Everyone might be moaning about the demise of summer, as though autumn is a massive surprise that doesn’t roll around about this time every year, but even those seasonal naysayers won’t deny that getting yourself a new coat is always a massive treat. Shopping for it fills you with optimistic thoughts of Bonfire Night, a magical run-up to Christmas... you get the picture.
Coats are also great news for fashion lovers as they allow you the opportunity to play with shapes, colours and textures in a way that would be much harder with your normal clothes. Muppet fur brightens up your winter jeans and jumpers no end in coat form, but you’re not going to apply that rule to trousers, are you. Which is why I headed to Zara – the best shop for filtering the catwalk into your everyday life – to get wrapped up...
READ MORE: Why I'm Happy To See The Back Of Bare Legs And Rediscover My Winter Coat Instead
The trench
Do you own a trench coat? If not, get one – it’s the little black dress of the coat world that Burberry was built on. This is because it suits everyone, it goes with everything, from jeans to smart dresses, and gives an air of fashion seriousness to anything. So you’re hungover and wearing a Nirvana T-shirt? It’ll look like a playful nod to grunge when you throw a trench over it. And so on, and so forth...
The fluffer
Isabel Marant, Ports 1961 and Akris all showed pale, fluffed-up boucle coats on the catwalk for AW14 – like fancy fashion sheep. Zara’s pastel green take on it has an unfussy round-neck and simple, soft cocoon shape that lets the texture do the talking and would look best with slim trousers or short skirts.
The mod
A mod-like ’60s style is a good way to go if you want a strong wool classic that’s a bit more fun than a grey or black overcoat. Big gold buckles and the waist and zips up to the funnel neck of this bottle green coat recall the brass-button embellished colour-block pieces that Versace did for AW14. A coat in this kind of bright colour needs no more to work with than plain old neutrals underneath – Narciso Rodriguez styled his coloured coats with straight black trousers and they looked great. Although an equally bright bag would look ace, too.
The straight-talker
Of course, if you are after something a bit more understated, but no less interesting, the room, straight-cut, androgynous styles seen at Jil Sander, Theory, Christopher Kane and Victoria Beckham are where you should take your cues. The rich conker colour of this ’70s Zara jacket warm it up a bit, while big, square pockets still feel utilitarian. With straight leg-trousers and a brogue or monkstrap flat, you’ll be on a serious boy-meets-girl tip in this.
The native New Yorker
Everyone in New York wears puffed-up down jackets in winter, because frankly, it’s fucking freezing there. But hey, they seem to make it look pretty cool in a way that only New Yorkers could. So even if we do have a more temperate climate, there’s no reason not to nick this idea. Just say you’re referencing Yohji Yamamoto's padded jackets if anyone asks. The faux-fur lined collar gives this one extra style points, and whooaaa, so much snuggly.
The colour-block
You might not want to make this your main coat, because chances are, you’ll get sick of something so bright if you wear it every day, but as additional to throw into the mix, it’s killer. It’s unembellished and straight cut, so you won’t feel like a clown, but instead a beacon of bright colour on endless grey days. Wear with jeans and a plain shirt or cream cashmere jumper.
The faux-far groupie coat
Prada was a bonanza of big shaggy groupie coats and Jeremy Scott makes anything fluffy look like a good idea, so you won’t regret introducing a chunky faux-fur jacket into your coat arsenal. Put it on with anything all winter, from your whisper it Christmas party get-up, to slobby old jeans for an instant glamour injection. Bonus: it’s mega-warm, too.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.