If you were in the market for a Max Mara coat, what other brands would you be looking at?

[SaltyGoodness]

I'm going to get a Good Coat as my Christmas/birthday present this year... would love something classic in camel from Max Mara, but what else should I look at for that sort of money (£400-£600?) Love those Canada Goose coats with (ethical) fur trimmed hoods, my neighbour has one in an almost-navy blue and it looks stunning. Ddon't know whether to go for classic tailoring or luxe parka type things... Am blonde, size 10-12 with boobs just shy of matronly

If youre blessed with norkage you can't wear one of those Canada puffa types can you?

The max mara store at Bicester has some lovely ones - what sort of shape suits you?

Karen millen, Hobbs, Lk Bennett.

Why don't you try a larger department store? I'm sure you should be able to find the right coat in John Lewis or Selfridges.

Burberry.

I like reiss coats

Not as expensive as Maxmara but you can find classic style coats at Jaeger. Although saying that I have a 15 year old Maxmara coat which still looks good today.

Reiss and ted baker have nice classic camel coats bit cheaper but lovely quality

I just bought a beautiful black 100% camel cost from Max Mara in bicester for £500 a week ago. It is a stunning coat I'm so pleased with it. Worth double that. I have previously bought similarly lovely coats in Nicole Farhi and Cerrutti (harrods).

The Lk Bennett/reiss etc recommendations are nowhere near the same quality of fabric and no better than eg jigsaw.

Re luxe parkas - Canada goose is great, I got a fab one from kenzo last year. Have a look at neta porter for other ideas.

Go for the Max Mara. You'll smile every time your arm goes into the sleeve.

Hobbs? As an equivalent to Max Mara? Really??

Reiss, Jaeger and Burberry all worth looking at though, thanks. And I'll try and get to the outlet shops at Bicester, that is a good idea. Was planning to look at Joseph/Jil Sander/ Isabel Marant etc.

Just can't decide between classic wool coat or luxe parka thingummy, I feel like I would get a lot of use from both types...

I was the one who mentioned Hobbs, mainly because I got a lovely full-length camel coat from there a couple of years ago, which is cosy and warm, but also very classic and easy to wear.

It was a bit cheaper than your budget (around £250 I think), but I'm honestly far more impressed with the way it's worn so far - it still looks new - than the only Max Mara coat I've ever owned, which looked like an old sack after one season!

Can i ask...is a Maxmara coat in your honest opinion really that good? What makes it different?
Im curious because i had a beautiful hobbs coat. Cost me £350. Looked stunning and was featured in mags like cosmopolitan. In all fairness it had a gorgeous lining...beautiful wool..colour a deep rich red..OMG it was to die for...until it caught on things. It was so very annoying. Thick but not heavy.
Quite honestly apart from the pilling on it, i find it hard to think how another coat could be better.

mmme so just took a look at the canada goose parka and it looks remarkably like my diriksons parka...Admitedly mine doesn't have goose down in but it is really warm (I am a coldy arse). I've only ever needed to use down when doing a night shoot in the Alps so I don't think its that necessary for the UK? They are great coats super warm and totaly waterproof.
They don't sell mine anymore but there are a few other very similar ones
here and
here

Not sure of UK stockists for this seasons coats but l bet you could find them...You could buy a didrikson AND a lovely wool camel coat for your budget

Paul Smith has beautiful coats that really last well. The fabrics are fab. I have two - one that is a mid-calf length & the other is reefer style. Each have gorgeous linings & detailing & can be dressed up or down.

I also own a MaxMara coat - oversized, slouchy in a slate grey cashmere blend. It is very warm and altho I rarely wear it now, it had at least 6 seasons worth of wear. It's now 15 years old & pretty timeless. In fact, tempted to pull it out for this season to wear with skinny trousers/jeans & slouchy knit.

I think some people are talking at cross purposes. When I talk about a camel coat I mean the fabric, not the colour. My Max Mara coat is 100% camel hair. It is not camel coloured, it is black. The quality of that sort of beautiful fabric is something thing you just can't replicate in a wool coat, whether high street or not. A £250 wool coat from reiss, jigsaw, hobbs etc is only ever going to be as good as it can be for that sort of fabric at that sort of price. To get something really special you need to pay for better fabric - camel hair, or a really fine merino and cashmere, something like that. That's what the specialist italian brands have that the high street doesn't have.

I don't like "classic" coats for myself as I don't have a lifestyle that warrants one but when I worked in a corporate environment I had a MaxMara camel coat and loved it. They go with everything and look amazing on tall blondes.

I wait until after Christmas and head to the sales in London
All the old school department stores have a decent high end coat sale.
My advice is wait until then. You may be able to buy a £1k coat for £500
From experience:
Research who stocks what
Decide what you can afford and don't go above it...
Try before sale season
Make sure it fits on the shoulders
Don't buy to diet into

Jaeger, Gerard Darel? probably a similar pricepoint to Max mara

Hobbs coats are as good as Reiss in my opinion - and a little roomier too which is always a good thing. I'm a size 10 in Hobbs and a large in Reiss . Not sure though how that compares to MaxMara though as not prepared to pay in that price range - I always get fed up of any coat after a few seasons anyway.

I'd go for classic over parka any day. I've just bought a north face arctic parka in navy for 250 quid and it is lush. Save your 500 quid for a maxmara

I bought a cream maxmara coat about 8 years ago -cost £650. very dressy so only for special occasions but feel absolutely fab every time I wear it and way better than hobbs or jigsaw

Fabulous advice, thank you... so many in agreement that a (frankly hideous) amount of money can be worth it for the right coat. 'Investment dressing' is usually bollocks IMHO but coats are an exception (thankyou mipmop and nooddsocks

Based on what everyone says I'm definitely going to go for a Naice Coat (tbh I was thinking camel coloured, not necessarily camel hair as cashmere or merino can be just as good - thanks celestialsquirrels for pointing out the difference. Max Mara is so synonymous with the colour)

The luxe parka thingummybob can be got for a lot less - thanks hettie and others. Have researched Canada Goose a bit more and I think I'd boil in them! .

Righto. Off to MM - with a side trip to Paul Smith who I have always LOVED (thanks Ujjayi for suggesting that) to look for The Coat

apologies for all the thank you's. Didn't mean to turn it into a bad Oscar acceptance speech but there were so many people who 'got' what I was after, v grateful mwah mwah etc

Parka wise, Woolrich are the best in the game. I have black and navy. Go for the men's range, I'm a UK 6, 5 foot 7 and wear a men's small.

Classic coat, I'd look at Christophe Lemaire, out going designer at Hermes and still not über expensive. Lovely man too. Also another interesting brand, not pricey yet, is Emerson Fry. Joseph 'man' coat in the various colours is good (check on mywardrobe, they're going down the Swanee so big reductions at the mo).

Charlie May is a young Brit designer with some interesting oversize wool coats this season. Ganni also has some wrap shaped coats at a good price point.

TexanKenDoll - busily taking notes. Lemaire... Fry...Charlie May... this shit is GOLD thank you. Any of them you would recommend for the fuller chested woman? I'm not fat but I have norks. Cos and Zara and many others are just a waste of my time, they don't fit and make me feel bad about my perfectly nice body.