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Updated: Dec 15, 2021 39 Comments · by

What Are Your Favorite Stores for Winter Coats?

Outerwear | ·

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mannequins in a store wearing winter coats for work

Alas, I think I've waited too long to do my Hunt for winter coats, as there are only lucky sizes left for everything I like. So instead, let's have a discussion about three things:

  • where would you go if you're looking for an AFFORDABLE BUT DEPENDABLY WARM COAT?
  • where would you go if you were looking for a STATEMENT COAT (that's slightly affordable)?
  • where would you go if you were buying an INVESTMENT COAT?

{related: the best winter coats to wear on your commute}

Some Recent Picks From Our Favorite Stores for Classic Winter 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!

collage of six classic coats for work: 1) Ted Baker olive green wrap 2) Aritzia blue coat 3) Sam Edelman green notch coat 4) tan Fleurette cashmere car coat 5) Soia & Kyo black dramatic coat and 6) Cinzia Rocca cashmere stand-collar coat
Above: olive / blue / green / caramel / black / gray (not pictured but also)

Hunting for great winter coats in plus sizes? These are some of our latest favorites:

collage of 5 plus-size professional women wearing winter coats
Some of our favorite plus-size coats of Oct. 2023 include these brands: one / two / three / four / five (also, also!) — also, note that both Soia & Kyo and The North Face are now available up to size 3X!

My Favorite Stores for Winter Coats for Work

My answers would be these — but I'm really curious what you guys would say. (For those of you who have loved J.Crew coats in the past, would you still put them in the first category?)

As far as statement coats go, I never got a ton of wear out of it but I was pretty thrilled to find a fake fur coat for $10 at a random thrift store in Evanston, IL during my college years — it's probably still hanging in my parents' basement. I also still regret losing my grandmother's blue tweed coat — I'm still hopeful I'll find it one day.

Finally: it wasn't a winter coat, but rather a lighterweight jacket that was a gray check lined with a red satin that I bought on a trip to Germany one summer when I only packed summer clothes, somehow forgetting that 70 degrees is jacket weather, at least for someone who's always freezing like me. It was bought during my skinnier years, and it's one of those things I stubbornly hang onto, even though I haven't fit into it in years.

How about you — where are your favorite places to go for winter coats? Have you bought any great coats recently (regale us with your sale stories, ladies!)! Have you ever had a statement coat that you were super happy to have? 

More Great Winter Coats for Work

Collage of 5 coats: 1) gray Bernardo fitted puffer 2) purple plus-size Eddie Bauer 3) gray North Face 4) black Lands End, 5) green Patagonia 3-in-1
Pictured above: favorite washable winter coats as of 2023! Note that any faux fur hoods should be removed before washing. gray* / purple* / gray* / black* / green (* = available in plus sizes) (also, of course, the viral Amazon coat)

There are a ton of fun trendy winter coats for work at Nordstrom this year – these are our favorites!

trendy coats for work in the 2023 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
Fun coats: blue / plaid / blue corduroy / pink boucle / brown print / light blue / aubergine

Psst: we've also talked in the past about what to look for in a great winter coat, and rounded up washable winter coats over on our blog for working moms.

2021 updated images via Deposit Photos / fotototo.

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. JCrew

    I’ve always liked jcrew because they have small petites (I.e., 00P). That’s difficult to find. LE and others may have petites, but the sizing is more generous and the coats are too large for me.

  2. uno spumono

    Reposting from the tail end of the earlier post:
    Hi, long-time lurker, first-time poster.
    I’m looking for smartphone recommendations based on voice clarity and loudness over calls (on phone mode, rather than speaker mode) as I have late-onset hearing loss. My trusty Lumia is out of production and I have not had luck with the usual suspects like Samsung Galaxy series, HTC, OnePlus, Moto etc. I can’t afford an iPhone.
    Are there any specific phones that stood out to you for their remarkable in-call sound clarity? I’m hoping for dumbphone levels of clarity or anything close to it. My last resort is to get a Nokia dumb phone and use a tablet for all emails/texting (will use Whatsapp wherever possible).
    Thanks all!

