Since it is the first thing people see in the cold weather months, a great-looking coat should act as a combination calling card and ace in the hole.
A coat is a excellent way to express your personality and strengthen your signature look. And a well-chosen coat has the ability to elevate a pair of jeans and a sweater to a real style statement. By choosing your coat wisely, you ensure you will look your pulled-together best.
Evanston designer Annie A. (for Andrews) understands the need for a great all-purpose coat. She has included a transitional coat in her fall line for those days when a sweater isn’t enough and a heavy coat is too much.
“These coats won’t weigh you down,” Andrews explains. “They’re great looking as well as practical. You can wear them anywhere — to the coffee shop or a fancy restaurant.”
Pretty, lighter-weight coats that go from day to evening with ease actually are one of the biggest trends right now. These tend to follow feminine shapes, meaning a narrow silhouette that usually falls around the knee. These toppers also make liberal use of bold, unexpected colors like lilac and all-over patterns such as cabbage roses and animal prints. Of course there is also tweed, the super fabric of fall 2000 and the one material that will bring your look totally up-to-date this year without looking dated next year.
Another trend that is too big to ignore is the return of the shearling coat. Jessica Darrow and Tricia Tunstall, owners of the Damen Avenue boutique p.45, have declared a full-length shearling as one of the season’s key investment pieces.
Shearling came back this year dyed fantastic colors and rendered in ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight versions. Shearling is lambskin that is processed with the wool intact. This means that it is classified as fur, not leather, and also that a good-quality shearling coat comes with a fur-sized price tag. Faux shearling, however, is a marvelous invention for those who are not seeking a major investment piece.
The choices are out there. In fact, rather than not finding something you truly love, this fall the challenge may be limiting yourself to one or two fabulous coats. Make a day of it. Get a couple of friends together and try on every coat that strikes your fancy. You may be surprised — and you are sure to be delighted — by all the options. One last piece of advice: If you opt for black this year, make sure that it is anything but basic.
