For my last two investment coats, I bought JCrew, and I have been quite happy with the chic quotient. The styles are pretty timeless, and the quality is good.
I have a pea coat for casual and the Lady Day Coat for work/formal occasions. With their “thinsulate”, I find them to be quite warm in the midwestern cold winter (and I ride my bike to commute). My husband also has a thinsulate men’s coat, and he has been happy (his only coat for the last 5 years, and it still looks like we just bought it).

If anyone is looking for a timeless style that will maintain quality over the years, I’ve been very happy with JCrew, for what it’s worth.

Here is the Lady Day Coat: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Brows...../79203.jsp

Ah! Thank you, Angie, for this invaluable information. I’m thinking now that the answer to my fit issues between two sizes (shoulders vs. chest) is to go with the larger size and reposition the buttons. Perfect!

Great guidelines! I am still searching for that perfect coat and it’s been a struggle. Maybe it will be a little bit easier now. Thanks.

Thank god I live in California, because jackets and coats never seem to fit my shoulders and bust at the same time! I recently paid about 3X my normal coat/warm jacket limit to have a parka type jacket from several seasons ago shipped from Greece, just so I could replace an old jacket with the EXACT same model. For some reason, I had a terrible time finding things that fit right and had detailing where I wanted it.

Anyway, the moral of this story is that, if you are hard to fit, consider buying a backup when you finally do find the perfect coat. You could go years and years without finding that perfect fit again.

These fitting guidelines confirm that my new vintage coat doesn’t fit that well, but it looks so great that I’m willing to spare a bit of mobility (and it’s not my only coat, I live in NJ so I have a collection going).

This post also confirms that I need more blazers! I have such a hard time finding any that look good, aren’t too expensive, and made well enough to last. I love layering the two I have under coats.

I’ve finally stopped buying coats because I feel like my collection is complete … but it took a while! I think it’s next to impossible to find a single coat that’s appropriate for every cold weather occasion. But I completely agree with your coat-buying tips, Angie. Especially the one about piling on the layers!

It took me forever to find my main coats but once I did I’m in love, so don’t give up. I have a full bust (and narrow shoulders) so it’s definitely single breasted styles for me. The J Crew lady day is beautiful but too slim for me. Banana Reuplic also does not cut items for a roomy chest.

I got a beautiful Calvin Klein coat last year. It’s knee length, really thick, single breasted, belted with an updated collar. The back has a pleat right on the butt that I wish was not there, but that is the only drawback. I also have a mid thigh Michael Kors wool coat, single breasted no belt, and a sleek puffer from Lands End. My next purchase will be a puffer vest from Gap – it’s fuschia. I need to replace my pea coat (I lost weight and need a smaller one). And any other future coats will be something other than black.

Don’t forget that a lined trench can suffice in many climates too.

btw Gap will be having 50% off outerwear 11/19-24

Shari

This is so timely for me, as I wore my new winter coat for the first time today. I’m pleased to say it meets all of your requirements. It’s the purple/violet long wool coat from Talbot’s.

here’s the link to my new Talbot’s coat

http://www1.talbots.com/online.....e=cat70008

Thanks for the post Angie!
I love coats, adore them.MY husband calls me the “coat lady” , which atleast has better connotations than the “cat lady”

I am glad you mentioned the sizing up factor.Last year I got very lucky and bought a houndstooth wool JCrew coat in one of their outlets.They had limited quantities but when I tried on this coat is felt just slightly to big(I was in Orlando wearing only a t-shirt).The length was just right, the sleeve a tad long just the way I like it, shoulder was fine, but bust a bit big. It is a double breasted trench style coat so it was also belted and definitely could be adjusted, but it was actually three sizes above what I normally wear.Still the coat was cut on the smaller size. When I got home I tried it on with my blazer and sweater underneath, moved the buttons off about 2 inches and it was PERFECT. It is my favorite, classic and ladylike, just the right weight for winter here. I am so glad I did not let the size tag alone throw me off.

Coats are my favorite thing to shop for (if only they weren’t so expensive). I never have problems with fit so there is no frustration or anxiety involved. The worst part about coat shopping is trying to narrow down my options when I like EVERYTHING. Oddly enough, I usually find myself going DOWN a size in coats and I can still layer effectively. Weird.

So far my coat collection is rounding out nicely. I have a long coat for dresses and skirts, a casual red toggle coat for everyday use, and a puffer for those pesky Artctic weather fronts. In terms of practicality, I’m covered, but I have to say I really want a more graphic and modern novelty coat with huge contrast buttons and a funnel neck. I’m sure I’ll be thinking about it next year. Too bad I won’t be able to afford S&K anytime soon. I’m sure I would find exactly what I’m looking for.

