Get your coat... winter is coming

Cooling weather puts shopping for a winter coat at the top of everyone’s agenda. Karen Dacre wraps up this year’s key styles
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26 September 2012

1. Ye Olde British Coat

Patriotic fashion remains all the rage for autumn. Thankfully, the clothes of the red, white and blue variety — made popular by Jessica Ennis and her gang at the Olympics — have fallen from favour. Instead, our celebration of Britishness continues through a renewed affection for the classic heritage fabrics. Tweed, herringbone and dogstooth were the headline stories on the autumn/winter catwalks and, as a result, are making a mark on the high street. This contrast-collar herringbone style from Hobbs’s NW3 range is among the finest around. Team it with claret cords and a mustard sweater for a Countryfile look Prince Charles would be proud of. (£269, hobbs.co.uk)

2. The Gallic Option

While French Vogue’s editor-in-chief Emmanuelle Alt, would — I expect — rather die than be seen in the sort of cute, cuddly clothing that finds favour with us Londoners, this leather and wool zip-detail coat from Zara is one she could get to grips with. Well, provided she doesn’t see the label: ze French do not do ze high street. Leather, in matt, buff and distressed forms, is one of winter’s biggest success stories. And as proved by the spring/summer shows in Milan last week, it ain’t going away any time soon. To perfectly emulate Alt’s look, which by the way is the aim of most fashion editors this season, I’d suggest teaming this coat with perfectly fitting straight black jeans, a pair of patent stilettos and a silk shirt. (£139, zara.com)

3. The Cocoon Coat

For winter, big is beautiful. But don’t go pigging out on Byron burgers just yet. We’re talking about voluminous silhouettes here — sadly a bulging waistline remains out of favour with fashion purists. The good news is that the season’s oversized coat is the perfect thing in which to hide yourself away from the world. This electric blue style from Pied a Terre at House of Fraser is right on the mark in terms of both cut and colour. (299, houseoffraser.com)

4. The ‘wear with anything’ warmer

Carlsberg don’t do coats — but if they did, this one would have them green with envy. Of the many wonderful things about this coat — think shape, colour, elegant patch pockets — the most important is the lack of irritating little details. Buy this coat now and you’ll be wearing it for seasons to come — decades even. It is, after all, an everyday item for women who have places to go this winter. (£350, whistles.co.uk)

5. The New Recruit

A military silhouette returns to service this winter. Trail-blazed by Sarah Burton, who imagined the trenches of the First World War when designing her latest offering for McQ, mid-length fire blanket coats with stretch seam details and heavy-duty hardware are among the season’s fiercest outerwear options. This sludge green style from Topshop is a fitting example. Part of the store’s Made in Britain line, a range manufactured in the East End, it looks best with simple knitwear and Chelsea boots. (£250, topshop.co.uk)

6. The ‘I can’t afford CÉline’ Crombie

There are two sorts of fashion consumer in this world: those who own a coat by Céline and those who lie awake at night fantasising about such a privilege. I fall into the latter category. It is with mixed emotions, then, that I bring you news of this delicious mid-length woollen number from Reiss, which has clearly been designed with the ethos of Céline’s Phoebe Philo in mind. J’adore. (£350, reissonline.com)

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