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Some of our favorite classic coats for work as of 2024 include: olive / blue / green / caramel / black / gray (not pictured but also) – and don't forget to check out our editors' favorite washable winter coats!
Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you're buying one for the first time or replacing one you've worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
Readers, which are your favorite coats for work outfits? Do you prefer wool — or down? (We've JUST done a roundup of machine washable coats over at CorporetteMoms, so check that out if that's your jam…)
It may seem a bit silly to talk about stylish coats for work — after all, when it's freezing, nasty, and disgusting outside, being warm and dry are the primary considerations.
But it isn't blizzarding every day in the winter, and I still think a wool coat looks more polished — even if you're just throwing it on over your work-from-home clothes to run errands.
Shop for a winter coat that covers your thighs (for warmth, as well as the most versatility — nothing looks quite so silly as a peacoat and skirt), and be sure to size up if you need to to accommodate a sweater or blazer underneath your coat.
(Other great layers: silk turtlenecks and long johns can add serious warmth without bulk, and there are so many puffer/fleece vests that I'm kind of tempted to try them under my winter coat on really cold days.)
I've always considered a wool/cashmere blend to be the best (the cashmere makes it warm; the wool makes it durable), but I've also heard great things about alpaca's warmth; these days you can find technical enhancements to wool or find wool lined with Thinsulate, like some J.Crew and L.L.Bean coats.
What are your favorite coats for work? How many do you have; which ones do you think are the most polished, which are the warmest, and so forth? Have you recently bought any coats for work you love?
Admin Note: Please note that we're trying a new thing where we're updating older Hunts with entirely new content (there are SEO benefits). At the moment we're keeping the older comments instead of deleting them all; let us know your thoughts!
Some Recent Picks for Great Wool Coats for Work
Some of our favorite classic coats for work as of 2024 include: olive / blue / green / caramel / black / gray (not pictured but also) – and don't forget to check out our editors' favorite washable winter coats!
Great Plus-Size Coats for Work
Trendier Coats for Work
There are a ton of fun trendy winter coats for work at Nordstrom this year – these are our favorites!
Great Washable Winter Coats
Some Particular Favorite Coats for Work Outfits
The Reader Favorite Coat: Eddie Bauer's Girl on the Go
This reader-favorite coat from Eddie Bauer is technically more of a raincoat, but it does come in an insulated version for just a bit more. It's also one of our top picks for machine washable coats. It's available in regular, petite, plus, and tall sizes, and regularly goes on sale for 35% off (or more).
The Super Popular Coat for Work: J.Crew
J.Crew's coats are always super popular — and if your favorite style goes out of stock don't forget about J.Crew Factory, which often carries more styles from the archives at a discounted price. We've pictured the “City Coat” in a red — it's $238 new and comes in a ton of great colors
An Affordable Favorite Coat for Work: Sam Edelman
Another great coat in the $240 range is Sam Edelman's super popular wool coats. There are slightly different variations with buttons and details every year, but it remains a bestseller. You can find it in regular and plus sizes at Nordstrom — and don't forget to check Nordstrom Rack for bargains.
The Best Stylish Coat for Work: Ted Baker
If you're hunting for an amazing, stylish, warm coat for work, definitely take a look at Ted Baker — the above style is pretty much a classic at this point, although the name may change.
The coat only comes in sizes 0–10, but if those sizes work for you there are a ton of great reviews at Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and Ted Baker, particularly singing the praises of the floral lining and the magnetic detail at the wrap top to keep the coat closed.
Other really stylish coat brands to look at in this $400–$700 range: Boden, Reiss, Soia & Kyo, and Dawn Levy.
The Best Cashmere Coat for Work: Fleurette
If you're looking for a really quality cashmere-blend coat, I have two brands to recommend: Fleurette and Cinzia Rocca. Both are generally under $1,000 (so, less than the designer brands) but are really established, quality brands — and you can sometimes find them for around $600. (Cinzia Rocca used to have a plus-size option called Cinzia Rocca Due, if memory serves; you may still find that on some sale sites.)