Great info. Thankyou Angie!
Mamark, I love your new coat from Talbot’s. I wonder if they will have a sale. I’d be right on that beautiful coat.

This is a perennial problem! When I was younger, I think raglan sleeves and sort of shapeless shapes were popular in coats, and it was very easy to fit warm layers underneath. It’s difficult for someone of my personal shoulderosity to do the same with current styles. Is the key maybe to look for sleeves that join the body of the coat a bit lower down??

I’m not sure I agree about the most versatile length … to me a straight thigh-length coat, like a longer pea coat, looks good with skirts, especially fuller skirts. Whereas a knee-length coat is apt to leave a teensy bit of skirt sticking out and look odd. But it’s hard to see examples because coats are never, ever modeled over skirts, or at least skirts long enough to be visible. I find this very frustrating.

This is very useful information Angie, thank you! Since I live in Northern Europe, I’m one of those lasses who wants to start investing in a decent Winter coat collection. I don’t mind spending a bit more for a truly fab one, but I am worried though about the pilling factor. My purple Soïa & Kyo is holding up wonderfully well, but before that I had a black wool coat (expensive brand too) and during the second year it really started to look the worse for wear. I’d hate that to happen again, but am not sure if there’s any way to avoid this?

Very timely post! I always neglect to wear the right layers when fitting coats and generally end up with something too small.

I have a coat almost exactly like the JCrew lady day coat in dusty blossom, and love it. I thrifted it, and while the unique color did attract me to it in the first place, it was the amazing fit that sold me. And its my favorite for cold spring weather. I would also like a darker winter coat, but this one works for now, and *is* like a breath of fresh air on a cold wintery day.

However, Angie, I’m confused about your advice on collars. The JCrew Lady Day coat doesn’t have the type of collar I think you are recommending, but it seems to be a popular coat for many people. Do you have advice for wearing this collar-type, which I find warmer than something that shapes into a “v.”

San, if you PM me at msroser@yahoo.com I have a coupon for 20% off Talbots.

Thanks for the tips. I desperately need a knee-length wool coat to wear to work as I try to wear skirts and dresses through the winter. I went to Guess, JCrew, and Macys tonight (hoping to take advantage of the one-day sale). Not only did I not see any in my price range, I didn’t find one I would have bought if money had been no object. The search continues…

All good points! I thrifted an awesome pea coat last year that I love, but the lining is cotton. Every time I wear 3/4 length sleeves, the sleeves get all bunched up when I put on my coat. Annoying.

Great tips! I have come to love coats!

For those of you with a Nordstrom Rack in your area, they had an absolutely divine selection of coats at fab prices this fall, Hopefully, they still have lots of yummy ones left.

These are great tips, Angie. I have two coats just at knee length that fit the bill. One is a denim trench that is more appropriate for *slightly* chilly weather, and the other is a wool forest green single-breasted coat that I think I was wearing when I met you.

Now that I am primarily a bus commuter, I’m realizing that the major gap in my wardrobe is a *stylish* waterproof coat. I have an old one that is semi-waterproof but it is mid-thigh length, a pretty blah color, and doesn’t fit very well (particularly with layers.) I have a hooded slicker that I can throw on over jackets that is great for keeping me dry, but it is really more of a gear-type of jacket and only goes down to my hips.

Angie, thank you so much for such a clear and helpful post. I’d actually never considered wearing a blazer or jacket under a coat until your post last winter when you wore your moto jacket under your wool black and white coat in New York. The penny began to drop. I still have one coat from before I lost weight that now works over a jacket.

Joy, you have a good memory.

Inge, pilling occasionally occurs on Melton wool coats, but good quality coats should not pill! Glad your S&K coat is holding up nicely.

Linda, remember this post?

http://youlookfab.com/2006/12/.....d-dresses/

You shouldn’t have a problem finding a coat long enough to cover a dress or skirt because hemlines have been shorter for two seasons. I do not prefer a mid-thigh coat over a full skirt or dress. This combination looks odd to my eye. The lines look a little better with a pencil skirt or sheath dress, but ideally what you’re after is a short coat (hip bone length), or a coat that finishes around the knee.

This is great advice, Angie. Thanks for putting this together!

Great guide, thanks so much! I’ve been putting off coat shopping, but now I’m inspired

[...] jacket after I’ve removed my coat. (In order for this layering trick to work, you have to get the fit of the coat just [...]