Very warm but smart coat?

[HistoryMad]

Hi, I am looking for a very warm but smart looking coat, and I'm finding it difficult to fine one.

I currently have a puffer coat similar to this but I'd like one that is just as warm but more flattering? I am a size 10-12. I have small waist line, and a large bottom, so something that comes in at the waist tends to look more flattering.

I like the uniqlo gillet idea. Will get that with a smart wool/cashmere coat

I do the superlightweight down jacket under smart raincoat thing (but mine's a £15 Primark one - it's great!)

Willy hat. The mind boggles....

A lot of wool blend coats that still cost a lot on the high street barely have any wool in them. They'll be 20-40% wool, with the rest being synthetic. For warmth, a smart coat is one of the few things where the more you spend the better. I've just bought a Burberry from Bicester which is fantastically warm because it's 75% wool, 5% cashmere. Hobbs or LK Bennett are doing money off theirs and they are also 75% wool.

PNGirl my superwarm felted wool coat is 100% wool (Boden, about 8 years old). Uniqlo have wool/cashmere coats that look gorgeous. Not that I should be telling you lot because I haven't got round to buying myself one yet!

"I like the uniqlo gillet idea. Will get that with a smart wool/cashmere coat"

A gilet doesn't have sleeves so that would leave your arms cold.

My light down coat is actually a Lands End one (although I know lots of people use Uniqlo which is why I mentioned that brand) and it fits under my wool coat no problem.

Wool coat is an Lk Bennett size 8, and quite fitted, but I can put it on over the down coat easily enough and I don't feel like "a stuffed duck" as DM would say.

You could also get a very thin down coat e.g. Uniqlo ultra-light down, and wear under your wool coat on really cold days. I do this if I want to be warm but look smart-ish.

Came in to suggest this. It's what TV news correspondents do if they need to wear a formal coat for an outside broadcast in perishing cold.

@PNGirl how much was your Burberry one out of interest? I've got my eye on one from ted baker.

@zazathecat I might just steal your Primark idea. I will need a very fitted one though

I have a smart Barbour coat, not waxed, that is very warm indeed. I originally bought it for walks and the school run but now I also wear it for work and have had comments that it is smart in that context. It is called Outlaw waterproof jacket.

Have you looked at Didriksons? Some of them are toasty warm and mine is also waterproof - in fact I think it’s bascially bombproof. I bloody love it. I wouldn’t say it’s super smart (it’s the Taylor parka) but it’s all relative, and it depends what your specific priorities are. It’s a very tricky science, coat shopping!

I do have a lovely wool (80% I think) Jigsaw coat that I’m very fond of - v smart and v warm, but I guess I always wear it with a scarf and gloves.