Sensible Winter Coats: Wool Coats Under £110 – Part 1

Sadly, the time for stylish coats is long gone. With winter almost here, now is the time for a solid, thick, trustworthy coat that has one aim – to keep you warm. And just as expected, stylish and warm don’t seem to go together. Its time for some sensible winter coats.

Although I did find some workable options – like the Topshop coat I bought which I mentioned in my Winterwear Shopping Bag post, there aren’t that many stylish cheap warm coats out there. Personally, I was also limited by my sizing issues which is not something everyone has to worry about. So I decided to put my extensive research (or online window shopping) to some good use and put together a list of workable, sensible winter coats.

Lets start with a bang – the bright colours and then move to the neutrals and workwear. In the second part of the post I will cover some other categories – pastels, prints and patterns and so on. (I am sorry if you ended up seeing the Part 2 of this post which I published by mistake. I would recommend ignoring it and starting with this post. The second part will be up in a few days with some changes). Also, the notes at the end of this post will explain why and how I chose these coats.

Brights

Real winter coats in bright colours are not an easy find. But I was very happy with my favourite brand, H&M’s contribution to the bright winter coat collection – this red one is lovely!

This is definitely my favourite coat on this list – main reason being its colour. I would have loved to get this coat for myself – H&M needs to start making more sizes.

The other one from H&M is this purple one. Its not my favourite colour but with 85% wool and 15% alpaca, its sure to keep you warm as toast.

I quite liked this lovely River Island ‘Dark Pink Oversized Coat’. Again, I am not a fan of the slightly pinkish colour, but then I imagine it with lipstick in the same shade and it seems perfect for winter.

There is also a bright Topshop one currently selling on ebay – 80% wool.

This blue Mango one is a lovely colour but could still work for office.

Camels

Now for the neutrals. This ASOS Kimono one is lighter in colour than the basic camel but looks very cosy.

This camel one is probably the perfect long camel coat everyone is wearing nowadays. Its great if you are tall but if, like me, you are shorter, I would recommend one which is slightly shorter – just hitting the knee.

I was actually not quite sure of this camel one from Zara, the Studio Knit Kimono. It didn’t appear to be sensible winter coat. It wasn’t fitted so may not work as good protection against the cold (also, point 5 above – lucky I didn’t end up banning kimonos). But I realise, at the same time, it is an easy layering piece – it will be comfortable enough to wear with a fairly thick jumper underneath it. And its 100% wool.

Other Neutrals – black, white and grey

Zara also has some other ones in neutral colours. The black coat – 75% wool, grey one – 72% wool and the white one – 61% wool.

Personally, out of these three, I would prefer the grey one – its just looks more snug and comfortable and of course, has a hood.

(Also, I am not exactly sure what Zara means by ‘Cape with Sleeves’ since I thought the whole point of a cape was to not have sleeves. I have included this ‘Cape with Sleeves’ since in my book, a cape with sleeve is, well, a coat.)

Short coats

I can’t make up my mind about this Topshop coat – whether its ugly or not. (You might tell me to read point no. 2 below when I mention this coat being ugly. But I am not averse to ugly clothes. Hear me out – ugly is still interesting. Dull, boring, frumpy is what I am against – clothing that have no substance, ones that you wouldn’t even glance at to comment that its ugly.) I am not too fond of pea coats anyway but this did look very comfortable.

This New Look coat with 75% wool is a great colour, at a great price and so is this Faux Shearling-Lined Duffel Coat (77% wool) for £55. Its not going to get better than this.

The next part will cover furs, textures, pastels, prints and other fun stuff. The post should be up in a day or two.

If you liked any of these coats or bought any of them, I would love to know if you would recommend it. Or if you are looking for a particular type of winter coat, let me know. I have probably hunted for it already and if its not already added, could add it to the second part of this post.

Notes: (unfortunately, the lawyer in me requires disclaimers in all writing).

1. By workable I also mean somewhat accessible – all the coats mentioned here are around £100, the most expensive one being £110 (online price but assume its the same price in the store).
2. These are not the most stylish coats around – you want style? Check here. You want coats to keep you warm? Read on. (However, the coats on this list are not in any way frumpy or boring. Just that they might not be all out glam).
3. All the coats here are atleast 60% wool (as mentioned in the tag or on the website). If they are less than 60% wool, they have mohair or other material which together make up at least 60%.
4. I have not reviewed any of these coats. This means I have not worn or used these coats and in some cases have not even physically seen them in a store.
5. Vests, sleeveless coats, capes and other ridiculous items of clothing have not made this list – even if they are made of wool. Don’t misunderstand me – I would love to own all of the above – a soft faux fur vest, sleeveless coat in a lovely camel, an outrageous cape. But then I ask myself – how likely am I to choose to wear these items over my good old fashioned solid winter coat when leaving the house (and heater) in the middle of December? Unless I am nodding to myself vehemently and saying ‘absolutely’, the item doesn’t make this list.
6. I have tried to bring some variety brand-wise. But as you may have guessed, high street brands at the price range we are looking at, making coats with real wool aren’t many. I have looked at a lot more brands than those featured here but have had to omit some which do not give detailed information on the material of the clothing. I find this really annoying – I need exact percentages. I always check the material before purchasing something. Especially when its something like a coat, when I won’t pay too much if its not real wool. But even in other cases, I will not pay too much for a synthetic top but might pay more for the same one if its silk or cotton or other natural material. I am always suspicious of brands that do not provide this information. Tip: please make sure you check the material for the shell as well as lining when buying coats – both are important and atleast one should be made of some substantial amount of wool.
7. There are many coats I have skipped. These were either similar to the ones already on this list. I chose the one on the list either because it was cheaper or warmer.

Images used on this post belong to and are from the websites to which links have been provided.

– Anisha.