Do you have an 'investment' coat? Can you tell me about it?

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Sorry, I don't really like the word investment but it's very much part of the media!!

I splashed out recently on a very beautiful, expensive coat and was curious about how many years it will last, I was hoping 10, and it's nice knowing that I won't randomly buy winter coats anymore and this one will do.

Do you have one? How many years have you had it?

I bought mine from karen millen 2 years ago for £220 and love it still. To be fair its a classic trench coat in black with belt to pull in the waist.

I think once you find a style that you love and really suits you you should buy a classic item in that shape and style, cos no matter what you wear underneath that piece will make you feel a millions dollars, this coat certainly does that for me.

shame i just need to figure out the rest of my wardrobe though

I have a Jasper Conran Black Mac. It is plain black. belted with a flair at the botton. Type you can go anywhere in. It wasn't hugely expensive but the best I own.

PS I have it three years.. I would say I will have it for up to ten years.

I had a really nice Hobbs wool coat that until it was murdered by the dry cleaner was still going strong after four or five years. It was just beginning to look not-brand-new, iykwim. I think I would have got maybe two more winters out of it.

Oh no Hopefully - did they pay for a new one? What a pain!

yes maxmara. cost an arm and a leg but is AMAZING

I have a Jaeger one which I love but it also came back from the dry cleaners looking worse for wear
I've had it for 3 winters I think now, still love it

I have an Armani trench (Emporio, not jeans). It will be 10 years old in November and it still looks really great. Wore it today in fact.

My winter jacket is an Aeronautica Militare. 3 years old and still looks as good as new.

Also have a Hugo Boss blazer, 4 years old and going strong.

I do think investing in a really good jacket/shoes and bags are well worth the money.

I'm getting suspicious about these dry cleaners!!
Does anyone wash a wool one by hand? Or do you just have to choose your dry cleaners very, very carefully?

Cream Barbour wool trench. Had it for a couple of years and I fully expect it to last beyond my lifetime. It isn't my only 'best' coat but it's my favourite and the only one I bought new. Others are a pale blue Barbour riding mac which I've had for 5 years and is still going strong, a Barbour wax which is 15 and looks great still, a black velvet knee length Dorothy Perkins I think) that is about 7 and perfect over lbd's and the like.

Yes, I bought a Burberry wool coat last year and I absolutely love it. It's pretty classic and I think that as long as I treat it with care (and don't put on any weight) I will still be wearing it in ten years.

I have a cashmere coat, given to me by my mum. It's now 20 years old but, I think she'd only worn it once. It's a cocoon coat with 3/4 sleeve. I love it, though to be fair, it's past it's best now. People always say "I like your coat".

I looked at replacing it recently. Turns out, the label (I didn't recognise it at all) was part of Karl Lagerfeld collection and even if they still made it, there's no way on earth I could afford another so, every year it's dry cleaned and worn to death from Nov to April. I dread the day it finally falls to bits.

i have black gucci coat that i bought 4 years ago in the sales,and is still in excellent shape,and another one from burberry,i love it.

I have a long wool, Hobbs coat too - just bought it and hoping it will last 10 years. I won't wear it in the rain!

I have a dark blue Philip Lim wool winter coat with navy velvet collar that I bought online (I think from Matches) about 5 years ago. It was reduced from about £550 to £200 which was sort of top end of high street prices anyway.

It is gorgeous and still looks very smart over anything.

Re washing wool coats, I have started putting mine in the washing machine on a cold, hand wash cycle w Woollite. They came out just fine. A little wrinkled initially, but after hanging next to the shower, immaculate. Cleaner and nicer smelling than after the dry cleaner. I wouldn't do it for all of them, but I was surprised how well it worked.

I have a Cerrutti cashmere coat I bought in the Harrods sale in 2000. It's gorgeous. I have had it cleaned and it's still looking very good. I have worn it every year since I bought it and it still looks good.

Eliza that's lovely :)

Thanks for the tip bunny, I might try that!

I have a caramel wool and cashmere Jaeger coat, bought in the sales for £150ish - I love it!

I bought my investment coat last year. Its the Ashley coat from collectif. It ticks all my boxes-40's style,fur trim,leopard print. I am waiting for the green one to go into the sale and will snap that up too.

I have a max mara camel coat costing 700-800 but they last really well. Occaisonally I brush it and it looks as good as new. it looks really classy.

I have a lovely black wool Maxmara cocoon coat bought over ten years ago and still beautiful - I definitely had to take a deep breath before handing over my credit card at the time, but no regrets.

Also a full length black Joseph shearling coat bought 3 years ago, I love it and it comes out every winter, it's the warmest thing ever and stunning. Imagine it will last a good many years yet

I've got a wool cashmere blend coat from a very posh diffusion line, which was about 300 quid reduced from 600 at the tail end of the sale. It feels lovely and fits the bill perfectly at work, but is a bit plain. I've worn the hell out if it every winter for the past 5 years, and it's now showing its age, with pockets and cuffs starting to wear down. TBH I won't be that sad to retire it, and in terms of costs per wear it's definitely paid its way. I'm replacing it with two Jigsaw equivalents that were half the price, again heavily reduced in the sale, but are slightly more interesting.