Warm but flattering coat

[stillhere]

Hi all

Am looking for the elusive warm but flattering coat. DS1 is now at a rural school and have had several bad school run experiences in the wind, snow, hail and rain. Enough is enough and I'm looking for a long (below waist - not necessarily as far as knee) coat with hood that is waterproof and warm. Any suggestions?

The ones I've been looking at so far are:
www.landsend.co.uk/Women%27s-f%28x%29-Performance-Collection-Down-Coat/P_25368,en_GB,pd.html (£130, bit mumsy?)
shop.uniqlo.com/uk/goods/072646#colorSelect (£60, a bit short? Originally saw this on a MN Swears By, but a coat rather than a parka...)
www.shore.co.uk/oneill-diamond-hyperfleece-black-out.html (£65)
www.shore.co.uk/oneill-calexico-parka-jacket-navy-night.html (£75)

Any wisdom, reviews or similarly warm but flattering coats welcome! Ta. :)

I share your pain!

I tried the Lands End one you linked to. I was between sizes and the small one was too snug and the big one too big and therefore rather swamping. I ended up buying the chalet coat from them (not the maxi one but a kind of knee length version, which isn't there now). I also found there was too much hood, fur etc going on around my head which I found irritating and thought made my head look huge. The other one has a more minimal hood.
If you are right in the size range it might be perfect and as these things go (they just aren't beautiful are they?), its a good coat.
Frankly, the other coats you link to don't look warm enough for me, but then I freeze easily! I also need a longer coat than the Uniqlo one, but that's more for dog walking than school which mercifully is more quickly over.
I confess to owning a bit of a coat wardrobe built up over years, so I am perhaps more able to have a coat I don't like much that fulfills a particular need. Usually I wear the Boden perfect parka (not available now as winter stock) which is great for all but really cold, when I live in the duvet coat - school run, dog walk etc etc.

I have this in navy www.lawskirkcudbright.co.uk/index.php?option=com_opencart&route=product/product&product_id=50 and it's my best buy of the season - is super warm and waterproof and (imo) looks nice. I've had loads of compliments.

Sonotkylie that's really helpful - thanks. I'm also not convinced that the other ones are warm enough, which makes me tip towards Lands End. Have actually e-mailed O'Neills to see how they classify the warmth of these coats (me: anal?!) as I'm paranoid that they wouldn't be warm enough. I agree that Uniqlo is too short too - it's a shame that the longer one linked on the MN Swears By original list isn't on their site now.

PenfoldRocks - that coat looks fab, ta! :D Am going to add that one into the mix for final deliberation.

IMO you are better off getting a decent wool coat and a separate woolly hat (that you can take off when you don't want to look a twat).

I spent about £70 last year on a tradional looking wool coat from New look and a cheap woolly hat from accessorise. I've been toasty all winter. And I am a forrin wimp who was brought up in a much sunnier place :)

North face artic parka.

Bought it 3 years ago, like wearing a duvet. Its not going to set the fashion world on fire but so cosy.I team it with trendy scarf and people always comment.

Being warm is do important

Glad to be helpful ... Now to be unhelpful ...! Even in a freezing rural area, you only have another 4 weeks or so of real cold (and I'm a pessimist), and the Easter holidays start before then. After that, you need waterproofs including trousers (now that really is unflattering!) but that's another story. How about - interim measure of thermals (tops and bottoms) scarves and woolly hat with existing coat and then pounce on next winter s stock when its out next August - October? You'll have far more choice and the Uniqlo one will probably be back.
By way of example, I massively covet the Aigle Cuckmere ... Next season there might be something even more covetable ...
I agree with Sarkypants sartorially, but the dog walk and brambles tip it for me to the duvet thing!

Further to Sonotkylie's suggestion to wait for next year stock, you could just wait a few weeks and see what you can grab in this year's end of winter sale, then you're all set for next year!

I did this a few years ago with a similar Land's End coat to the one you're looking at - I agree, not terribly smart, but really well made, incredibly warm and waterproof, and very light to wear. I love mine.

You've tempted me into the O'Neill website now OP...

However, the Hyperfleece jackets are described as soft-shell for spring-time riding. To my mind that means not fully waterproof. Snowproof, but if it rained you'd get wet at the seams. They look nice for dry cold weather. You'd need a shell jacket over the top for UK rain though.

Thanks peeps. May be sensible to wait for sales but I have to say that school runs are pretty painful at the moment. Am anti-hat as I can't cope with hat hair. I'm such a girl. Out of interest, here's what O'Neill e-mailed me back about the tog issues:

Thank you for contacting the O'Neill Shop.

Firewall is an ergonomic thermal insulation.This is a technique / construction most people will recognize from our wetsuits now its time to transfer the technique to our Outerwear line. Firewall offers warmth where needed and breathability where needed. Its build up in 3 different variations from cold to extreme cold conditions

We would recommend you the Maze jacket.

Re hat ... I am a convert to very large beanies which don't seem to have the same dire hat head inducing properties. And if you see anyone you know you can pull it over your face so they don't know you! Or waht about a large wool snood that you can pull up over your ears? E Bay can probably help there.
Seems like O Neill are confident about their coats ability to deal with cold.

Sonotkylie where do you get extra large beanies? Do you just go for men's ones? I find all hats are just too small, and do shrink the hair horribly.

agree about the large beanies.
I need a new one so any links would be good. My one from accessorize is well past its prime.

In terms of hat-hair all you need to do is become a cyclist for a few month and then in comparison with helmet-hair then hat-hair feels positively stylish :)

I like this but the colour is wrong for me.
I want navy...

uk.accessorize.com/view/product/uk_catalog/acc_15,acc_15.3/2911631600

North face arctic parka, bought for £160 from outlet store, well worth it very warm as someone else said, like a duvet. Not really flattering, not sure warm and flattering actually exists, but for school runs warm and waterproof more important!!

Following several failed attempts to buy a good winter coat online (ordered one by Danefae (too small on the chest), Didriksons (freakishly long arms and too wide on shoulders, Landsend (just a bit too frumpy), I dragged my newborn baby to the shops and found this one www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/jack-wolfskin-womens-baffin-jacket-2c110242?id_colour=144 which just happened to be reduced in the sales. Suits me much better, (I'm 5ft 2ish) and is so lovely and toasty warm. Not that long but I haven't found the longer length coats that flattering. It's still quite expensive at £129 but feels like it's going to last.

I got my current one from Asos. Can't find IT there now but Asos beanie brought up a good range. And yes, previously, I stole my husbands!

I've got two insulated and waterproof coats from outdoor shops. The kind of shops artura linked to. It's more expensive but I found they are way warmer and more waterproof than anything I bought from fashion stores.

One is a merrell ellenwood. It would fit what you describe. It covers the bum and has a hood. I got it from sports direct when they were having the post xmas sale for £50! I don't think you can find it at that price anymore www.sportsdirect.com/merrell-ellenwood-insulated-jacket-ladies-447004

The other is a northface boulevard uk.thenorthface.com/tnf-uk-en/women-s-boulevard-jacket-16.html
I got it last season, so northface might have a new version of it now.

DH has a jack wolfskin and they are very good quality too.

Actually just noticed sports direct still has the merrell ellenwood at £50 for size 16. It's the best jacket you'd get for £50 if you are the right size. (They seem to change the sale price all the time. Mine was a size 8 charcoal heather).