Coat

If last winter taught the fashion industry anything, it’s that a good coat trend will go a long way. Fittingly, the runways were awash with a multitude of bold designs and shapes to elevate your winter wardrobe in a flash.

Balenciaga, Acne, and Rodarte, each in their own distinctive way, all did high-shine or metallic statement outerwear—an unusual yet completely refreshing and welcome approach to a usually staid garment. Burberry’s monogrammed ponchos were undoubtedly the must-have piece of London Fashion Week, but Sacai and BCBG each had their own covetable blanket-inspired capes, making it another must have piece of the season. Céline, Vanessa Bruno and Proenza Schouler played with black and white all-over prints in varying silhouettes and lengths, each to great success. Meanwhile, Yohji Yamamoto and Thakoon showed the harder side of floral motifs. The take-away lesson on prints—go all out.

Elie Saab’s sweeping capes were true to his glamorous aesthetic while being relatively restrained—it was all about luxurious fabric and colour rather than glitzy finishes. The Row and Leonard followed suit with paired down simple pieces that focused on expert tailoring and cut. Statement outerwear doesn’t have to mean loud prints or a daring cut—the “less is more” rule readily applies here. A strong cut or fit is a statement in and of itself.

For those at risk of experiencing another polar vortex this year, there were several options of fashionable yet warm statement coats. Donna Karan and Stella McCartney’s uniquely quilted parkas are a subdued way to do statement and with a DKNY or Prada shearling accented overcoat it’s possible to make a statement without doing a full fur piece. The same goes for Balenciaga’s fur collared parka, that lets its colourful accents make up any lost ground. And for those who don’t mind a bit of faux fur check out Joe Fresh’s teddy bear soft jackets with their signature orange lining upping the statement outerwear game from the inside out.