How to Create an Awesome Coat Wardrobe (Guide)

Unless you live in the Tropics where there are no cold and warm seasons, a winter coat is a Must-Have. Depending on the typical weather of you home location, your comfort level for the decreasing temperatures differs because your body acclimatizes to a certain degree. However, the adaptation to cold weather and the protection from cold stress are limited. Furthermore, which fabrics work best for the weather of a given climate zone differ as well. In addition, what kind of coats you need depend on your lifestyle. This guide educates you to identify which coats you need for your lifestyle and the weather of your climate region. This knowledge helps you to build the perfect coat wardrobe for your needs without breaking the banks and wasting closet real estate with pieces that you never wear. Learn how you can create an awesome coat wardrobe.

 

 

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.

 

A Great Coat Is a Serious Style Investment

Now how to build a capsule coat wardrobe? Coats are among the most expensive items of your cold season purchases. Therefore, it is important to take a look at which type of coats you need for your lifestyle, and thermal comfort in a cut and colors that flatters your body shape and skin/hair and matches your personal style. Any coat that doesn’t fulfill these tasks will be rarely worn and become a closet monster.

In winter, your outerwear is the first someone sees when you enter a new place. You want to dress to impress and to make an entrance. Therefore, treat your outerwear as an outfit all by itself.

 

 

 

How Many Coats Do You Really Need?

There is no hard number! Instead, which coats you need depend on the typical weather of your climate region and your typical life situations. To create your perfect capsule coat wardrobe think about your typical weather and lifestyle to set the priorities accordingly.

For instance, a working midlife woman living in a region with warm winter with low wind needs an everyday winter coat, and a raincoat to wear on the commute to and from work plus a laid back casual coat for the weekend. On the contrary, a retired woman may be fine with one everyday coat for shopping, running errands, and doctor visits, etc., but needs to stock on laid back coats. When you never go to the symphony or dress for the opera, for instance, an evening coat would be luxury. In the rare event of a winter formal wedding, you can dress up your everyday coat with brooches and an evening scarf instead.

Therefore, the coat’s material has to be able to protect you from the elements like rain, snow, wind, humidity. The best down coat for your climate zone, for instance, is the one that has the appropriate filling to keep you in thermal comfort. This means that you neither sweat nor shiver when wearing it.

 

 

 

 

 

What Coats to Buy?

Always buy the highest quality you can afford unless the coat is intended for fun, i.e. this winter season’s It trend that you can’t resist. Be sure that you are ok with tossing it after the season or when the coat starts looking shabby, whatever comes first.

How?

Coats are expensive and may seem like and everyday luxe. However, keep in mind that in contrast to many other wardrobe items, you wear your coat on a daily basis in winter. Therefore, your cost-per-wear will go down fast in no time. Consequently, don’t shy away from a high price tag too fast. Instead, think about how long you anticipate to wear the coat. Then do the math. If the coat gets under a dollar per anticipated wear, go for it.

Tip: Keep in mind that the simpler a coat, the more versatile it will be, and the longer it will look ageless.

 

Examples of Great Coats for Various Lifestyles

• When you drive a lot or spend a lot of time sitting in your coat on a bus, tram or the subway, a 3/4 or coat ending below your bum is a great option. The length avoids that your coat gets caught in the door, or dirty and wet when you sit. Virgin wool fabric is best because it resists wrinkling.
  

  Tip: To test how easily the fabric wrinkles squeeze it between your fingers for a minute. Then let it loose. If the wrinkle stays, skip the coat.

• When you travel a lot for business, lightweight and wrinkle-free are key. Look for double-layer wool or cashmere coats an eternal classic Duffel coat. Because their lining cannot wrinkle, you can roll them before putting them in the overhead bin. The same applies for pea-coats made in a traditional way which moreover give a curvy shape even on a straight-up-and-down body.

 

 

 

Examples of Best Coat Options for the Weather of Various Climate Zones

The Earth has 31 different climate zones. Here I address those where most of my readers live. You can find the other zones and other clothing types in my book “Discover the Relation between Fashion, Fabric, Weather, and Comfort“.

• A well-made original trench coat is always worth its money, as trench coats are so versatile. In a maritime mid-latitude climate like in the Pacific Northwest, New Zealand or West Europe, for instance, a coat worth the investment is a trench coat with wool lining that can be buttoned in on colder days and taken out when temperatures are not so unpleasant.
• A shearling insulates well in cold and windy weather, but it is unsuitable in wet weather. There are many ways not to look fat in a shearing.
• Lined leather coats are great in windy dry weather, but they don’t work in rain.
• Traditional loden coats are great for temperate maritime climate like the Pacific Northwest, parts of western Europe, and New Zealand.
• Down coats are great in cold dry weather. However, they dry slowly and feel uncomfortably cold when the downs get moist.
  

