HERE is what I expect from a coat. Protection from the rain (not just light showers). Protection from the cold (not just a layer that will help roughly as much as a jacket). Protection from the rain and cold to knee level or beyond (not just mid-bottom, leaving my legs to brave the elements while the rest of me toasts).
I want a coat that is coat enough to allow me to stand on a cliff in a gale in November and a coat with style. (I may want to be warm and dry but I badly don’t want to become yet another navy blue padded blob with blonde highlights and no other distinguishing features).
And I want a hood. Once you’ve had a hood you can’t go back. You’re properly shielded with a hood, in a way you aren’t with a hat, and your home blow-dry won’t be instantly flattened.
So it’s surprising that it isn’t that easy to find a good all-round coat, let alone one with a hood. A fat teddy bear style is hardly waterproof; a nice trench is not so warm; a neat Crombie style doesn’t have the necessary winter padding.
They all have their advantages, but don’t tick all the boxes, and none of them has a hood. And a hood, for me, is the only non-negotiable.
There are other coats I love, but the one with the hood is the one I know I’m wearing. Having that in mind makes riffling through the coat rail a lot easier.
Admittedly parkas are no longer the first word in fashion, but they never go out of style and they do give good hood.
If you are fixed on a classic parka-style coat — zip-up, with a faux fur trimmed hood (and who can blame you) — my advice is step away from the faded navy and give yourself a smart upgrade in black from Zara (£89.99 zara.com).
Unlike a lot of fashion parkas, this one is guaranteed waterproof (always check first).
Otherwise Parka London does a Stormont parka (£385 irisfashion.co.uk) in military green lined in retro orange that’s a deadringer for the Woolrich classic as well as being a gear change.
And John Lewis has done a cleaned-up modern parka with no fur trim (just half fur-lined), and a hidden zip closure in a bright olive green khaki (£119 johnlewis.com) that looks fresh and different.
If you want to just go for a coat designed for walking the dog in the wet that’s also good-looking and affordable, then Seasalt Cornwall is a good place to look.
It has several styles, all made out of tincloth, a cotton-rich oilskin-inspired fabric. My favourite is the half-fleece-lined parka style Plant Hunter Coat (£150 seasaltcornwall.co.uk) which comes in eight colours – midnight being the one you’ll end up getting.
The other practical, but occasionally dull coat that we’re all wedded to is the puffer. If that’s in your comfort zone and you’re happy to stay there, then head to Cos for the long (mid-calf), hooded black puffer (£180 cosstores.com) just fractionally chicer than the one you have hanging in the hall.
Otherwise Uniqlo does a seamless down hooded coat that finishes on the knee and comes in olive, light grey, navy and black (£159.90 uniqlo.com). The more ‘fashionable’ choice right now is a coat that looks like a quilted Husky jacket from the 80s, only longer with a thermal filling and detachable hood.
Zara’s chocolate-coloured wind-and-waterproof version (£89.99 zara.com) has a high stand-up collar. If you can banish thoughts of the queen out riding (I can’t quite), then this is a good option.
Not so waterproof, but quite smart and eco-conscious (it’s made from recycled plastic), is Zara’s belted wrap coat with a big hood (£49.99) in beige, burgundy or black. Mango does something similar but zip-up with a furry trim hood in grey (£89.99 mango.com).
There is an alternative – a cool layering tip favoured by models, actresses and fashion editors – and that is the hooded gilet or sleeveless puffer worn under a waterproof coat. Me+Em has the super-deluxe version in shearling (£699) but cashmere will do the trick nicely (£199, both menandem.com). Or Mango has a detachable hooded quilted gilet (£35.99).
HOODED WINTER COAT TIPS
:: Hoods go with everything this autumn.
:: Quilted is the new puffer.
:: Always check a coat is guaranteed waterproof.
:: Try layering a hooded gilet under a coat.
:: Skip the faux fur trim.
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