Readers, which are your favorite brands and styles for coats for work? Do you prefer wool, down, or other options?
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Anon
Resume Question. If my university has recently changed its name since I attended 10 years ago do I write something like this:
Excellent College (now Excellent University), City, STATE 1990‐1994
Also… recently bought a Mackage jacket to replace my old one and I am SO disappointed in the quality. It was better quality (thicker, better lining) 5 years ago. This new one will be returned.
lost academic
I think I’d go with the current name to avoid confusion, and it’s a minor enough change if it’s college –> uni.
SwElle
I was told that you use the name when you attended/that is on your degree. My undergrad changed name while I attended, so they made a big deal about it then (especially for those of us who entered with college and left with university).
Anom
Depends how recently you graduated and when the name was changed. I went to law school at a place that rebranded the year I graduated (just over a decade ago). I used to include the old name on parentheses. More recently the old name has become even less used by the school since the individual it was named after has now been publicized as racist. No reason for me to perpetuate the old (racist) name when the reader of my resume knows what I mean when I use the new name.
Anon
Personally I’d use the new name – the more recently it looks like you graduated he less age discrimination you face….
Ellen
Rosa has the most beautiful WOOL North Face coat that I have NOT seen anywhere. Rosa forgot where she got it, and it is NOT currently being sold I think. FOOEY! Does the HIVE know where NORTH FACE’s complete inventory is? Is it on the WEB? I do NOT think they make this coat anymore — it is long enough to cover her tuchus but it also has a VERY high collar and HOOD that keep’s out the cold. She need’s that when she get’s out to take her kid’s to play date’s. I looked at Macy’s and they did NOT have anything like it and the sale’s girl was RUDE when I tried to expleain it to her. If anyone in the HIVE know’s which NORTH FACE I am talkeing about, let us know, b/c I would LOVE to buy one for me so that I will NOT freeze my tuchus off walkeing to work. FOOEY!
Anon
Hey E! There’s a north face outlet here in Berkeley CA. Come visit! We can find you a husband too – hope you like hippies!!!
Anon
You’re just exhausting.
LaurenB
This whole Ellen thing is not funny, has never been funny, and it’s aggravating that every single one of my posts goes to mod while this nonsense is allowed on the board.
Anonymous
Well, the Patagonia tres in one isn’t a wool coal, it’s down and a waterproof shell, but it’s pretty much the only coat I wear all winter. I live in Canada, function beats form when it’s -20C and I have a 30 minute walk on my commute.
Sarabeth
Perhaps of interest to those concerned about down – it also comes in a version with synthetic fill (the Stormdrift) parka, which is equally toasty. I think it’s pretty much the best choice for a relatively professional-looking compromise for truly cold weather.
Anon
Can someone give me a primer on leasing a car? I’ve only ever had a car once (7-ish yrs ago) for a clerkship in a small city and then have spent the rest of my time in Manhattan. Now I’m moving out and need a car in about a week. I already know what I want (Mazda), but can’t decide whether to lease or buy. Obviously financially, long term, buying is better. BUT my question — can you negotiate a lease, or is it just x months at y/month. Last time I looked for a car, some dealer (can’t remember which one) blew me off and said — leases are set by the manufacturer, there’s nothing we can do to alter/lower it. While he was willing to negotiate on selling the car. Is that accurate or was he just feeding me a line?
Can someone give me the basics of the leasing process?
CHJ
Your monthly payment with a lease is determined by three things: the purchase price of the car, the money factor, and the residual value. The money factor and the residual value are set by the financing company and dealers usually can’t do anything about them. But they can negotiate on the purchase price of the car. I would check out TrueCar and get a sense of what a good price would be for the car, and then try to negotiate from there. The salesperson you’re working with might try to stall and not give you these figures, but call ahead and make them give you the numbers before you show up at the dealership in person.
Also, I had once instance where the dealership would absolutely not negotiate the lease price, but they were offering a special advertised price and would not go below that. I did some research and figured out that the lease price was actually very good and went ahead with it, even though they wouldn’t come down below their advertised special.
