Coat Tales
The temperatures have begun their downward descent and ‘rugging up’ has become state of play in your morning ritual. We’ve explored the endless possibilities for your seasonal splurge, from faux furs and power puffers, to the trusty trench and wily windbreakers.
1. The trusty trench
The trusty trench has never really gone out of style, but instead gets reinvented season after season at the talented hands of design darlings. This season elevated trench coats are hitting the sartorial scene in surprising hues like pale pink or optic white. Our very own Trelise Cooper has gone wild with her Pawsome Trench featuring a leopard print belt at the waist and a splash of it across the back.
2. Pretty in patent
This high-shine material was glossing over handbags and other accessories in 2018, now it’s gone next level with long patent puffer jackets and shiny leather trench coats. The best thing is, you can let those rainy days run straight off your back.
3. A superhero cape
Every good superhero needs a cape it seems, with the heroic cut proving one of the strongest outerwear silhouettes to come out of the fall 2019 collections. Chanel gave the capelet the tweed treatment, while Marc Jacobs harnessed his animal instinct with leopard print. The many variations prove the superhero cut works for every occasion.
4. Fur babies
Designers are bringing a lighter touch to the feathers and fur of fashion in 2019. Rather than the bulky and heavy fibres of the 70s, today’s faux fabrics are adding ‘soft’ to their luxe appeal. Whatever innovations in the global fabric labs led to this miraculous development, it has certainly arrived at the perfect time.
5. Power shoulder
All the major fashion players like Saint Laurent and Balenciaga are advocating for the padded wide-shouldered slim-waist silhouette, with Givenchy’s Clare Waight Keller citing “grandmother coats of the ’40s and ’50s” as the inspiration for the strong, sculpted shoulders that defined her ‘Winter of Eden’ collection.
6. Belting up
Designers are adding a feminine twist to even the bulkiest of winter wear this season, with coats of all shapes and sizes getting belted up. Every fashion era has had a belt to match and they’re coming back as a leading accessory after a respite in the wardrobe. This look can also structurally formalise an otherwise shapeless coat.
7. A lengthy stay
Coats of all kinds are in for a lengthy stay this season – figuratively and literally, as hemlines continue to drop. All the fall 2019 collections featured longline coats as a chic alternative to the floor-length puffer coats that were hot property last year. This year you’ll find these floor sweeping styles are super structured and made of heavy wool.
8. Fab in fleece
2018 may have belonged to the puffer, but in 2019, it’s all about another high-tech performance fabric: fleece. Designers like Fendi are ramping up the luxe appeal of this outdoorsy staple and adding leather.
