How many coats/jackets and what sort?

[CoastalGrey]

I have way too many but still never seem to have the right one for the right occasion and my life isn’t particularly smart or exciting! I go to work (very casual with the occasional smart meeting) and in my spare time I like walking, pottering round nice shops, seeing friends for coffee or dinner - nothing that should require so much effort deciding what to wear! I’d like to get it down to a handful of fairly decent ones, currently I have:

Smartish black coat but it was cheap and it shows
Long dry robe style quilted coat (no hood)
Duffel coat
Black raincoat
Khaki padded raincoat - nice but quite old
Black pac a mac
Green lightweight raincoat
Short padded jacket, very cosy but a bit bulky
Light quilted jacket - really versatile but now quite scruffy
Faux leather and suede bikers
Grey bomber jacket
Short black trench - lovely but too tight
Faux leather and suede aviator jacket
Various fleeces, shackets and gilets

If you had to limit your coats/jackets to say 5, what sort would you pick and from where?

I have LOADS of coats & jackets! They're a real weakness of mine & i honestly don't think you can ever have enough.

Off the top of my head i have:

wool coats:
Long burgundy wrap / belted, Jigsaw
Long fitted black, ba&sh
Cream long cocoon shape, Maje
Black & white knee length, Whistles
Sage green knee length, Whistles
Heritage plaid wool, m&s
Navy cashmere, Sandro
Patterned pea coat, ba&sh

Other coats:
Cream classic raincoat, M&S
Navy duckdown short puffa, COS
Sage green shacket, Whistles
Quilted jacket, ba&sh
Velvet embroidered bomber, Sezane
Patterned evening bomber, ba&sh
Shearling (faux), ba&sh
embellished bomber, essentiel antwerp
Evening coat, italian boutique
Evening kimono style, italian boutique
Full waterproof rain jacket, helle hanson
V old parka, whistles

I also have about 10 blazers including plain, embellished, floral etc

Most of my coats are several years old. I look after them & love them. For me they 'make' an outfit & are one of my favourite things to buy (pretty much always in sales).

@Thewonderfuleveryday i must admit to being tempted 😈

Burgundy long wool coat
Black long wool coat(lighter than above)
Taupe tweed jacket
Black wool shorter coat
Denim jacket
Cream linen blazer
velvet blazer
Green parker
Lightweight grey short raincoat
Trench
Longer light raincoat
Aviation style jacket

I want some sort of leather biker or bomber jacket and a small puffa thats not bulky

Oh my goodness I have loads. To be fair I feel the cold terribly so my standard winter work outfit will consist of a thermal camisole, thick thermal long sleeved top, jumper/dress and jacket.

The coats that get the most wear are a full length heavy wool coat that I bought from Next about 8 years ago, I get random strangers telling me how lovely it is, I also have a green khaki waterproof parka with a hood, a Boden boiled wool dark grey coat that is my serious coat (funerals etc), a Rab hiking insulated jacket and a Jack Wolfskin waterproof.

Jacket wise I have 2 jersey Whistles jackets that I have worn a lot, 3 identical Zara biker jackets in navy, black and green, a black Whistles boucle jacket and a red Next blazer that I don't wear as often. I also have a black faux fur bomber jacket that is very warm so perfect to slip on over a party or dressed up outfit.

There are more that I should probably get rid of. Mind you I would rather like a tan or camel jacket for work..

I also live in this area and have recently started to see people in dry robes. And yes. They do look daft 🤣

I don’t know whether you meant ‘snug’ but as I will be jealous of you when I’m fighting with a brolly, smug and cosy also sounds fair!

Reminds me, I looked at the MN favourite Seasalt Janelle the other week (in the sale for £60 in our local branch) and thought I liked it as a replacement for my useless thin ugly waterproof. Mr Scarlet said it looked like a dry robe. He was wrong because it was quite nicely fitted, but the weird green colour was the problem. If it had been black or navy I would have snapped it up, but those colours weren’t in the sale even online.

As someone who lost 3 stones in 2024, had a tendency to buy clothes rather than outfits I started using a digital app and Freeform to get organised and more pulled together. I could finally see what I had and it was lots blue and grey. I am a Soft Summer according to ChatGPT so it makes sense. I have 21 which sounds a lot but I have worn every jacket/coat in the last year. Here they are:

• Uniqlo off white puffer and 2 gilets in white and grey
• Jaeger Light Grey Wool Bomber
• Jaeger Wool Suit Jacket
• Tweed Jacket from Vinted
• Part Two Tweed Jacket from Vinted
• Stitch Fix Taupe Utility Jacket
• Next Denim Jacket
• Hobbs Black Jacket
• Seasalt Light Blue Waterproof
• Boden Cobalt Mohair Knee Length Coat from Vinted
• Hobbs Wool Burgundy Belted Knee Length Coat with detachable fur collar
• Misoni and Mason Wool Taupe Belted Knee Length Coat from TK Maxx with detachable fur collar
• Hobbs Olive Belted Longer Trench - Not sure about this
• Seasalt Janelle Navy Coat
• Hobbs Wool Navy Boyfriend Coat
• Marella Wool Navy Windowpane Unlined Long Coat
• Jaeger Wool Navy Long Coat
• Brora Wool Black, Green, Purple Check Coat

Collage attached.