  Tip: Note that a down coat may have up to 30% feathers and still are called down filled. Feathers are not as good insulators as downs are. Furthermore, they have quills that may stick thru non-tightly weaved fabric. Therefore, read the label and look for 100% down filled.

  Tip: Look for coats with small sewn compartments as the downs are subject to gravity. Wide compartments, especially when in vertical direction lead to uneven insulation. Not fun at all. Horizontal compartments are better from an insulating standpoint, but they give the illusion of you being heavier than you actually are.

• Puffer coats with high-quality synthetics fillings like microfiber can be just as good insulators than down coats. However, the filling has the advantage to dry faster than downs.

 

Tip: Shearling, wool and downs from cold countries (e.g. Canada) are better insulators than those from countries with warm winters.

 

 

Look for Coats that Work with Your Shape

Balancing your proportion is important for a flattering coat.

A straight-up-and-down duffle coat does nothing for your body shape. However, it is a great statement piece for a tall woman.

Curvy women want to look for figure-skimming sleek coats. Women with a big bum look fantastic in A-line coats with wide V-neck. Add a great scarf underneath for insulation from the weathers.

Accentuating the waist on a curvy body creates instant glamour.

Soft, belted coats with a hem around the knee work and almost all shapes. The belt namely can give the illusion of an hourglass shape. Avoid coats with belts when you are pear-shaped. When you are short-waisted or wide in the middle, a belted coat does not do you any favor. Skip it. On petite women, belted coats with hems just above the knees look great. The shortness namely will elongate the legs.

 

Which Colors Are Best for a Coat Capsule Wardrobe?

For your everyday coat go for a neutral color from your personal color palette. Your trendy or second everyday coat can be a in a flattering fashion color. However, this color should work with most of your footwear, and the colors of most of your bottoms.

 

Watch the Fit of the Coat

The coat should fall straight down from your shoulders. The closures should lie flat. The same applies to vents, pleats, pockets and pocket flaps. The armholes should allow you to put your carry-on in the overhead bins without ripping the seams. If the coat has breast darts, your bosom should fill them out. The sleeves should cover your wrists. When you buy one of these trendy 3/4 sleeve coats, commit to also buy long gloves that end underneath the sleeves. Otherwise you have a recipe for catching a cold and look like a fashion victim.

Tip: Coats with 3/4 sleeves need long gloves for both insulation and style.

 

 

 

Have someone take photos from all sides to check that the hem is even. Move in front of the mirror to see how the coat sways. Wear the coat for a while at the store, to figure out whether you are comfortable with its weight. You don’t want to get back pain when waiting  in the coat for the bus or tram. Also sit down in the coat to see whether its tails hit the ground. You don’t want to join/help the custodians of the bus, tram or subway company by sweeping the floor with your coat when sitting. Also look whether the buttons pull or whether you get a funny safety swim ring look, i.e. a look like the female version of the Michelin man.

Tip: Be aware that winter coats are cut with winter gear underneath in mind. Therefore, shop for your coat with typical winter wear underneath. Thus, don’t make the mistake to buy the smaller size because it fits perfect over your summer dress, while the size larger doesn’t.

 

Beyond the Capsule Coat Wardrobe: Statement, Trendy and Special Occasion Coats

When you have your basic needs covered, you may add a multi-color coat as a statement piece. Great options are floral prints, embroidery or geometric prints. Since such a coat is less versatile and can’t be worn for a lot of dressing occasions, it should never be your only coat for the respective temperature range.

 

 

Also think twice for which season to buy your statement coat to get the most wear for your bucks. The statement piece in the photo below is a thrift find that makes sense in a cold climate region for winter, but not when you live in subtropical climate like for instance, Florida or Georgia.

 

 

 

Outerwear Is Not Warming You

In general, coats and outerwear only warm when you burn them. Their actual purpose is to create insulation between you and the cold environment. As I explained in my post on the physics of clothes, wicking fabrics with low conduction, adjustable wrist, neck and feet closures and thin air layers between layers are your best friends. Now we are talking! We can do layers!

 

 

 

How to Create an Awesome Coat Wardrobe in a Nutshell

How to build a capsule coat wardrobe requires to identify your needs depending on the typical weather in your climate region and your lifestyle. Then set your priorities. Double up on the coat type that gets the most wear according to your lifestyle. Except for a trendy coat buy only coats in the highest quality you can afford in the material that suits to protect you from the elements. Look for styles that balance your body shape. For the everyday coat chose a neutral from your personal color palette.

 

When you liked the style tips in this post, and want more for all kind of dressing situation in midlife, buy my book How to Dress for Success in Midlife.

 

 

Do you also want to look to your best in life? Subscribe to my newsletter to get tips and learn the tricks. When I can do it you can do it too.

 

References

Mölders, N., 2023. Discover the Relation between Fashion, Fabric, Weather, and Comfort. Amazon Publishing Pros. 182p.

 

Photos: G. Kramm, N. Mölders

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