Macy’s started their huge coat sale yesterday. All coats are 30% to 40% off, and if you happen to have a 20% Macy’s coupon in your hot little hands, you’ll enjoy that discount on top of the original reduction. The coats that you’ll find online do not do the actual store range justice. There is a vast assortment in a variety of styles and sizes. Colours are typically neutral, red or checked (hound’s-tooth and tweed), so don’t bother if you have an eye-catching orange or purple winter woolen coat on your shopping list. And remember: beware the black coat if you are challenged by lint and pet hair. Nothing is more hard-wearing and camouflaging of stains and dirt than salt-and-pepper tweeds and patterned fabric.

All the coats are in one section at Macy’s during the sale, so ask a sales assistant for directions and head straight there.

Red made a huge comeback last season but red coats were few and far between. Despite the fact that jewel tones are all the rage right now, gorgeous red coats started gushing into stores a few weeks ago. And it’s about time. I haven’t been enthused by colourful coats all season. A superb coat is always a statement, and a perfect red one even more so.

Not all red coats are created equally. The wrong red coat can look cheap (just like bad patent). Apart from watching cut and fit, you’ll need to be extra discerning about fabrication, button choice and the actual shade of red. Red coats tend to look best in rich luxurious shades and better-end wools. I personally prefer the look of contrasting buttons on red coats, but buttons that are dyed to match will also work.

I am constantly surprised at how many people actually love the colour red (I’m one of them). And you have to love red if you’re going to commit to an entire coat in the colour. Remember that although red is bright, it is a basic colour and will therefore date less than many fashion colours. Red coats are classy when mixed with items in the conventional black, grey and winter white palette. But I’m liking my red coat best mixed with warm winter yellow, ink blue and cobalt this season. The combinations are fresh, new and exciting.

If it fits your shopping plan and budget, now is a good time to add a red coat to your wardrobe. There’s nothing like a bright coat to brighten up a cold Winters day.

A few red coat favourites in stores at the moment (Guess and Mango). There are also some fab styles at Banana Republic, Tulle, Benetton and J Crew.

Closets that I review often have a few items of unflattering and shapeless pieces of knitwear lurking in amongst the cherries. While some boxy knitwear pieces are beyond redemption, others can be transformed with the addition of a waist-cinching belt. Even for the small minority of people that can make boxy knitwear work for them, the belt creates a different look with the same piece of knitwear, effectively increasing its ROI.

This quick and inexpensive style tip is not going to work with chunky knits, which fail to look streamlined no matter what you do to them. I have also found that the look doesn’t work with every body and seems to be more effective as you get closer to the hourglass shape (for fuller figures too). But nothing ventured nothing gained, so give it a try if you have the items or are prepared to invest in a belt. Freshening up a boring piece of knitwear in this way can work wonders for your style and your pocket.

Eileen Fisher is well known for her expensive and impeccably made boxy knitwear. Most of us need a belt like the one on the left to make it flattering.

Lugging around gigantic totes filled with everything but the kitchen sink will wreck your back, neck and shoulders. This concerned Oprah, who recently asked New York based chiropractor Isis M. Medina how to find a handbag that won’t hurt your back. Medina suggested we follow a set of healthy handbag guidelines when choosing our bag and I found seven of her ten points particularly interesting:

• Your weight and your fate: you shouldn’t tote more than 10% of your body weight. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, your handbag and it’s contents should weigh no more than 15 pounds.
• Getting a handle: long strapped shoulder bags are bad because they tug you to one side causing your shoulders to hunch. Short handled bags that aren’t too flimsy or narrow are a better choice.
• The test drive: make sure that you can use Medina’s three approved positions for a short-handled bag:
  • Over your shoulder and tucked under your arm
  • Over your forearm (or in the crook of your elbow)
  • Held in your hand
• Compact models: shape and dimensions matter less than how the bag meshes with your body. Your bag should find “that sweet spot” on your body and be comfortable to carry.
• No feed bags: structured bags are better than slouchy ones because they keep their contents stable, which in turn keeps you balanced and your back aligned.
• Easy access: rummaging around in a handbag causes your torso to twist and distort. It’s therefore important that the contents of your handbag are organized for simple and efficient retrieval.
• Low bulk components: bags that are soft, lightweight and mold to your body are best. In this way, your arm stays by your side comfortably without having to stick out unnaturally. Bags with heavy hardware or other chunky components therefore tend to be unhealthy choices.

Medina further suggested that buying an expensive handbag is not necessarily the solution. A modestly priced handbag can be healthy and chic. It’s also important to balance the load that your body is carrying equally on both sides.

I’m pleased to announce that my handbags (plus their contents) weigh well below 10% of my body weight. When did you last put your handbag on the scale?