How to usher in the new year in style

It’s a bit grey out there and that’s not just outside, because fashion’s favourite neutral is dominating the world of coats and for good reason; it goes with everything, looks sophisticated when paired with other neutrals but also works brilliantly with a splash of colour. Plus it is a nice half-way house – seasonally speaking – which looks right on a dark, dank day but also is light enough to be perfect for the spring. But if you aren’t sold on grey and want something to lift your spirits, then here are a whole host of other more colourful options.

Grey and oversized is where it’s at from a trend point of view and Topshop’s Bonded Knit Chuck Duster Coat £65 is a great start. With these oversized styles it is a fine balance between hitting the nail on the head and looking like Maggie Smith from Lady in the Van. So if you don’t want to do the bag lady look and aren’t blessed with model-esque proportions then my advice is to size down to limit the excessive amounts of fabric which can swamp and make you look larger.

Over at Warehouse they have this Single Breasted Cocoon Coat £79 which I very much liked (this was the 8 and was too big so the sizing down advice applies here too). I am a small 5ft 2″ (for that read not quite the 2″) and think that it is a touch too long on me but for most people this would be a great length and looks more expensive than it’s price tag would suggest.

At Mango there are also a couple of options, including this Unstructured Wool Blend Coat £69.99.

For a bit of texture, this Herringbone Flecked Coat £79.99 is also nice.

Or this Textured Cocoon Coat £69.99 which is warmer than a true grey – they call it sand.

This Soft Feel Double Breasted Coat £69.99 from Zara is a great coat. Like the Mango one above it is a sandy colour but they call it light grey. I am wearing the XS and it is the perfect length. Terrible lighting in the Zara changing rooms annoyingly.

It also comes in light pink and although is called something different on their site, it’s the same style: Soft Crossover Coat £69.99.

Last on the grey side is this Masculine Coat with Lapels £95.99 from Zara.

So if grey doesn’t float your boat, then blue is a good alternative. One of the key colours for the SS18 season, there are an array of shades out there from pastel to brighter tones. I love this powder blue option which is the same style as the grey Warehouse Single Breasted Cocoon Coat £79 .

This is the 6 that I have on.

Or Zara’s Double Breasted Coat £69.99 is nice and styled here with brighter blue and orange which work beautifully to lift the outfit.

For a brighter blue try the same Mango coat as in grey unstructured one above £69.99.

Or M&S has this Textured Coat £79 in its Per Una range which is a very lovely shade and having seen in the flesh, is a great style but their image doesn’t really do it justice.

Lilac is big this spring but I’m not sure how I feel about it just yet. My grandmother’s bedroom was lilac, blue rinses are lilac but not sure it has much to recommend itself, particularly as it is not the easiest of colours to wear. But it is officially a fashion colour, so if you want to hit the trend, then try this coat Wool Blend Coat £149 from Autograph.

 

The colour on their site makes it look like a soft blue but this is the actual colour.

At the magenta/ultra-violet end of the spectrum is Mango’s Unstructured Coat £69.99.

Or for a stand out from the crowd number, try Mango’s Wool Handmade Coat £89.99.

And finally if grey isn’t your thing and these colours leave you feeling cold, go for another sophisticated neutral like khaki: Tailored Wool Coat £95.99 from Zara. I am wearing the XS.

Now you may be thinking that why do I need to buy a coat when spring is round the corner. Well let’s just be realistic for a minute – we have at least another three months of coat wearing weather. So for something you pop on every day, just think about that all important cost per wear…