Get your coat...

So the 'Great Winter Coat Hunt' is finally over, and what a stressful journey it was.  I've discovered how fussy I truly am, after trying on numerous styles though this is perhaps justified as many coats cost over the £70 mark these days.  The coat I settled on is a Gap number (with deceptive sizing) found on eBay for £3!  With the postage costs added, the grand total was £7.50, very nice for my bank balance and freezing self.

 

Worn with Topshop dress & denim shirt, This Charming Girl necklace, vintage belt, Asos tights and Doc Martens

So how did I get to this point, after lusting over so many expensive coats?  Here is the story in a nutshell...

 

Coats, Topshop squared.

Like most shopping journeys, I started off in Topshop to try the ubiquitous duffle coat, full of hope and certainty.  Alas, it was not meant to be; the colour wasn't quite right and I did feel a bit like I was going back to school.  I  realise I can't tar all duffle coats with the same brush and I'm sure there there are better versions out there, but on this occasion it wasn't for me.  After much deliberation, I decided that boyfriend-style coats were the way forward and was delighted to see the second Topshop version, which immediately made me think Satorialist.  However, no matter how much you like something, if a style doesn't suit you then it's best to avoid.  I'm the wrong shape for double-breasted styles and although I liked the coat when it was left open with a scarf casually thrown over, in reality it wasn't versatile enough to look how I wanted it to when it was closed.  I toyed with removing and re-sewing buttons but didn't want to potentially wreck a £95 coat, so back to the drawing board I went.

   

More coat action, by Asos and Next.

Sticking with the whole masculine style, I managed to find this Asos number with a handy discount code and thus began The Shoulderpad Saga.  I hadn't embraced the shoulderpad trend and thought that the coat was a stylish way to dip my toe into the water.  The sexy low neckline combined with an unsexy cold Winter did concern me, but I believed my knitted circle scarf would cancel that out.  Upon receiving the coat, I realised that it wasn't quite as thick as I'd imagined and that the shape accentuated my already wide shoulders and my hips couldn't quite balance everything out.  The Next coat had a similar problem, though it was a much thicker material with a more Winter-friendly neckline.  I was getting quite annoyed by this point, that my internet coat research was proving fruitless and I knew I had to resort to desperate measures.  I turned to eBay.

 

Monsoon via Ebay and Uniqlo findings

Through trying numerous styles and confusing my bank statements due to some persistant refunding, I realised that buying a brand spanking new coat perhaps wasn't the way to go and was willing to find something temporary at a lower price. I realised that I wanted a fuller shape and unknowingly typed 'Grey swing coat' into eBay, not expecting to find anything.  What came up was the Monsoon coat pictured on the left similar to the shape of a fur coat but with an interesting grey flecked texture.  I decided to resort to my tried and tested sniping technique within the last 20 seconds, but alas I couldn't type fast enough as I was beaten by someone who had already bid minutes before.  I felt dejected and slightly lost, but then I realised that getting so het up over a a virtual auction wasn't really best in the grand scheme of things.   In the meantime I'd also located the +J Uniqlo coat in the Oxford Street store, but didn't like the way it bunched up at the back.  I was ready to admit coat defeat, until I turned to eBay again...

After getting some useful advice, I simplified things and typed 'grey winter coat' into the search engine and found the aforementioned Gap coat with a starting price of £3.  I was a bit nervous as to how everything would fit, since the size mentioned was a lot smaller and the picture wasnt exactly clear but thought it was worth the risk at the total price of £7.50.  Luckily when I received the coat in the post, the fit was fine and the retro style is definitely growing on me.  The three-quarter length sleeves need some long gloves, so I'll be on the hunt for those next to keep nice and warm.  I guess the moral of the story is not to rush into such an important purchase, but really to try all the styles that are out there and consider looking in charity or vintage shops as well as eBay for different styles and the perfect fit.  It's also great to play the 'Guess how much my coat cost?' game and to see people's reactions.  Where did you find your dream coat this year?  Or perhaps you might live in a place where you're lucky enough not to need one...

Congrats if you made it to the end of this rambling post!  I've got some exciting stuff planned on this blog as lot's of events have been happening recently, but I'm seriously behind in posting them so  please bear with me.  I'm going to spend the weekend recovering from the Aussie Night Out, sorting out my room and doing lots of blogging catch-up.  Hope you all have a great weekend too!

Remember the shop is still open...

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