Wrap up warm and serve up a look with these coats for the cold

Choosing a seasonal partner that’s practical, warm and stylish isn’t a long shot — it’s a buyer’s market. There’s a coat to suit every budget and taste and who knows? You might even find ‘the one’

Sun, 06 Nov, 2022 - 10:50

Annmarie O’Connor

Thankfully, our outerwear options are more predictable.

Choosing a seasonal partner that’s practical, warm and stylish isn’t a long shot — it’s a buyer’s market. Mutant hailstones and cyclonic winds notwithstanding, there’s a coat to suit every budget and taste. Who knows?

You might even find ‘the one’.

Let’s start with the shirt-jacket, otherwise known as a shacket. What appears to be the provenance of lumberjacks and craft beer aficionados has a special place in the fashion lexicon.

Worn with a floral dress, ankle boots, wide-leg jeans and a hoody, leather trousers, and a cashmere knit, these sartorial shapeshifters fit snugly in the indoor-outdoor category.

Longline iterations, as seen at H&M (€49), demonstrate their everyday mettle (while warmer wool blends from Isabel MarantÉtoile serve up designer kudos). Grab one now.

Your energy bills will thank you.

Being Irish, we know a ‘dirty looking sky’ means trouble. So does leaving the house with inappropriate optimism (they only said ‘a chance of rain’) and yet we persist.

We can either dodge the drops, which someone once advised me or find a solution that doesn’t involve the amusement of passers-by.

A classic trench coat is a stalwart staple, especially when it can fend off downpours or frosty morning commutes.

M&S Collection has a popular Stormwear™ trench for €99, combining proprietary technology with storm flaps, a funnel neck and a detachable drawstring hood to keep squally showers at bay.

Kitri Studio ‘Dominique’ chocolate vinyl coat, Arnotts, €235

But we love indie fashion brand, Kitri Studio’s ‘Dominique’ chocolate vinyl coat (Arnotts, €235) proving one can cut a dash without having to dash for the nearest shop awning.

Given our island’s reputation for precipitation, it helps to have some sensible backup should the dreaded Beast from the East slide into our DMs.

Take Danish outerwear lifestyle brand Rains.

Known for its neo-Scandinavian unisex collections, its latestwaterproof Block series rewrites the conflated puffer aesthetic with featherless quilted technology made from geometric-shaped stitch-free woven chambers.

Featuring ultrasonically double-welded seams, fleece-lined pockets, concealed storm cuffs and a silhouette finished with an insulated stand-up collar and drawstring hood, this any-weather wonder is equalled only by its Trekker cape cousin (€340) — similar bragging rights but engineered with snap fastened arm openings for chic cycling attire.

(Keen on a pocket-friendly and sustainable alternative? Try Arket’s Upcycled Down™ collection of down jacket, mid-length and full-length down coats, ranging in price from €190-€259.)

As we are officially winter adjacent, don’t be surprised if the mercury ghosts us overnight. In times such as these, more heft in our weft is required to offset the sudden chill.

Luckily, trending oversized silhouettes continue to assert their closet-keeper status.

Stella by Stella V Series Variegated Stripe double-breasted long coat, Stella McCartney, €2,900

Stella McCartney’s variegated stripe overcoat (€2,900) commands attention with its strong shoulder game, while COS brings the competition with a responsibly sourced wool blend offering (€250), designed using fabric from Italian textile innovators, Manteco.

Prefer a more vibrant proposal?

Massimo Dutti’s limited edition long wool coat (€399) turns heads in sophisticated yellow but, sadly, misses the mark in its scanty sizing.

Limited Edition wool coat, Massimo Dutti, €399

Should you prefer a wearable cuddle to the strong silent types, you’re in for a treat.

Tactile textiles like borg, faux-shearling and teddy bear naps provide that warm and fuzzy feeling while being vegan-friendly too.

Stand Studio’s reversible ‘Kenca’ coat (Net-a-Porter, €544.50) offers twice the styling options wrapped in its cool-girl Scandi DNA.

Expect a longline relaxed fit — ideal for layering — and the option to work a faux-shearling or faux-suede exterior.

Wear with this season’s platform boots and flares for `70s cosplay vibes.

Too hirsute? Exact volume control with a drawstring quilted fleece parka from — yet again — M&S Collection (€125).

Jakke 'Katie' faux fur coat, Arnotts, €275

As for die-hard maximalists, your big fashion energy starts with ethical fashion brand Jakke (Arnotts, €275).

Like catwalk kin Coperni and Gucci, the London brand’s edit of floor-sweeping faux fur coats is cruelty-free and oh-so-colourful.

A model walks the runway during the Coperni Womenswear Fall/Winter 2022-2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 03, 2022 in Paris, France.

Try bubble-gum pink — a nod to the current TikTok obsession with #Barbiecore and an energising antidote to sartorial hibernation.

Pro user tip: Faux fur doesn’t do rain.

If it does get wet, allow the garment to dry for 24-48 hours.

Detangle the nap with a wide-tooth comb and vow to be more respectful of its Y2K aesthetic.

Afraid of being left out in the cold? Don’t be put off by the storm naming and colour-coded warnings. There’s plenty of relationship material out there. It’s simply a question of trying a few eligible styles on for size and seeing what suits.

Let wardrobe cuffing season begin.

STOCKISTS