    • Violet

      I just posted this suggestion on the other thread. I don’t have suggestions for a phone but I do find using headphones with a microphone to make phone convos much easier. I have standard hearing but I find when outside or if I need to make notes or on a group chat it’s very useful. I think most headphones come with a microphone, like the ones that usually come in the smartphone box.

  3. Anon.

    I’m looking for a military style oversized parka in black – cotton or twill preferably. Any suggestions? I know H&M has one now but wondering about other sources. Thanks.

  4. Eyecream Question

    How do I know whether my eye cream is good or doing the work its meant to? What exactly am I supposed to be looking for the cream to do? Are my dark circles going to look smaller/lighter?

    I have two eyecream samples I have been applying every night for a month or so. One on the left and one on the right for comparison. I can’t tell if the difference in my undereyes is due to a night of good sleep v. no sleep, bloating, sleeping on my side (blood flow to one eye more than another) or something else not attributable to the creams. I don’t want to get sucked into a marketing ploy and throw money at a product without knowing it works for me.

    • Anonymous

      If you can’t tell if there’s a difference between the two, there’s probably not. I don’t think undereye cream does anything. You may as well just use your regular moisturizer there.

    • Anon

      I enjoy many skincare products – Sephora, dept store, and drugstore – but I agree that I’m not sure how much eye cream in general actually does. For that reason, I usually just grab something that looks promising at the drugstore (so $25 or less?) with the belief that something has to be better than nothing. But I never really expect an eye cream to do anything other than moisturize.

    • Anonymous

      IMO, eye creams are mostly for moisturizing that very sensitive skin that’s prone to showing signs of aging first. So whatever feels most soothing and moisturizing, go with that one. Nothing topical can really get rid of dark circles, other than plumping out skin and therefore providing a little bit of a buffer between the surface of your skin and the blood vessels under it.

    • Coalea

      I have always heard that while eye creams can reduce puffiness, bags, and fine lines, there’s really nothing they can do to eliminate dark undereye circles.

  5. Wow

    I know what you mean about holding on to a coat. Several years ago I bought a wonderful kelly green wool coat from Macys. It fit just right at the time. Now two kids later, it’s just a tad too snug (my weight is the same but I think my ribcage has permanently expanded) and it no longer fits as well. I was about to donate it to Goodwill and at the last minute held back — I just love that coat so much.

    Over the years I have found great coats at Burlington Coat Factory, and Nordstrom Rack. Nordstrom online in the sale sections often has good selections/deals.

    I really liked J. crew’s offerings this year but everyone woman on the DC metro is wearing that cocoon coat, it’s so recognizable.

  6. Fishie

    Dependable – L.L. Bean
    Statement (I assume you mean bright color rather than “fancy label” since that would be the investment coat – Boden, J. Crew
    Investment – I’d probably go to a fancy department store and see what they have (Neiman, Saks, Bloomingdales, maybe Barneys or Bergdorf’s if I was really looking to be spendy).

    • Ellen

      I agree with Fishie. LL Bean’s the strongest coats, but I would add Lord and Taylor to the Investment listing. I get a lot of coats there that I wear in town, and they are very nice wool and expensive. I do get reimbursement from the manageing partner this year, so I can buy quite a lot more then I used to b/c the manageing partner wants to make me the personal face of the firm. YAY!!!!!

  8. Fancy suits

    As a longtime reader I am ashamed to be asking this, but where do high-income working women buy suits? I’m talking high ranking government officials, university presidents, CEOs, etc. Do they go to Nordstrom and just buy fancier lines than I do? Bergdorf’s? Boutiques? I feel like there has to be a higher level of quality out there than what I am seeing in department/mall stores.

    Here’s what is prompting this: I recently saw “The Post” and swooned over the navy blue collarless suit that MS’s character wears (twice! With 2 different blouses!) and can’t figure out where women find suits that beautiful and well made. It was beautiful in its femininity and uniqueness (it wasn’t just another expensive but basic gray/black suit). It’s not anyplace that I shop.

