Winter coats are a bit like paint: for best results you have to think about the right colours and textures for the perfect finish. This season, sloping shoulders, mannish looks and oversize silhouettes may set the current tone, but don’t always work for everyone, and if worn with the current vogue for wide-leg trousers, can look overwhelming and cumbersome.
There is more structure and shape in the square shoulder, often emboldened with epaulettes, which explains the enduring appeal of trench coats that are everywhere this season. After lockdown and puffer, quilted or faux-fur staples, the choice is wide for those looking for something a little more modish and metropolitan as a cover-up for the chilly season.
[ The fall and rise of Donegal tweed ]
Those prepared to steer away from the comfort of black, despite the recent stylish funereal use of it in London, might try top-to-toe colour for the first time. Bright blue, green, khaki or even Valentino pink for the adventurous can enliven the spirit if not the complexion, and look dashing and youthful on a grey day.
Given that tweed is the subject of the fashion feature this week, we’ve selected a few Irish tweed coats to style in different ways, plus a cheaper herringbone tweed coat from Zara.
