I need a new coat

Winter drawing near and the fact that I simply live in England means I need to invest in a new coat. My old staple one was a charcoal grey military coat from River Island and did me a good service for 4-5 years and as much as I adore my faux fur coat (also River Island), I need a practical everyday investment.

Here are my top picks from the high street; I believe in spending a decent amount of money so that you will get stylish, reliable and comfortable use out of your coat, but not so much that my new coat will be all I buy this winter. Wanting to steer away from military and faux fur coats, my beloved Topshop and River Island proved little use to me, but I found plenty of gorgeous picks elsewhere. In no particular order:

Drumroll…

1) First up, is Boohoo’s beautiful tobacco coloured belted cape, which is at a stylish save of £25. Whether you need a new coat or not, I would definitely purchase this absolute steal, as it will add chic class to any outfit.

2) Another beauty is this deep navy blue duffle coat with a fur collar to die for. I have always thought that duffle coats have an aura of adorable style to them and they definitely keep you oh so cosy! This particular one from Urban Outfitters has my mind drifting to a snowy day; the colours would look gorgeous against the crisp white snow. At £125, it’s a good deal more expensive than the previous Boohoo cape, but it would be money wisely spent.

3) My next choice is perhaps better suited for a rainy day, rather than a bitter cold one, but it is undeniable that every girl needs a stylish mac in her wardrobe. I have had my eye on this burgandy-wine coloured mac with pu sleeves for a while now and with a bit of luck, it has just been reduced from £89 to £50. Bargain. The colours are definitely Autumn 2013 and the pleated bottom and bow at the waist are just too cute.

4) I was really intrigued by this khaki textured parka coat, as the majority of khaki coats have the standard fur collar and hood. I love the unique texture and design of this coat and of course the colour is absolutely lush. The zips had a biker feel to the coat, but the relaxed structure of it keeps it from being too military-esque. Again, at £90 it may seem like a lot to pay, but for a good-quality coat, that is a decent price.

5) Zara are on point with their oversized trench boyfriend coat. This grey woolen wraparound lovely gives the aura of ‘working girl’ and has an androgynous feel to it. It looks sturdy and cosy and fashionable, which is all any girl wants out of a coat. From past experience, Zara’s coats last you a long time and never go out of style. It is priced at £89.99, so it is not extortionate and will definitely keep you warm this winter.

6) As a lover of tartan and bold, eclectic patterns, this Miss Selfridge biker coat was never going to slip past me. Slightly cheaper than the majority of the above, it is £79 and is perfect for those girls who live in their leather jackets. It is a great transition from jacket to coat, as the length and thickness will certainly protect you from the winter’s winds but it still resembles a jacket.

Of course there are many more stunning coats and jackets out there, but those are my ‘Top 6’. I was originally only going to do a ‘Top 5’ but I could not have that Miss Selfridge tartan biker coat miss the list!

The most important things to remember when buying a coat:

1) Don’t worry about sizing. The cold weather means you will most definitely be wearing a thick jumper underneath your coat, therefore there is no point trying on a coat in a shop with only a vest top on underneath and deeming it to be the right size. Coats are meant to be bigger than your usual dress size!

2) For most people, this will be your only coat. If you wish to spend a lot of money on it, it will be your only outerwear investment, so there is no point purchasing a design that you know you will only wear a few times. If you hate clashing prints and colours, stick to black or other neutral colours and if you worry about your body shape, the structured military coat tends to nip people in in the right places.

3) Read the fine print. If you’re someone who thrives on high-quality materials, then you do not want to be spending more than necessary to only find out that your coat is not completely cashmere, but only has a small percentage.

Enjoy!

Cara Covered. The Model and the Girl off the Catwalk.

I wish I was Cara Delevingne. This girl popped up out of nowhere (like daisies!!! If anyone gets my Mulan reference) and has fast-tracked her way to becoming the current It-girl that everyone is talking about. Hell, I’m writing about her now. So let’s delve into the world of the Delevingne and see what exactly is making this girl so hot.

The guys want to date her; the girls want to be her…and the really extreme girls want to practically replace her altogether (rumours of her and Harry Styles anyone?) The point is though; everyone is jealous of Cara. I was at work at Ted Baker the other day and a girl tried on this gorgeous camel midi coat and I told her (genuinely-hand on my heart I wasn’t trying to get her to buy the coat!) that she looked a bit like Cara. Well, I might as well have told her we were offering her an item of her choice for free that day, judging by her reaction; there was a squeal and her pupils definitely grew twice their original size. Needless to say, she went straight to the till for her purchase. Eye-catchingly beautiful with her tousled blonde hair and striking dark eyebrows, the British model has had a whirlwind of a year. She lists being the face of Burberry, Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards of 2013 and being in demand from designers everywhere as her achievements, to name a few. It definitely makes me question the satisfaction and triumph of my own accomplishments throughout the year…

Cara manages to look equally as stunning in a casual t-shirt and snapback, as she does in a designer dress on the red carpet. It’s just not fair. One of my favourite outfits of hers has to be the black two-piece Roberto Cavalli suit, encrusted and embroidered with crystals, which she wore to the 666^th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Chopard Trophy Event. Looking even more striking with her eyebrows, smoky eye makeup and fierce quiff, Cara pulled off this sexy suit with incredible style.

Another favourite of mine is a casual daytime look with an edge, where the Delevingne took layering to a whole new level. A khaki coloured t-shirt was tucked into a pair of leather shorts (the new denim), with a denim jacket on top and an army jacket on top of that! Two jackets-if we had done this, there would have been endless questions and jokes about being cold. Strung around her waist was a red check shirt, adding a splash of colour and pattern clash to the outfit. She finishes her look off with simple yet stylish black ankle boots with gold stud and buckle detailing. I won’t deny that I’ve tried copying this look a few times… For this second to-die-for look of Cara’s, check out the Missguided website, as they will have lookalikes of everything on there and for such a good price! The boots are similar to the Alvin ankle boots Topshop had in stock during AW’12 but I’m sure similar can be found on Missguided, SoYouShoes, Boohoo or even Ebay for a price that won’t make you starve for the rest of the month!

 

 

You would have thought that all that would be enough; that people are blessed with a certain amount of luck and good omens. Not Cara. As well as having an incredible career at such a young age, being the hottest thing since sliced bread and dominating the majority of conversations in and out of the fashion world right now, it seems that it is not just the fashion world that Cara is ruling. Accompanying Will Heard on a Radio1 Live Lounge version of his song Sonnetanz (The Sun Don’t Shine), the Delevingne wowed listeners with her edgy and husky tones, showing people that she is more than just a pretty faced clothes-horse. She can also add a film career to her skills and success from her part in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and she is also embarking on a new movie project called Kids in Love. Unlike other models, Cara probably doesn’t even have to diet to maintain her figure as she seems to be running about all over the place, claiming victory in different fields of creativity.

 

People say that it is possible to have too much of a good thing, but to most of us, that is all it is. A saying. A saying that is a brilliant philosophical advice and mantra but is not something we take seriously or follow as we don’t really ever find ourselves in the situation of having too many good things happening to us and if we did, we would be absolutely crazy to give any of it up! However that is us. And we are very different to Cara Delevingne, who has openly stated that she will ‘not be a model forever’ and wishes to explore different possibilities. With her dips and dabs in singing and acting, I can’t imagine that her desire to try new and different things will be too much of a gamble. One thing is for sure that judging by the presence she has inflicted onto the world, everyone should stay tuned and watch Cara’s space.