    I’d be willing to drop $1000 on a suit like that. If I could find one. here’s a pic that does not in any way do it justice: https://www.google.com/search?q=the+post+movie+navy+blue+suit+meryl+streep&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiazLaF_f3YAhVmzIMKHUIpDnsQ_AUICygC&biw=1920&bih=950#imgrc=lO-h2X01SXoAeM

    • Anonymous

      Personal shopper at Neiman Marcus? Private stylist consultations with someone who pulls from a variety of sources?

    • Anon

      That one was probably made by a costumer. I’ve seen similar suits in vintage stores – often homemade without labels. Have you considered having a tailor make something for you?

      • Fancy suits

        I have not, but you are correct – in the article the costumer says that all of her clothes (including the insane in a good way party caftan) were made for the movie.

        • Marillenbaum

          I am OBSESSED with Meryl’s costumes in that movie. She and Dianne Lockhart from The Good Wife are my professional style inspirations.

    • waffles

      When I was wearing a lot of suits I would get them made at a men’s bespoke tailor. Call around first – some of the men’s shops will also serve women and some will not. They always turned out great though. I was looking for something more classic and less fussy/trendy/embellished than most high-end designers were offering at the time.

      • Anonymous

        This is a bucket list item for me, though I worry that tailors who excel in menswear may not be quite as good at flattering curves.

      • Anonymous

        This is also a case of where I’d want to find a place that did in-store fittings, vs the mail order option available for some men’s suit companies that call themselves bespoke. As a women, you will definitely want an in-store fitting. There’s just too much topographical information to convey otherwise.

    • Anon

      Akris and Armani are the brands that come to mind. I had an Armani suit that fit me 30 pounds ago better than any suit I’ve ever owned.

      I’d check out a larger Saks or NM in a city – not a suburban mall – and the designer section of Nordstrom.

    • BB

      Paul Stuart in NY does high-end women’s suits. They will also do custom made – not exactly bespoke, but basically you pick a style and size and they will make that for you in 100s of different fabrics.

  9. LB

    This is an investment and budget option for winter coats and suits. On your next vacation to Asia (I have made good experiences in Shanghai-Fabric Market)- have it custom made! You get to pick the fabric (super soft cashmere), cut, style and it is made to fit you perfectly. I had several cashmere winter coats and suits made. Bring pictures and ideas of what you are looking for.
    Each was about $100-150. Depending on how many you need/want the plane ticket may pay for itself.

    • looking for a coat

      I was considering this. How do you find the overall quality and do you have any places you’d recommend?

  10. Anonymous

    Bought a 100% camel wool coat from Sui Studio (womens line from SuitSupply). Very expensive for me, but I wear it constantly. It’s sleek but still extremely warm, and if I layer it can get me through some of the coldest days. I’d say it was worth it as an ‘investment piece.’

      • Pompom

        +1 same! (also, can’t avoid singing the store name as “sui sui studio” a la phil collins…)

  12. Midwest Girl

    Any recommendations as to where to find a houndstooth or tweed peacoat or car coat? I’d prefer wool and classic. I’m long and lean so oftentimes coats are too short on me.

  13. Ms B

    I like this topic!

    Dependable + affordable = For work coats, any large mid-range department store – Macy’s, L&T, Dillard’s, Bloomingdales; for casual, Nord Rack, Burlington Coat Factory, LLB/Eddie Bauer, Columbia + surprisingly good choices at Cabela’s

    Statement = For work, Ted Baker, DVF, Kate Spade; for casual BR, local leather store, boutiques. I love the concept of these coats, but rarely buy them unless the “statement” runs pretty close to “practical with a bit of a twist”.

    Investment = For work, Eileen Fisher (at the lower end of investment), Burberry, Max Mara (this assumes a me that is taller and thinner than the actual me), Revillon; for casual Moncler, Burberry, Barbour; for evening YSL. Armani, Gucci, vintage or custom.

    IMHO, coats are one of those things worth investing in if you can. I had my last winter work coat for over 10 years and plan to have my Burberry trench for 20. I bought my favorite leather jacket in 1992 (and need a place to have the almost identical jacket remade). On the per wear basis, they were pennies.

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