The Best Camel Coats For Adding A Timeless Sense Of Cool To Your Wardrobe

Few pieces of clothing are truly deserving of the label, 'investment purchase', but a camel coat - traditional and timeless yet capable of looking cool - has got to be one of the best examples. It's Ali MacGraw in Love Story, the seminal 1970 romantic comedy, whose coat had a popped collar that contrasted to perfection with her peppy red sweater. It's also Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who was often captured wearing her tailored camel outerwear with other wardrobe cornerstones that were key to the 90s: a black polo neck, slimline shades and a pair of boot-leg jeans.

But the camel coat hasn't lost any of its staying power. In fact, it's very much still a hot commodity on the front rows of New York Fashion Week. Alexa Chung wore an ankle-sweeping style, which had minimal bells and whistles, at Khaite. (Slipped over a sheer dress, it provided a note of practicality while still making something of a statement with its elongated silhouette.) Writer Marjon Carlos, meanwhile, proved that the camel coat is more than capable of competing with the cool-factor of, say, a leather coat, wearing a coming-apart-at-the-seams design from Interior.

As well as fashion royalty, actual royalty are fans of the camel coat. The Princess of Wales is a repeat-wearer of a high street camel coat from Massimo Dutti. The Duchess of Sussex, meanwhile, owns a designer style from Max Mara, wearing her camel coat with skinny jeans and slingback pumps from Chanel. The Italian mega-label put the camel coat firmly on the fashion map in 1998, the year it designed the Manuela, a luxurious wrap coat made of pure camel hair that was created by Anne-Marie Beretta. Almost three decades later, Max Mara's stable of camel coats is the gold-standard when it comes to the genre.

Luckily, if you're on a high street budget, you'll have plenty to choose from in the realm of slightly more affordable camel coats. FYI, most will be made with a wool blend, instead of the more premium camel hair, a fabrication that still promises to well and truly keep the chills at bay during the bleak midwinter.

Kate Middleton's favourite, Massimo Dutti, has several delectable styles that are sure to turn your head, including a cropped pea coat that is perfect if you don't like your coats to stretch to the knee. If, however, you're looking for an eternally chic style that will last for the next 10 winters (with some TLC), Reiss' belted take is a very safe bet.

SHOP: The Best Camel Coats

How to style your camel coat like the A-listers

The best way to wear your camel coat really comes down to your individual style. But if you're looking for ideas, why not start with one of the most famous camel coat wearers: Kate Middleton. For public duties, the royal often takes an immersive approach, colour-matching her camel outerwear to a totally beige outfit that is much less boring than it sounds. In terms of looking (and feeling) smart, you couldn't do any better.

But if you're looking for a more informal approach that will pass muster at the pub, Jennifer Lawrence is the ultimate camel coat muse. Strolling through the autumnal streets of New York City, the actor paired her quiet-luxury camel with a cosy polo neck jumper, white jeans and comfy sneakers - the perfect get-up for pounding the pavements (and looking chic while doing it).

You can also lean into the garment's naturally trad aesthetic by putting a twist on a preppy outfit like this street-styler in Paris. Styling her coat with a striped button-down, a sweater vest and playfully pink accessories, it was a masterclass in how to give your reliable camel outerwear a bit of oomph in the style department.

Natalie Hammond is Grazia’s Senior Fashion News Editor. She loves winter, hates summer and can often be found writing about the weather (and what on earth to wear).