, and it’s strong, so surprisingly I can get away with some lighter coats/jackets, but a longer down parka is a must for the winter, especially if out at night early in the morning or at night. It seriously changed my life when I splurged on a Parajumpers parka. That being said, I also love to layer in sweaters and scarves, so it depends what I’m doing. Down is definitely great for travel. Some of the technical brands like Patagonia and Mountain Hardwear make great pieces you can just thrown in your bag to have with you. My 20 month old has a Patagonia down vest and a Patagonia down jacket and they are awesome for him–easy to move in, easy to put in the carseat, etc. I realize some people think it’s extravagant for kids, but I want him to be comfy and cozy, too! Thanks for all of the great coats- I am actually looking to replace a black wool Marc Jacobs one that I’ve had for a while and is looking a bit ratty…
I definitely needed all sorts of coats when I lived in the upper Midwest. The temps could easily drop to -20 in the winter. (And that’s NOT with the wind chill!!) Now that we’ve moved to the Hamptons area, it’s funny to hear people talk about how wild the winters are out here…not comparable to the Midwest, IMO. But I still need a variety of coat styles to suit the temps: I have 2 long wool coats, one camel by GAP and one black (that I love and is on it’s last legs 🙁 ) from H&M. Plus, a black wool peacoat from J Crew, a navy puffer vest from J Crew, a black down jacket from GAP that needs replacing with something sleeker and not as heavyweight, a trench, and probably a couple more that I can’t think of. I guess I collect coats! I love the Emerson Fry…but it would never work for me (I need full-length arms since I’m tall or else I’d have “high water sleeves.”) And the menswear tweed from Steven Alan is perfect!
I buy a long puffer coat from Jcrew every year. I practically live in it! I also have several ULD jackets from Uniqlo, but they are for cool, not cold, weather.