Hey!
Do you ever look for outerwear that can keep you warm and stylish? It’s not easy given how some have a reputation as bulky and shapeless puffy jackets. In today’s blog post, I feature my long-trusted trenchcoat from Banana Republic to keep me warm — and then I will provide a variety of other outerwear ideas that are hopefully within your budget!
I went to good ol’ Broadway Plaza some time ago back when the weather was still as cold as today and my hair was still as short as my life out of college.
Dear God, I really thought I was so very fancy when I decided to wear that getup! In reality, I didn’t really have anything going on; I dressed up, went to town to do a Covid test, and then I stopped at the local Plaza to take pictures because I needed a confidence boost. That’s it, really. I feel like a post-grad is supposed to be more busy right after graduating, but you see, life can come to an unexpected pause and sometimes you end up at square one…
I’m wearing:
Blouse — Maison Jules
Skinny Jeans — Old Navy
Blazer — Amazon
Trenchcoat — Banana Republic
Bowtie — Zara
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Outerwear that will actually keep you warm.
Okay, so admittedly I hit a stumbling block this season: I have a limited amount of coats that are stylish and actually warm. In fair-weather California, you don’t tend to think about the cold until it actually hits you when you walk out of work in the evening and into the biting wind. So with that said, I’ve had enough beating around the bush and decided to invest my buying choices in coats that will actually keep you warm and not have you sniffling for hours
As always, I’m going to hand-pick the classiest ones, not those garish sherpa coats from Zara whose fur always feels like carpet material. Pardon the bias.
Here are some of my favorite coat styles that I’m eyeing for the future:
Camel Coat
The exact date of the camel coat’s uptick into popularity is somewhat ambivalent — I’m guessing maybe the 1920s. I really like this timeless piece because you can pair it with all the neutral colors on the color palette. As a city girl myself, it also gives a very urbanite feeling. I can totally see it as a staple on New Yorkers like Tom Selleck from Blue Bloods (who himself shines in a couple choice outercoats). I’m petite so thigh-length short ones do me well but I wouldn’t pass up a long-robed one either!
Coat with a Fur Collar
I often seen the collars on camel coats, but not all fur collared coats are camel coats. I also notice fur collars on longline coats, wrap coats, double breasted coats…I should make a future article telling you about the different styles of fur-lined coats one day. Point is, this is one of my covetables on my list because it gives a nod to an old-time classic, a fur collar wrap coat from the 20s, that still looks timeless today!
My decision was further sealed when I saw an elderly and very dapper customer in a collared coat come in and chat with me earlier this week. That’s it. I’ve decided: I’m going to dress like that by the time I’m in my 50s and beyond.
Double Breasted Thick Wool Trench Coat Jacket
Bomber jacket
This one I’ll give homage to my friend who has geeked out on bomber jackets, or “pilot jackets” as we like to call them. Apparently they were made to feel both comfortable and warm as pilots sat snug in the cockpits in the early airplane era. They have a more fixed, “familiar” style, something that differentiates them from leather jackets. Plus, they have warm fleece inside. You wouldn’t catch me wearing my H&M leather jacket in the winter, that’s for sure!
Shearling jacket
Shearling coats have originated from bomber jackets, but they come in different styles. Some of them look conspicuously like sherpa jackets — probably the same fleece that first lined Levi’s early denim jackets before they crept onto the outside of those garish Zara jackets. But I’m being facetious now. Some shearling jackets stand out with their timeless appeal, particularly the vintage ones that I’ll show down below.
Trench Coat
Oh, those classics? Enough said. I understand that gabardine, while waterproof, isn’t always necessarily cold proof. So I also made sure to find some warm ones out there, in the style of the original classic…
Final Thoughts
My top choices for fall outerwear are partially inspired by observations of the people every day and partially through my email feed’s daily recommendations of the latest fashion news clothes collections.
On a final note, remember that a layered look adds even more dimension to your outerwear so that it can properly stand out as a finishing touch to your outfit.
My classic layering go-to is first a crisp white blouse, then a cashmere cardigan, and then a blazer, and finally a warm outercoat to coat everything off. Finish with chunky leather platforms or heels.
Let me know which of the outerwear ideas you would wear this season!
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