how much should i spend on a coat?

[happydutchmummy]

I have decided that as a proper grown up I should stop buying cheapy coats that last just one winter and actually invest in a lovely classic well tailored wool coat that will be a wardrobe staple for many years.

At the moment I have a budget of around £500 to play with. Will this be enough or should I save up for another month or two (although would find it hard to justify spending more than that on a single item of clothing...) and which shops/brands would you recommend?

It's enough. Reiss, Karen Millen, Hobbs.

Its enough, mine is from Precis in John Lewis.

Phew, glad it's enough! I will go shopping tomorrow. Yay!

Ahem...

I shall now attempt (for the second time, first post lost) to persuade you not to throw away your money on the High Street.

If you buy from a "fashion" store your purchase will be dated by Christmas. If you buy from a department store brand you will not get the subtle quality and design that £500 should buy you.

Unless you desperately need a coat this week you might be well advised to wait just a few weeks for the sales. So your £500 can buy you £1,500 worth of something wonderful.

In the meantime, or if you can't wait, I strongly suggest you look at about a dozen websites first.

Start here. Link goes to one particular coat but the whole site is worth looking at if you want the ultimate in grown up, last a lifetime spendworthiness.

(I dare not test the link again....)

Do you live close enough to go to Bicester Village? They have designer outlets. A friend of mine works for Max Mara and they often have LOVELY coats from last season for 1/3 of the price - I think £500 could get you something lovely there by a designer. It will be mad there at the weekends this close to Christmas now but well worth a visit if you want some designer stuff at cheaper prices!

Hah! Validation. (Though I suspect Yankeedoodle did not click the link before endorsing my post-midnight musings.)

AH, no I didn't. :-) BUT I think if you are going to invest in clothing a good coat is probably one of the best things you can invest in. The camel colour in that link is GORGEOUS!

I'm currently sporting a £50 Oasis wool coat I got last year...

Third vote for a MaxMara in sales or from Bicester!

Or look at Burberry too if you don't like the MaxMara look. I'd go Burberry personally

Yes, I liked the camel colour Yankeedoodle.

For the avoidance of doubt I'm not saying there's anything intrinsically wrong with a "High Street" buy - obviously not. But I dare say you're not expecting the Oasis coat to last you twenty years?

I'm a bit wary of Burberry after I completely ruined a black wool trench within about three years. Belstaff gets a good press OP - although they always seem very stiff and heavy to me. But a more "rocking" look if Maxmara seems too smooth and flawless.

The only problem with a perfect coat is that you may find it impossible to give it up, even when it's ragged and will cost a fortune to repair and re-line. (Early Jill Sander for example....)

Please wait for the sales to start, coats are always hugely reduced from early on. I'd look on the Toast site to see if there is anything you fancy - you get good prices on ebay when you fancy a change in a few years time.

gb.maxmara.com/p-9076023606007-cdouble-honey

OMG Thanks Sthing - I'm obsessed with this coat now. I've notified my friend who works in the outlet to alert me when/if it ever turns up although I'll probably still not be able to afford it. (Starts credit card application...)

You are right, I don't expect the Oasis coat to last 20 years... but maybe 3 or so. So maybe I'll start saving now for my Max Mara coat that I can buy in 3 years to replace this one.

gb.maxmara.com/p-9076023606007-cdouble-honey

Okay, went round the shops today and couldn't find anything spectacular, then saw all your suggestions and I'm smitten with super expensive coats. I will carry on shivering in my cheap h&m coat till after the sales start. Until then I will fantasy shop online (all in the name of research!).

Thank goodness you did nothing hasty!

what about Jaeger?

I don't want to piss you off but when I was ambling around tk maxx with my dad today a coat WAVED at me from across the shop.
It was an Aquascutum mid length camel virgin wool beauty. I tried it on. It fit perfectly.
So my lovely dad offered to go halves with me for Christmas It cost me £85 and is available on their website for £650.
I am beyond pleased with it.
www.aquascutum.co.uk/product-details?productID=D010013&variationID=D010013-08000-12&refpage=1095
Is that a proper link?

No. I can't do links, damn it

Definitely can recommend max mara. I have a green one and a camel one from there that are quite a few years old. They just dont date and are excellent quality

TheGonnagle You're not pissing anyone off.

I was too rushed to mention the unbelievably lovely camel coat I found in T K Maxx a few years ago for someone else. Maxmara equivalent from a German brand. Cost almost no money.

Since then I've bought two coats from there that I wear almost all the time - a Chloe and a Martin Margiela - again almost no money changed hands. It's an absolutely brilliant place for a bargain. (And makes one realize how much extra we pay for packaging...)

Nevertheless, sometimes it's nice to be able to buy the thing you've dreamed of - from its actual source....

I'm done with that 'investment dressing' thing. I used to buy expensive classics but they still date unfortunately and you can get bored of wearing the same coats year after year. I only go mid range now which for me is £200 max and preferably less.