Anon
Adding on; I always lease even though it’s technically not the “best deal.” My reasons are 1. I always have a new car that doesn’t break down or need anything other than basic maintenance. The constant reliability is very important to me. 2. I like a new car (I don’t buy more car than I could afford, but I like a nice, new car), 3. I like the predictability of payments and find it easy to factor into a monthly budget.
Right now, cars are in high demand so I wouldn’t expect to negotiate a good deal generally. My tip when leasing is to get a car in a line that you think you want to stay with (I do BMW). When you become a repeat customer you get better service and they tend to waive requirements and down payments on repeat leases.
It’s basically long term renting a car, which is my preferred model – I’m not trying to maximize value with a car. My time and comfort are things I value more.
Anon
Should clarify I’m anon at 3:32, not CHJ – she has good points and I’m just adding my perspective
Cat
I alternate between three, depending on temperature and precipitation – (1) a more-casual Burberry quilted short jacket (ubiquitous in my office), (2) a knee-length wool Burberry that makes me feel like Sherlock when I’m walking – no, strutting – around the city, and (3) a knee-length puffer.
Both Burberrys are excellent at wind blocking despite not being super bulky — always nice when the higher price tag is actually justified by functional quality rather than brand name/design alone!
I disagree with “nothing looks quite so silly as a peacoat and skirt” — it may not be the most streamlined or glamorous look, but I definitely wouldn’t call it silly, and wouldn’t think it looked unprofessional whatsoever.
Lizbet
Totally agree that shorter coats look fine with skirts and dresses.
SwElle
Agreed!
Anon
I think shorter coats are fine with straight skirted dresses but not full or a-line skirts. Then they just look like you don’t have the right coat on.
Cat
OMG – I was just about to post that “regular Cat” hadn’t commented but took a second to read the post, think it was a very bizarre coincidence that I could have written it verbatim, and THEN realized it was in fact my own post from almost 6 years ago.
My answer stands, lol. Those Burberry coats HOLD UP.
E
Speaking of wool coats.. I’m looking for a wool coat with a hood. I’ve really only seen duffle coats that satisfy this description and I’m not a fan of the look of the toggle close.
Jcrew currently has one but I was hoping to find one on sale and this JCrew one is not on sale yet. I’ve literally ordered every hooded peacoat on the Macy’s website.. and from that I found that most of them are poor excuses for coats. They were much too light.
Snick
I’d try Pendleton if you like classic styles. They are not trendy, but great quality and they have sales going on now.
Wildkitten
The toggle close is often on top of a zipper close, if that would suit your needs.
E
yeah i just don’t like the look of the toggles.
Thanks for the pendleton recommendation! I didn’t think of that and I’m liking what i see so far
No Face
Try searching for the J Crew one on eBay or Poshmark, assuming it’s not a brand new style. I bought different a J Crew coat on ebay a few months ago and it is in perfect condition. It’s a popular brand, so there were many available.
AK
I wear a knee length red wool coat all winter. I’ve found that, much like luggage, having a bring coat makes it easier to find on the racks at conferences and in work cloakrooms. One of my friends wears a white coat and ours are the only two that definitely won’t be mistaken for someone else’s and worn home by accident.
AK
*a bright coat (not a bring coat)…
Student12580
Here’s a bit of a strange situation.
I’m a graduating senior in college so I’ve been applying to a lot of positions on the school job board. Without realizing it, I applied to two posts by the same company.
I got the first interview but some of the materials the recruiter gave me and a questionnaire they wanted me to complete were red flags in terms of the questions asked and I took myself out of the process.
I then accidentally accepted an interview for the second position. When I realized it was a similar job to above, I decline the interview. 1) Is that rude? There was ample notice.
The interviewer just emailed me back saying “I’m not sure what you’ve read maybe I can address some concerns for future candidates”. This makes it seem as if this is a common problem for this company. 2) Should I reply? Is it worth it for me? What should I say if I don’t wish to respond?
Thanks!
ace
Not sure if this will get bounced since it’s off-topic (in which case, repost onto the next thread).
