The other day a friend of mine said to me that this time of year – Autumn in New York – is her favorite time of year, because she could finally layer again. I agreed with her, yet I dread the idea of having winter on my doorstep. I mean, I love layer too, but New York winters can be terribly cold, and I find it hard to step out in anything else that a “sleeping bag” aka a puffer coat that won’t even leave my ankles out to freeze… And in those spirits I started my research on “the perfect winter-proof coats” that are not only functional, but also absolute must-haves this season!
What I found is that there are three types of coats that are “in” right now: The long teddy, the printed statement coat, and the oversized shearling. Not listed in order of preference, because truth is, I love all three of them, and here’s why…
The long teddy gives me the ultimate cuddly and warm feeling, all day long. It’s literally as if I’m snuggling up next to my childhood teddy – that I still love dearly – and the level of comfort that comes with that goes further than the functionality of any coat I’ve ever worn. I throw it on top of everything, I belt it, I drape it, because no matter what I do, it’s warm and looks damn good. For this shoot I wore a shearling from Yves Salomon’s winter collection, which came with a certain level of sophistication, hence the less casual approach of wearing it. As I said, I would usually throw a coat like this on top of anything, but inspired by this season’s runway looks – sleek hair, statement earrings, and simple oversized cuts – I created a modern 20s winter look. Needless to say, when it gets really cold, a fine knitted turtleneck underneath is essential.
Yves Salomon coat | Roxanne Assoulin earrings | Tibi leggings | Balenciaga boots.
Winter is already cold, and dark enough at times, so the last thing we need is dress accordingly. I propose we do the opposite, and embrace colour, prints, and textures. You’ve seen me wearing lots of color recently, and I’m not afraid to wear prints these days either, so an ultra-long printed coat like the one I’m wearing, is definitely one I would love to have in my winter-wardrobe. The way I’ve styled it – long layers and mixing of fabrics – is to me the only way to do it. Don’t feel you need to go all black when you wear a coat like this, because a statement coat doesn’t need to be “the center of attention”; it already is. It’s the doorway to the ultimate mix of prints, which can be a tricky job, but when done well, it’s so so good!
Yves Salomon coat | Celine dress (similar one here) | New Balance sneakers | Celine bag | Ellery scarf around bag handle.
Lastly, the everyday-coat that is everything but casual, boring, or dull. Inspired by early day aviation, this Yves Salomon patent shearling coat is this season #1 must-have. Runways have been dominated by mixing super elegant feminine looks, with the odd, the oversized, and the masculine. Needless to say, I live for this, and with the days are getting chillier, the short shearling makes for the perfect transition-pieces this Fall. I wore it casually on the shoulders, but when it gets really cold, I would put the collars up, wrap a scarf the length of my body around it, and brave any temperature drop with a smile.
Yves Salomon coat | Mulberry top (similar one here) | Zara skirt (get similar here) | Balenciaga boots.
This post was created in collaboration with Yves Salomon, styling by me, and photography by Jeff Thibodeau
