Andrea's Favorite Things #4: Coats!
So, I have kind of a coat addiction. I love coats. Which worked out really well when I lived in Chicago and had to wear a coat every day for like 9 months, but doesn't work out so well now that I live in Texas. I have spent way too much money on adorable coats over the years. For those of you that live in places where it actually gets below 50F, here's what I suggest.
You need three coats. Yes! I know it seems like a lot. But if you get the right three coats, you will be wearing them for many many falls and winters, you will always look stylish, cute, and professional, and they will last a very long time.
Coat #1 - the Fall Coat:
This coat goes for $79.99 at Burlington Coat Factory, which is a great place to find designer coats at warehouse prices. Also, they have an excellent after-Christmas sale. This coat is great for fall. It's light-weight and you can wear it during the rainy season. It's knee-length so it will look nice with dresses, skirts, or pants. I have a coat a lot like this that I got on sale from H&M a few years ago. It's double-breasted, though, which I don't actually like, but it has a sassy tie-belt that I really enjoy.
Anything like this will do you for fall. Keeping it simple and classic means the coat can be worn for several years without looking dated. Black is always a good color because it doesn't show dirt as much and matches most everything. If you have a lot of brown in your wardrobe, however, I suggest getting a red coat. Bright and cheery and matches black OR brown.
Coat #2: the mid-thigh pea coat
This Anne Klein wool pea coat goes for $129.99 at Overstock.com. I have a coat very similar, but it's red. And I got it for $80 on Overstock during an after-Christmas sale. I love this coat. I have had it for about 4 years now and it still looks gorgeous and fun. I have to get it dry cleaned at the beginning of the season, but it's a great coat. It's medium-weight, yet very warm. The important thing to remember when buying a pea coat for winter is to make sure it covers your ass. I have spent many a cold day in Chicago waiting for the bus to come, literally freezing my ass off because I decided to wear a ski jacket that day.
A lot of pea coats will be waist-length, and you might be tempted by them because they look cute and are slightly cheaper than the longer, thigh or knee-length coats. Don't give in to this temptation! Remember that if you're a professional, you'll want a coat that looks professional AND keeps you warm. Waist-length coats look silly with dresses or skirts, and you'll be freezing. You also might be tempted by those huge, puffy, down-filled coats. They might keep you slightly warmer than a wool coat, but wool really is very warm, and more importantly, mobile. I used to have one of those big puffy coats and I couldn't do ANYTHING in it except waddle around. For an every day coat, I highly recommend this kind of coat. I *heart* mine a lot!
Coat #3: the full-length fancy coat
Something like this ridiculously adorable pink coat from Victoria's Secret that goes for $99 would be perfect. Mine is actually even longer (it comes to about mid-calf) and is very very warm and heavy. Mine also has an awesome hood lined in velvet and I got it at Burlington for $180 on sale. These coats are good for when it's really really cold outside but you still need to look nice and sophisticated.
Now that I'm done preaching about the coats you NEED, let's look at the coats I want.
*drools* Unfortunately this is $149 ON SALE, and I can't afford it right now. However! If you wanted to invest in an adorable, high-quality coat, this would be a good one. Victoria's Secret has a lot of cute coats for some reason.
*grabby hands* Another Victoria's Secret coat. Completely useless if you mostly wear pants (like me), but how fucking adorable is that? I WANT IT.
Delia's always has super cute coats. Here are just a few that I want from them:
Sigh. If only I had some money.
Also, I want every coat at Anthropologie but they are expensive and I can't have them. *sadface* But I mean, come on:
PRECIOUSSSSSS.
Ahem. Anyway. I should stop looking at coats now. I told you, I am an addict. I live in Texas! I don't need coats! I should mention I also have a WAC coat from when my great aunt was a nurse during WW2, and I have a red wool nursing cape that was my grandmothers and is awesome.
I also have this cape:
That I bought in high school from a resale shop in Ann Arbor. Um, I used to be a lot prettier, and clearly Rob thought so, too. Heh.
You need three coats. Yes! I know it seems like a lot. But if you get the right three coats, you will be wearing them for many many falls and winters, you will always look stylish, cute, and professional, and they will last a very long time.
Coat #1 - the Fall Coat:
This coat goes for $79.99 at Burlington Coat Factory, which is a great place to find designer coats at warehouse prices. Also, they have an excellent after-Christmas sale. This coat is great for fall. It's light-weight and you can wear it during the rainy season. It's knee-length so it will look nice with dresses, skirts, or pants. I have a coat a lot like this that I got on sale from H&M a few years ago. It's double-breasted, though, which I don't actually like, but it has a sassy tie-belt that I really enjoy.
Anything like this will do you for fall. Keeping it simple and classic means the coat can be worn for several years without looking dated. Black is always a good color because it doesn't show dirt as much and matches most everything. If you have a lot of brown in your wardrobe, however, I suggest getting a red coat. Bright and cheery and matches black OR brown.
Coat #2: the mid-thigh pea coat
This Anne Klein wool pea coat goes for $129.99 at Overstock.com. I have a coat very similar, but it's red. And I got it for $80 on Overstock during an after-Christmas sale. I love this coat. I have had it for about 4 years now and it still looks gorgeous and fun. I have to get it dry cleaned at the beginning of the season, but it's a great coat. It's medium-weight, yet very warm. The important thing to remember when buying a pea coat for winter is to make sure it covers your ass. I have spent many a cold day in Chicago waiting for the bus to come, literally freezing my ass off because I decided to wear a ski jacket that day.
A lot of pea coats will be waist-length, and you might be tempted by them because they look cute and are slightly cheaper than the longer, thigh or knee-length coats. Don't give in to this temptation! Remember that if you're a professional, you'll want a coat that looks professional AND keeps you warm. Waist-length coats look silly with dresses or skirts, and you'll be freezing. You also might be tempted by those huge, puffy, down-filled coats. They might keep you slightly warmer than a wool coat, but wool really is very warm, and more importantly, mobile. I used to have one of those big puffy coats and I couldn't do ANYTHING in it except waddle around. For an every day coat, I highly recommend this kind of coat. I *heart* mine a lot!
Coat #3: the full-length fancy coat
Something like this ridiculously adorable pink coat from Victoria's Secret that goes for $99 would be perfect. Mine is actually even longer (it comes to about mid-calf) and is very very warm and heavy. Mine also has an awesome hood lined in velvet and I got it at Burlington for $180 on sale. These coats are good for when it's really really cold outside but you still need to look nice and sophisticated.
Now that I'm done preaching about the coats you NEED, let's look at the coats I want.
*drools* Unfortunately this is $149 ON SALE, and I can't afford it right now. However! If you wanted to invest in an adorable, high-quality coat, this would be a good one. Victoria's Secret has a lot of cute coats for some reason.
*grabby hands* Another Victoria's Secret coat. Completely useless if you mostly wear pants (like me), but how fucking adorable is that? I WANT IT.
Delia's always has super cute coats. Here are just a few that I want from them:
Sigh. If only I had some money.
Also, I want every coat at Anthropologie but they are expensive and I can't have them. *sadface* But I mean, come on:
PRECIOUSSSSSS.
Ahem. Anyway. I should stop looking at coats now. I told you, I am an addict. I live in Texas! I don't need coats! I should mention I also have a WAC coat from when my great aunt was a nurse during WW2, and I have a red wool nursing cape that was my grandmothers and is awesome.
I also have this cape:
That I bought in high school from a resale shop in Ann Arbor. Um, I used to be a lot prettier, and clearly Rob thought so, too. Heh.