What were the red flags in the questionnaire? I don’t think the interviewer’s questions are based on you applying twice, other than she might have seen that you turned down the interview two times (so you REALLY weren’t interested in the interview). Can you let her know why the questions were red-flags in a way that won’t ruffle feathers, e.g., “I thought this was primarily a chocolate spout manufacturing job, but the questionnaire made me realize that this job is focused on chocolate teapots, which is not actually my area of specialty or interest.”
If there’s anything you can do on your end to try to screen out this type of job in the future — and better keep track of where you’ve applied — it may be good to do so. It doesn’t sound like you want this job, but if you did, a second application to an unrelated job (or a dupe for the same job) could be a turn-off for an employer. Good luck in your search!
Anonymous
Well they offered me the second interview after I declined the first, so I don’t think they blame me.
The questions in the questionnaire were . . . borderline illegal or at the least very nosy. I am not at all in a desperate position and I felt uncomfortable enough to decline.
I thought this employer must have bad reviews on glass door or somewhere else online – which is why they assumed that was why I canceled the interview.
lost academic
Can you go into any more detail about these questions?
If you feel like investing the time, you can always get the information from the recruiter and use it to keep your friends informed. I know I’m very curious!
Anonymous
OP here:
Hmm I don’t remember exactly. One part was definitely a personality test you had to”pass”, questions about your family life / who you lived with.
It’s basically a bad sales job theyre trying to pass off as something else. Which I know is normal, but still. I don’t think I can tell the recruiter the job seemed sketchy +the company seemed disorganized, so I’ll just say it wasn’t what I’m looking for.
lost academic
OP – sounds like you’re right not to waste your time. Sounds like a couple of companies I remember back in the day recruiting high school seniors instead.
Woof
If you are n ot going to pursue the job, nor the company, I would politely indicate the questions to the recruiter and state that they made you uncomfortable and seem irrelevant to the job. No need to say more, but they probably have not looked at this in a while and should take a second look.
Anonymous
Chocolate teapot… you must be a Brit as all my husbands colleagues use this example :)
Cat
Or a frequent reader of Ask a Manager
ace
Guilty as an AAM reader :)
NY CPA
I have had my LLBean “Classic Lambswool Duffle Coat” for 2 years. HIGHLY recommend it. I absolutely love that a plus size coat doesn’t have to look unprofessional.
The coat falls mid thigh on me and I’m 5’6″. I got a size up so I could wear sweaters underneath, and it still doesn’t look bulky at all. It is very warm because it has a thin layer of Thinsulate. I wore it last week in Chicago when it was +3 deg with a windchill of -7 deg, and it kept me plenty warm.
I also really like the colors it comes in. I have it in the navy, but I’ve always kind of regretted not getting the plum color because it’s so pretty.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/78460?feat=512154-GN3&page=classic-lambswool-duffel-coat
Chicago coats for work
I have a couple wool knee length coats (black, navy) in classic styles/wool blends which I wear until it gets into the 20’s. Then I break out my relatively sleek, knee length puffer that is the most stylish one I could find, with a great hourglass shape and a wonderful high neck that is flattering. It took me a year to find that puffer… When I wear it with my knee high La Candienne’s, I feel like a superhero.
And when it goes in the teens and below, I wear my full length shearing that also has a fitted shape with a fuller bottom and a wonderful hood that can be hidden as a muff around your neck, if you prefer.
I wear tights under everything, light layers on top, and scarves all day.
Anon
Link please to the high neck hourglass puffer??
Kazoo
Living in SW Michigan, I own a lot of coats ranging from down coats, to pea coats, to car length, to fake fur, to long wool coats. I recently bought this beautiful long wool coat from Talbots at 65% off. Love the color Aster.
https://www.talbots.com/online/browse/product_details.jsp?id=prdi36126&defaultColor=9209&N=10598+11334&selectedConcept=
Lisa
And if you are ready to invest in a classic coat, there’s MaxMara camel cashmere….
shdavid
Thanks for these formal coats, they are good for office environments.
NYCer
Thanks for these formal coats, they are good for office environments.
Anon
Strange how the comments are mostly from 2016, with a few updates from today. How???