Investment Outerwear
With the onset of winter, I am always telling myself the same thing—find a stylish, warm, and high-quality winter coat. It’s got to last me for years and I must know that it will go with all my winter outfits. Perfect for camouflaging sloppy sweats when running to the grocery store and impeccable for over-dressed matinees.
It sounds a bit too ambitious for just one coat, doesn’t it? Yet, I know I’m not the only one who seeks the ideal investment overcoat and hopes to cover all their bases. We talk about investment outerwear because it’s a garment that we’re willing to spend a little more on, with the expectation that it will last us for a long time, remain in fashion, and work with most of our wardrobe. But there’s more to it than picking a nice coat—a quality number doesn’t replace the care and attention required for life-long upkeep, and alternating coats allows for better maintenance. Fashion has an affinity for the expression investment when referring to “lifelong pieces,” and be it a coat or a handbag, it ought to be followed with the caveat: when properly cared for.
Pick your investment coats according to your lifestyle—perhaps something with functionality at its core (like a puffer) or classic wool tailoring for sharp dressing. Or, maybe throw in a statement coat if that’s who you are. Don’t be afraid of color or print—stay true to what you like!
Our favorites, below.