The Cat, I agree with The Sami people. They have a great idea!

Like Style Fan, I tend to divide coats by weather. For most seasons I feel that I need 2. I demote older coats but tend to keep them for times they may get damaged...grandkids. For very cold weather I have a calf length old black puffer and newer white thigh length puffer. For slightly warmer days or mostly car travel I have my olive hip length jacket from last year's NAS and a consignment JCrew blush wool stadium coat. For chilly days I have black, white, and brown leather jackets and an assortment of trench coats in blue, black, metallic dark grey, pink and taupey tan. They vary in length. 2 short puffer jackets, 2 rain coats in black and white. These are also travel coats and border on utility coat look. I probably have too many chilly day coats but wear them all a lot. Holes might be a dressy coat and bright winter coat. I often layer coats like a puffy jacket under a trench, so get some warmth with color that way.

It is unimaginable to wear a coat here from around May until around November, and unimaginable not wear an indoor jacket the rest of the time because not everything is well heated and I get chilly easily (weirdly combined with hot flashes but that is another story). Anyway, I have at least 5 coats in active winter rotation, and most of them are light wool and vintage. But my most worn is a lightweight puffer (like Uniqlo's), because the winter can be rainy.

I have no need for true winter coats, so please ladies, enjoy my quota! I've had a trench similar to the one below with a zip out lining and hood in collar for years and years, but rarely wear it. Last year I got the ultra lightweight coat below and wore it fairly often. I have quite a few jackets and other types of toppers, however. I am generally moving around outside but more sedentary inside and we keep our house fairly cold.

If I had to wait around outside for public transportation or engaged in bird watching, my needs (and purchases!!!) would be different.

I seem to have a large collection of coats. I am prepared for heavy snow and torrential rain. I have running gear and light weight jackets. I have coats for dressy occasions and casual as well. I have down parkas for shoveling snow and for heading to work. Wool for fall. Leather because I like the look. Field Jackets. Long and short trenches. I’m looking to replace my long trench coat. Jackets for ski and snowshoe, and hiking, etc. Do vests count? All told, I have the following:

Field jackets: 3 total, one very lightweight grey linen for summer, one medium weight royal blue for spring, and one in a grey green for fall

Down puffers: 10 total TNF hooded lightweight down short jacket for hiking, and snow shoe, acts like a sweater. (Silver)
Two longer TNF lightweight down parkas, stadium length for walking outside in fall (grey and coral)
Medium TNF down short jacket, no hood (brown)
Medium TNF stadium length jacket (brown)
Heavy TNF down short jacket (brown)
Heavy Canada Goose long down parka (grey)
Heavy Eddie Bauer long down parka (red)
Heavy Creenstone long puffy parka (silver/grey)

Vests: 2 Total, down filled, from Athleta (red and white)

Thin cloth winter coats: 1 long Creenstone -dark brownish green
Wool Coats: 4 Total, one J Crew mint green cocoon coat, one J crew emerald green stadium coat with hood, one Cole Haan, dressy 3/4 length coat brown, no hood, one brown plaid poncho with fur collar.

Trenches: 6 total 1 TNF rain trench with zip out lining 3/4 length
One London Fog long trench, also with removable lining for warmth
Three Stadium length Creenstone trenches, one Citron, one grey, one taupe, one Helly Henson raincoat light teal

Wind jackets: 5 total, three Athleta, one EMS, one Lululemon

That brings the grand total to: 31

Ha ha! I forgot my leather and suede jackets!

Add 8

Total 39

Oops, polar fleece
Add 3 more

Total = 42

Now I’m done.

Okay, I have more jackets than I can wear every day in a month......hmm, I’m not even embarrassed. I live in a four season climate, and I wear all of them, so I don’t feel bad about having all of these at all.

I love this outerwear thread! I have plenty, but find myself considering more after reading through all the posts. I am not counting toppers, just jackets and coats for when weather dictates that special top layer.

Wool:
Long toffee (mid calf)
Cobalt blue (knee length)
Gray peacoat (low hip length)
Maroon/chocolate brown reversible alpaca (high hip length)

Down:
Silver short puffer
Navy long puffer

Rain
Olive long insulated (knee length)
Lightweight gray zebra print trench. (knee length)
Light brown trench (thigh length)
Cream short and sporty
Chocolate and aqua short and sporty

Fleece:
Cream
Olive
Dark brown

Quited mid weight for chilly days
Black (high hip)
Black with toffe suede (low hip)
Rust. (Low hip)
Red with hefty knit sleeves ( high hip)

Other:
Off white barn coat
Dark green suede jacket
Black jacquard dress coat
3 Snowmobile jackets

I didn't count mine, as I refuse to come clean on it

Still, it's regularly -5F here in the winter, and gets into the 90s regularly in the summer. In my defense, i have a lot of temperatures to span!

This is quite an educational and interesting thread. I’m almost astounded that a few people have more coats than I do! (But I think my husband has even more.)

For coldest weather:
Blue fabric “career” parka, or car coat, suburban coat (not sure of the official name)
Gray wool hooded zippered coat, the dressy option

For spring chills and rain, usually chosen as part of the outfit:
Camel trench, lower thigh length
Olive nylon utility jacket
Several windbreakers, lined and unlined, most without hoods- turquoise, pink, navy, black, charcoal camo

For fall frosty days, cozy enough with layers of sweater, scarf and/or vest until very cold days:
Denim jacket
Red fleece jacket
Cherry red corduroy double-breasted pea coat
Orange fleece jacket
Dark green wide wale corduroy blazer (this one may be on its way to donation bag)
Gray corduroy denim-style jacket

Gear/running:
About 8 light/layering fleece pullovers and zip-ups
About 6 soft-shell zip-ups, a couple with hoods

I find the need for so many gear and running jackets is due to wanting lots of color options to match, as well as laundry requirements because these often are washed and line dried after every wearing.

This does not include my many vests, because I use them as layers but not often as the only “coat.”

I’ve actually pared down my coat closet quite a bit in the last couple seasons due to realizing that I had kept several coats and jackets for too many years that still looked nice but I just wasn’t wearing any more.

La Ped, If I have created that "hole" in my wardrobe by getting rid o those two options, it is because I have a matching "hole" in my needs.

I myself am very coat I have two for the winter a black and a camel color for the other seasons I have a trench coat and for walks when it rains or the weather is a little cool I have a coat waxed and a lighter nylon rain coat I must tell you that these are all long coat.

My husband thinks I have too many coats (he has only a very few), but I disagree. I, too, live in a four-season climate where, for six months of serious cold, my outerwear has to be about function at least as much as about style.

Right now I have:

Spring/Fall
navy blue knee-length trench coat
olive green Levi’s field jacket (LOVE)
light blue denim jacket/hooded sweatshirt combo
white denim jacket (LOVE)
casual navy blue rain coat

Winter
black knee-length hooded puffer coat
cobalt plaid hip-length Pendleton coat forwhen it’s not bitterly cold
black/grey wool reversible poncho
red artsy wool hip-length coat, also not warm enough for bitter colds

I wear my black puffer seven days a week most weeks from December through April, and I plan to add a second puffer coat this year so I have an option besides black. I want something in a color that will be cheering during overcast days, perhaps a shade of red.

I would also consider adding a knee-length wool coat in a pretty color, but the second puffer is a higher priority.