Picking a Perfect Winter Coat
As the saying goes, “every season has its small personal battles”…
For instance in the spring, all the controversy is about deciding exactly when to switch from jeans or pants to skirts (that is truly a season-changing decision, because every woman knows that once you go bare legged, you can’t go back). Then in summer, it’s swamp ass… In the fall, it’s a dilemma of finding the balance between enjoying pumpkin spice and not revealing yourself to be overtly basic.
And in winter, it’s learning the art of purchasing in the perfect coat. The thing which makes this whole winter coat thing so great is that once you’ve found it, you probably won’t need to go through all of the shopping once again and for a very long time. The catch being that it’s nearly impossible to find it in the first place.
As early as December (yep) I at last ventured to start my winter coat search. This one being my fifth winter spent in Des Moines, Iowa, which means it’s finally time to nail it. For my first cold season, I had no idea how cold a blizzards-blast this state and the city could actually be. So being low on the cash at the moment, I ended up just wearing everything I owned at once. Unfortunately, that list included piling 3 lighter coats on top of one another. My second winter was much less of a winter (my fellow New Yorkers, people in the city I’ve moved from and who came to visit me, remember the lovely, mild thing that was winter 2011-2012, right? The third time was not a charm, as the weather has gotten so cold that I gave up entirely and bought one of those delightfully warm head to ankle Uniqlo numbers. These ones, which turn you into looking like you’re rolled up in a sleeping bag with the face and feet cut out of it. To be true, it was effective, but it was ugly as all get out. And the perfect winter coat should keep you warm AND look good. Because I have to believe that we live in a world where we CAN have it all. I have to.
“Third time was not a charm, as the weather has gotten so cold that I gave up entirely and bought one of those delightfully warm head to ankle Uniqlo numbers” Janine Desmines
Tip #1: Look for a durable quality
Take every label on it into account. While being made out of cheap acrylics, even if it’s from a designer with high price points – simply teach yourself to say no.Also quite often, coats that are advertised as “wool” are only some tiny percent wool, and in reality turn out to be consisting of more than 80% nylon and spandex. Keep in mind, that no polyester will keep you warm in a snow storm, and it also gives your sweat a really funky feet smell. Make sure you’re buying a thing made to last, especially if you’re getting to spend a sum.
Tip #2: Brace yourself to be disappointed
Locating the perfect winter coat in this big world of retailing is in some ways akin to losing your virginity. The first try to make that happen can turn to be that “it” might not fit, and it will hurt. All because you really wanted this to be the one, but you just have to keep trying until you get it right. The very same goes about choosing a right anything, this time – a winter coat.
Tip #3: Stay patient
Patience is the most underestimated virtue of them all (of course, disqualifying honesty, decency, and ethics from the list of options). So, be it in need to be used while waiting for a bus or whilst trawling through the avalanche of coats retailers are throwing at you like winter Gatsby’s. If you’re really determined to find the perfect coat you need to see ALL the coats, which is going to take time and resolve. So at the end of the day, a person who is a frazzled or bored coat hunter is never going to come up with the good stuff…
Tips #4: Keep enough extra room to wear layers underneath
The tragedy of a winter fashion is that it is simply inevitable to end up looking like a human onion, layered with warm clothes beneath the coat. I wanted to make a point of this though because a lot of coats I’ve ever seen all seem to have room in the torso, but the arms and sleeves are ridiculously tight and skinny. Having not enough room for layers under the arms of a coat is the most restricting, uncomfortable thing possibly imaginable, so… Watch out, as these layers will inevitably all twist in different directions leaving you feeling like your arms are sausage stuffing, violently smashed in amongst the carnage.
Tip #5: Assess your body
It helps to know what works for you and what simply does not. For instance, being 5’1″ tall (or low), I know that a lot of stylings and design patterns, colors overlapped can be overwhelming. In short, it will make me look like a walking pile of coats rather than a human. Knowing exactly all the issues which may end up problematic is a sure recipe for looking your best. Be wary of the calf-length, knee-length, hooded, collared, double-breasted, tie-waist, button-up etc.
This will tremendously ease the process by eliminating a swath of coats that simply will never suit your complexion…
Tip #6: Make sure it has pockets
A coat without pockets is even worse than Friday without fun… You might not buy this tip now, but no coat, no matter how perfect, without pockets isn’t going to make you rue the day you bought. Especially when you’re struggling your way across a snowy and icy road in the winter, with no pockets to tuck your cold hands into…
Tip #7: Practicality trumps fashion
You can probably survive through December in an on-trend coat that’s only “officially” warm. You can probably convince yourself that January is not that cold either if you can just get through it. But by the time February hits you with the snow and blizzards and it’s still below zero, no fashion on earth is going to keep you warm as you’re outside. The idea is to find something stylish that’s also insanely warm.
So, practicality wins this time.
All in all, you can see a wide selection of winter coats, all displayed here in our store!