@SoScarletItWas Has the Planet coat got rectangular 'press stud' fasteners?

My long wool Planet coat? No, buttons. Hidden ones inside the placket which are a bit of a pain to do up and then a belt over.

One for cold not wet (faux suede and cosy fur lined)

One for wet not cold (very lightweight puffer type thing)

One for wet and cold (Parka from Hollister)

Couple of spring jackets, can keep on indoors like denim jacket, fabric/suedey grey biker jacket

I have an old long sea salt plantar coat which was great for really wet weather but it's a bit big now,

Oh and some smarter wool/felt type ones but don't seem to wear them much at all these days

Given your activities I’d focus on having one (long) stylish coat in a neutral colour (whichever will work with your work clothes and most of your clothes that you might wear going to posh restaurants /cafes).
One long, warm, waterproof winter coat with a hood and pockets, large enough to wear layers underneath, in a neutral colour.
One thinner coat, again in a neutral colour, preferably not black or navy, as you want to be able to wear this in the summer if it’s very chilly (but I would aim to make it my autumn coat). If this is a peacock style coat you can use it for stylish events as well as for pottering about.

You need to get the basics right first. Focus on a coat which you can wear with EVERY outfit you wear regularly.
A leopard print coat will not work with every outfit.

Challenge accepted 🤣🤣

I have your problem. Too many but I need a warm one, a short one, a long one, a hood one, a waterproof one... And you just can't combine them all! Currently have

Sleeping bag style
Long black hooded puffer
Knee length thin hooded puffer
Short puffer biker style - my favourite for going out but has no hood
Short thin puffer rain jacket with hood

And because I know I don't need any more, I've just bought a short teddy fleece style in the H&M sale.

Different one to mine. I've had it 25 years and I'm certain the weather wasn't as wet then.

One long dark brown smart wool coat for work etc.
One warm waxed coat for winter dog walks etc
One foldable proper waterproof for more substantial walks
One standard Barbour

I also have a gilet, a few blazers, leather jacket, but I don’t think of these as coats.

I could do with a lightweight smart coat for spring and autumn eg trench, if I can ever find one that doesn’t look like a dressing gown on me.

I have far too many; bar the Max Mara and puffers, all are vintage/second hand, and some are Vinted bargains. I really need to stop!

Max Mara classic cashmere/wool; DH bought from MM in Rome 20yrs ago! Quality will out.
Leopard man's coat from ASOS for £30. Doesn't do up due to boobage, so more for spring/autumn or with a big scarf. Does have huge pockets plus inside pocket; no handbag required. Why don't women's coat have these? Bought from a DoesMyBum recco in the days when she used to do these very useful blog posts.
French 1960s leopard rain trench, bought in Paris. Very chic for spring/autumn.
1980s London Fog rain trench w detachable wool lining; vintage store Paris.
Lime-green boiled wool coat from Scoop preloaded. Not necessary, but warm, fun and goes great with pink!
Vintage reversible Weatherall boiled wool coat. €13 from Vinted, and the one I wear most.
Reversible black/camel duster trench from a French market.
Vintage Zara faux leather coat with a ridiculous yellow fake fur trim. Unnecessary but fun for evenings!
Mohair/wool checked car coat/jacket; great w jeans when spring comes. My latest €15 Vinted find!

Also have a few jackets/blazers that I wear in spring. Plus a few puffers/ski jacket of varying lengths for running to shops in.

I have too many coats. I buy them off vinted so they don’t cost that much but I like to have different coats for different outfits or for what I need it for ie rain, warmth, going out etc.
My coat covers my outfit so I like it to look nice

To answer OP original question, if I had to limit to 5, they would be:

Max Mara classic cashmere. Boring but essential.
Men's leopard coat.
Weatherall reversible coat
Vintage 80s rain trench
Lime green fun wool coat

I am imagining a Coat Club meet up where we all look amazing in our perfectly suited outerwear 🥰 You are my people.

i have a confession.

yesterday I bought a new coat.

a Burberry trench!