WAY BACK in the fall when the weather was as glorious as it has ever been in the city, who the heck was thinking about buying a winter coat? Flash forward to last weekend when Jonas blasted in and caught us all scrambling for our mittens, muffs and that warm coat we had thought about replacing but just never got around to it. Yes, winter has come and despite global warming and that 2015 was named the hottest year on record, cold weather is going to stick around for a while. February is traditionally the chilliest month of the year and frigid temps can linger through March. And don’t forget what T.S. Eliot said about April.
We say it’s an ideal time to score a winter coat — on sale. Stores start seriously unloading winter gear at the end of December and into January. Thanks to weather deniers, they’ve got some left in a variety of styles.
For go-to warmth and durability for work or the weekend, it’s hard to beat Marc New York’s down coat with fur trim and detachable hood or Nordstrom’s Blue Duck fitted shearling. Both are suitable for trudging through the snow in the woods or this week, downtown D.C. For dressier occasions, Joseph’s extra-long double-breasted coat in camel fits the bill, as does a bright plaid coat in cozy mohair with a figure-flattering belt from Kate Spade. A more casual but classic, cold-weather option is J. Crew’s toggle coat, particularly fetching in red. See all our picks for updating your winter coat wardrobe above.
—Janet Kelly
Janet Kelly is the editor of MyLittleBird.
Read more about Janet Kelly.
love the boiled wool coat!!! will check that one out