A Stylish Winter Coat Wardrobe

Tina, here.

Dolls, it's getting cold outside. In most of the country, that is. It's hard to look sleek in piles of flannel, down and wool. Enter the stylish winter coat. Your puffy coat is not a one-size-fits all need for your coat wardrobe. It's important to buy well because this piece, like a good handbag, must have a longer shelf-life than its trendier friend, the jacket. You'll want to wear your winter coat for years without replacing it because it's out of style or wearing out altogether. Buy right the first time, and only cry once.

I have only 2 rules for you when it comes to buying a stylish winter coat wardrobe:

1. Fit is first.

Try to buy a winter coat with as high an armhole as is comfortable for you, unless you're opting for the dolman sleeve or a cape. (Which we have the perfect one in the November Style Vault!) You also want a cinched-in waist.  And I think the perfect length is somewhere just above or below your knees so that your bum is warm, and you can wear it with dresses and pants alike. Oh, and one more tidbit, double-breasted coats can be difficult to get right.

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

Coats are bulky. Tame yours by buying one that fits like a sweater. If it has a tie, even better.

 

2. Get the color right.

I like a charcoal grey coat because it is on the softer side of dark (perfect one in the November Style Vault, with options in petite and curvy). Also grey isn't black, which is refreshing. Camel is rich. Red offers a great pop but can be difficult to flatter skin tones.  Winter white is delicious - don't be afraid of it. (You just need some Roux Maison stain remover in the laundry room and you'll be fine.)

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

Don't shy away from light colors! I have a winter white coat and I have had no problem treating it for stains. I don't dry clean it, though, because that can yellow it.

Here are the coats to have in your winter coat wardrobe.

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1. Car Coat

A Perfect Coat Wardrobe

It's what you need for running errands, walking in the park or just any ole thing, when it's not freezing cold.

A Coat Wardrobe: Car Coat

The key to a car coat is that it needs to cover your bum so when you slide onto that cold leather car seat or subway seat, you keep warm. I just added the yummiest car coat to the November Style Vault, Style Notes.

2. Stadium Coat

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

Great for when you need a bit more warmth to brave the elements for a long sit, like at a football game. Again, you want it to cover your bum for warmth, and pockets are great too. A boiled wool coat is what I like for this category. Shop a fabulous one inside the November Style Vault; it comes in regular and petite. Curvy option also available.

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

Mine is a custom Katherine Hooker coat. I chose a darker grey for my seat so it wouldn't show as much dirt and grime. Notice it tapers slightly around my hips, like a cocoon.

3. Leather Jacket

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

Duh. It's just really time you got one if you haven't already. You never know when it might be 65 degrees on Thanksgiving and you were planning on snow. So get yourself a good leather jacket that layers well with t-shirts and sweaters. I have provided oodles of fab leather jackets inside the Style Vault, and November's Vault has an incredible one on major sale.

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

I'll add a silk scarf to a leather jacket. It's unexpected and softens the look.

4. Lady Coat

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

I call it a Lady Coat because it's what you need when you are asked to dress up just a bit. Great for over dresses. Which means the length should be around your knees. Either right above or below is fine (if you're petite, it needs to be right above your knees).

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

Here you can see how the coat is a bit longer than my dress; but it can just as well be a bit shorter. A good camel coat is hard to find. I just added one to the November Style Vault, Style Notes (comes in petite, too).

5. Vintage Coat

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

I found this scalloped grey mink coat at a consignment store years ago for $45. It had a massive collar and I paid a couple hundred dollars to have the collar removed and the arms narrowed to give it a higher armhole. I also had the sides taken in, so it looks more modern without losing that vintage feel.

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

And I for sure wear it with jeans, to keep it from being so serious.

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

Here you can see how the collar was removed. Don't discount your inherited furs or ones you see in vintage shops. They can be remade to fit you, and to look more modern. Gus Mayer in Nashville did mine, and they do an excellent job.

6. Bonus Fun Coat

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

Every now and then you just want something different - not the prescribed camel, navy or grey coat (we already discussed black). Choose a color that flatters your skin tone - coral flatters almost everyone because it gives you that rosy glow. But please don't skimp on materials and fabric even when buying a fun coat. What use is a coat that doesn't do its job?

A Winter Coat Wardrobe

Looking for a way to wear your brooches without looking like an extra in a period drama? Pile them on together on the lapel of a coat or a blazer. I found a great source for vintage brooches and included them in the November Style Vault (even a gorgeous vintage Chanel brooch!).

I hope after reading this, dolls, that you'll trade in your fleece and puffy coats for a stylish winter coat. Your coat is, after all, the first and last fashion statement you make wherever you go all winter long.

Shop more of my favorite coats in the November Style Vault.  Check out our amazing Nashville Wardrobe Consulting services. Don’t forget to join the Style Vault today to start shopping and saving on coats and more. 

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Thanks for reading and all the best,

Tina

I’m addicted to the vault!  I can’t get dressed without you!

~ another happy Style Vault insider

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Photos by Krissy Leigh Creative

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