Winter Coats to Covet

THIS WEEKEND’s cold blast has forced me to admit not only that winter is coming but that it’s already here. Never mind those official calendar dates. The good news in this not-so-great-weather-news is this: A great-looking coat makes your outfit when temperatures turn chilly. I proved it to myself last weekend when I dug a vintage ruffled burgundy-and-purple tweed Pierre Cardin coat out of my garage closet. It no longer mattered that I was wearing a baggy pair of jeans and an ancient fisherman sweater. My coat grabbed all the attention.

More good news: Coat silhouettes, colors and materials have expanded way beyond double-breasted reefers, the color black and plain old wool.

Several years ago I asked a Neiman Marcus saleswoman why all the coats in her department were black. She remarked somewhat facetiously that that’s what buyers think women want. Just last winter, not much had changed. Looking around a local coffee shop filled with women blanketed in black, a friend  lamented, “Why not something in raspberry?” Associate Editor Mary Carpenter is not fond of dark coats. “People take them from coat piles with my car keys in them.”

This season, though there are plenty of faux fur coats to snuggle into, as well as oversize puffers that are looking oh-so chic to us. So are colors such as slate blue, turquoise and olive and then, how about those animal prints and pretty plaids.

Here are some on our winter wish list.

—Janet Kelly

LEFT: Can’t help but love the color of this knee-length Quilted Button Coat ($169.99, Mango). Flip up the funnel neck and wrap yourself in warmth. RIGHT: Layer Raey’s oversize alpaca-and-mohair Blue Blanket Coat ($867, Matches) over a turtleneck and blazer. Stash your gloves in its two large front pockets.

LEFT: Boden’s color-block Lovelace Coat (reduced from $298 to $208.60) in a classic style with anything-but-classic colors will solve your SAD syndrome.  A striped-inner waistband is practical; a bright green lining is fun. RIGHT: Soft and fuzzy Italian wool-mohair on Vince’s Plaid Belted Wool and Alpaca Blend Coat ($895, Nordstrom) adds texture to the blue-and-brown buffalo plaid. Your choice whether to belt it or leave it open.

LEFT: Go wild with Apparis’s Margot Ocelot-Print Faux-Fur Coat ($320, Moda Operandi). Cut with generous lapels, the coat closes with subtle hooks along the front and features deep slit pockets for warming cold hands.  CENTER: The oversize silhouette and soft fabric on Tibi’s Faux Curly Lamb Peacoat ($695, Moda Operandi) makes it a cozy, chic choice for dashing around the city or the block. RIGHT: Whether paired with jeans and clunky brogues or a sweater dress and boots, Ganni’s Boucle Wool Coat ($370, Shopbop) in kalamata (yes, as in olives) is an all-purpose cold-weather topper.

LEFT: A plushy coat with a clean-cut silhouette, Stand Studios’ Lisbeth Single-Breasted Faux-Shearling Teddy Coat ($294, Matches Fashion) is a fine example of the brand’s savvy in knowing how to mix elegance and simplicity at an affordable price point. RIGHT: Sometimes you want a big puffy coat, sometimes you don’t. Patagonia’s streamlined Radalie Water Repellent Insulated Parka ($199, Nordstrom) keeps you warm with a close-to-the body flattering silhouette. Coated with a water-repellent finish, it’s a smart, packable pick.

LEFT: Stand Studio’s mid-calf-length Maria Faux Fur Checked Coat ($360, Farfetch) will keep you feeling toasty and looking cool and colorful. What winter blues? RIGHT: Cos Stores’s Stand Collar Wool Coat ($250) is minimalist perfection. Unlined for a soft silhouette, it fastens with a hidden zipper and a single snap button at the top. Not for below-zero days. However, you could slip it under an oversize puffer, kind of like a long jacket. Love that turquoise.

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