Coats, Jackets and Me- A story of true love.

Just gotten up to get ready to go to the airport. I wrote this yesterday but thought I would post it today because I'm travelling all day and won't get another chance to update. See you when I'm back in the States!!

I live in England, shockingly enough. It's cold here for most of the year, rainy all year round and just when you think it's going to be a lovely sunny day the heavens will open.

England is an unpredictable land where the first advice you get from birth is to always always bring a coat (and secondly, not to wear it inside or you "won't feel the benefit"). A person going out without a coat is a rebel, a maverick, a nonconformist, and we like order.

As a result of this I have accumulated a number of coats and jackets over the years. Warm, cosy jackets for our invariably chilly winters and light, cool jackets for our invariably chilly summers. For me, and for most Brits, a coat or jacket is not just an after-thought, like shoes they are an integral part of any outfit. I've lost count of the number of times I've been late as a result of the jacket-challenge, or the times I've almost frozen to death when my search for a jacket has ended without success.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a wuss. Especially as I'm a Northern girl who braves the cold and the snow in as little clothing as possible. But I do love a good coat or jacket. A great coat can completely change your silhouette and ultimately change an outfit.

A dressy outfit can be made casual with the addition or a denim or leather jacket, similarly, the addition of a fur coat can do wonders for a simple pair of jeans.

Living somewhere not altogether warm 10 months out of the year, I like jackets that stand out. I like bright colours and extravagant styles. It doesn't matter if your outfit is fabulous underneath, if your coat doesn't stand out then neither will you. I love a fantastic fit, but my usual motto in terms of clothes is, perhaps controversially, quantity over quality. While I have a couple of £80+ coats (my coats tend to last forever and I usually buy a new one every other winter), I have a few cheap ones bought from Primark or Ebay.


One of my favourite coats, the simple black one, was actually my coat back in high school. I got bored of it's simple black colour despite it's great style and fit. I bought a new one a few years later, but found my love of bright tights clashed horribly with my pink coat, so I asked my mum to sew on new buttons. Add a belt round the waist and it was as good as new!!


Here are some of my favourite coats at jackets that I have shown on my blog (sorry these collages don't look too amazing- a lot of these photos are from the early days of my blog and I've used different colourings on a lot of them)

My leather jacket is probably my all-time favourite jacket. It's gorgeously fitted and cropped. I do have an older, cheap leather jacket, but with my love of anything high-waisted I wanted a cropped one. This fake-leather one from H&M is without a doubt my baby. It gives anything an instant rock-chick edge. I love to wear it with a floral dress and military boots for a perfectly 90s grunge feel.


This denim jacket was actually an exchange. I was desperate for a denim jacket around my birthday last year. The one my mum actually got me, like the initial leather jacket, was not cropped so I swapped it for this perfect stonewashed piece. I shunned denim jackets for a long time, but the last year or so I have really started to love the look of them with something pretty and girly. I love the casual effect they have. I've even tried double denim- but in the new modern way, not the Britney and Justin way.


This nude leather jacket was a bit of an impulse buy and is actually a size too small as I was so desperate to have it (it barely does up!!). Like most people I went crazy for anything nude-coloured during last spring. This was perfect for the head-to-toe nude look popular last summer. I also love it with black as it's a lovely alternative to a black leather jacket.

Oh the aviator, the number of jacket of the season. I love this baby. Yet another impulse buy, but it makes me feel so on-trend. I don't often buy into trends but I loved the style of this jacket and the adorable shearling collar. I can't wait until it warms up a little so we can be reunited again!!


And who doesn't own a selection of blazers? This grey one was something I felt my wardrobe was lacking and is from Charlotte Russe. It's a perfectly soft grey cotton and is somewhere between fitted and boyfriend. It has such a cosy, relaxed fit but still adds an element of sophistication.

A couple of years ago I was desperate for a summery jacket and decided a trench coat was the way forward. I don't feel as though you can really appreciate the gorgeous fit of this coat and it's tiered back, but it really is a lovely coat. I am still lusting over a classic beige trench though.


With the military trend dominating last summer, I couldn't resist that bargain military coat from Primark. Not only was it an absolute bargain but I get compliments on it wherever I go. It looks a lot more expensive than the twenty pounds it cost.


I initially tried on this faux fur coat as a joke before falling head over heels in love with it. It was a present from my Mum last Christmas and I adore it. It makes me feel completely sophisticated no matter what I'm wearing underneath. I'm such a sucker for faux fur!!

Now onto the serious winter coats (UK winter at least, not so much in Minnesota...). The only one that isn't actually featured here is my beloved pink coat, which I've had since I was 18. It was my winter coat when I started University and I was known for a long time as the-girl-with-the-pink-hair-and-the-pink-coat. I wear it like the black one with a black studded belt.


You all saw my red duffel coat yesterday, and I think I realised when buying it how much I love my winter coats. I love the bright red colour and the cosy furry hood. I just look the casual but cute look of a duffel coat. I can't wait to wear this more.


I bought this yellow coat from ebay, and also bought it in royal blue. Unfortunately they weren't quite the thick winter coats I was expecting so this coat will probably be reserved for when the weather gets a little warmer. It's damn near impossible to be miserable when wearing bright yellow though!!


Finally, my classic black coat. You can't go wrong with a coat like this. As I said before, my mum fixed it up for me with new buttons about a year ago. I love wearing it with bright tights or knee socks to contrast with the simple black. Unfortunately I've since lost the studded belt I'm wearing here, but  I found a cute replacement, thanks to Boohoo. This coat was not cheap and was from TopShop but it's definitely stood the test of time!!


Some people go wild for shoes, others have an enviable scarf collection or a thousand pairs of jeans.
Me? I like jackets and coats.


What is your sartorial weakness?


Charlotte xxx