Statement/ essential outerwear vs outfit interest/ cohersion?

This is not a very cohersive read, just some rambling thougths on statement vs essential outerwear vs the rest of the outfit. I'm sure others can frase it better.

Spring is around the corner which means a change in outerwear. It made me take a look at my coats and jackets and I think I have a soft spot in this area.
I have quite a few (too many) and I like them to stand out. I think this is a statement category for me.

When I get indoors and remove my outerwear, I can feel a bit meh about my outfit. A statement bag and/or a scarf could of course do the trick. Jewellery, too, but l don't like to wear a necklace, bracelet or ring there days. How do you keep the fun and happiness in both outerwear and indoors and still look cohersive?

I think there is a link here to the essentials/statement discussion, but I'm not able to put it into words.

Here is a selection. I do have a parka, a yellow loose spring coat, two denim jackets and some other stuff, too. Blazers, super casual and gear are not included.
#1 winter coats and jackets
#2 winter / early spring
#3 spring/early autumn
#4 coats = spring/ summer, jacket late winter/spring
# spring/summer

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7 years ago

Summer

Veteran

That's an interesting observation, Harmonica. I think your options are either to wear a statement scarf or jewellery with the plainer under- layer, as you mentioned, OR make sure you also have statement tops, dresses that work with each of your coats and jackets - maybe a print in the same colour the top layer. That way, you know that you always have a fail-safe option i.e. the essential under layer, but with the added bonus of variety from your statement tops.

I like to ensure that I have all the essentials in place first, so that I know I could (in theory) dress entirely in those pieces if I needed to, and then add the statement pieces as and when I see them or when my budget allows .

shedev

Most of your coats are neutrals or near neutral. You can wear statement tops understatement coats as long as you like the color combination.

Elizabeth P

I don't worry too much about statement tops and statement coats being worn together. When I have a coat on, it's generally done up, hiding what is underneath. Then it comes off. I wouldn't go for an outright clash or anything, but they could both be statement. I would pay attention more if I knew I'd be walking around with a coat open.

Most of your coats are neutral in colour, with a statement detail, so I definitely wouldn't worry about that.

harmonica

Thank you, Summer and shedev!

Statement tops is a great take on this. I'm not sure I have that many. I can see it work well with essential bottoms. Actually, l'm really not sure where I like a statement to be in an outfit. Of course, it don't *have to* be in just one place, but it might be helpful to identify some focus areas.

Elizabeth P - so true. Most of the time the coat isn't open and I never wear it just over my shoulders. Maybe I'm over-analyzing this whole statement/essentials thing.

Ginger

It's a valuable observation for you, though, that you feel meh without your coat. I was nodding alone with all of the other comments: Don't worry about too many statements, just put together a good, interesting outfit underneath. Then pick the coat that goes the best and is appropriate for the weather. My outerwear capsule is also full of statements, and I enjoy picking just the right one to complement what is visible of the outfit underneath.