Wrapping up: your guide to winter coats

It’s the beginning of October so it really is time to be thinking about your winter coat if you are in the market for a new one this season. It’s definitely not quite time to be wearing one but given they have been in stores since August, the good ones always go by the time you actually come to want one. If only someone could stop the ridiculous thing that is the fashion calendar, then we might actually have things in store when we wanted to buy them.

So if you are stuck about what to go for, then look no further for here is your distilled version of coats for this autumn season.

Checks

A checked coat is probably the coat of the season. So if you want the latest in trends, this is it. M&S has a couple of different styles:

2 Pocket Printed Coat £69 which is already out of stock in a couple of sizes.

And Check Tweed Pocket Coat £79.

Naturally, Zara is a good place to grab one of these and has several options: Checked Coat £99.

Or this Checked Wool Coat £89.99.

Mango, meanwhile, has this Checkered Overcoat £69.99.

Alternatively, River Island has a Black Check Coat £80 which looks great with red and every other colour.

Classic

It’s all very well gigantic oversized coats being in fashion, but when it comes to investing in something, ideally it needs to last several years. This is why I would always champion a classic, Crombie style coat as this will do the job for work and still look good casually with jeans, year in, year out. Here’s where to get yours:

For under £100, Warehouse does this Clean Crombie £86 which comes in camel, dark grey and this lovely khaki. This is a great length, hitting mid thigh which can work better if you aren’t hugely tall.

Just over the £100 mark, M&S has it’s 2 Pocket Wool Rich Coat £119 in a number of colours including the ever useful camel, light grey marl, dark green and red obvs.

French Connection has this Platform Felt Long Sleeved Smart Fit Coat £185 which is gorgeous in this plum colour but also comes in black and a rust orange.

But they also have this one £175 at House of Fraser which is in black and dark charcoal.

The Jennie Coat £189 from Boden is in a mohair but is beginning to sell out in some sizes.

Over £200 and Jigsaw has a lovely Single Breasted City Wool Coat £249 which comes in navy, black, dark green and oyster.

Hobbs’ Tilda Coat £299 just sneaks in this price bracket and is a very lovely coat indeed in navy, teal and red too. But they currently have a 20% offer on at Hobbs with the code AUTUMN20 and John Lewis are price matching this so that makes a purchase much more appealing.

Statement

This can be many things but starting off with leopard. I have one from last year at River Island which I have worn just as much, if not more, than my classic camel. Hush has this Leo Fur Coat £220 which isn’t cheap but definitely looks the part.

Boden’s Imelda Cot £198 comes in leopard and petite, regular and long. Plus they are now in store in John Lewis Oxford Street so you can even try on some of the range.

Otherwise on the high street M&S Collection has this 2 Pocket Animal Print Coat £69.

If you don’t like the brown animal so much then go for a grey one like this Gerard Darel Garnier Leopard Print Coat £495 but already out of stock in 6 and 18 at John Lewis.

Or go for colour like this Double Face Oval Coat £270 at Jigsaw in this gorgeous blue.

So Sandar has this fab Bright Blue Wool Mix Unlined Coat £95 which is the perfect weight for this in-between weather. The photo doesn’t quite do it justice as the colour is much more vivid than this in real life. (They also have a lovely leopard coat £135 but is out of stock in most sizes apart from 14 and 16)

For a bight yellow option, try Hobbs’ Ada Coat £229 pre discount. This would look amazing with blue and black denim and an awful lot else so don’t be put off by a brighter colour. It is unlined so is a lighter weight option.

Red is the statement colour of the season so the M&S coat above is an option, as is the Tilda from Hobbs.

Or River Island has this Red Tailored Coat £80.

Casual

For me the must-have casual style is a parka and there are lots of options to choose from. Hush has it’s Parka £170.

Or it’s shorter version £150 which comes in two colourways. I like the khaki with the blue fur very much but it is also in black.

I also like the Oasis Elin Padded Parka £100 which comes in khaki and a not as nice mid grey. You can cinch in the waist too with some internal cords.

If you want to stay south of £100, then H&M has lot of options including this Padded Parka £59.99.

Or you can puff up in Warehouse’s Short Panel Wadded Coat £89.

Or Joules’ Caldecott Padded Coat £189 which comes in navy, black or plum.

So what are you going in for? Classic and timeless or a bit of a fashion update – or maybe both? Either way, it’s what people see an awful lot of for a significant part of the year so make yours count. No pressure!