There is nothing more decadent than a designer coat. When chosen wisely, a high-end winter coat is with you for the rest of your life — a staple for your cold-weather wardrobe. It’s a blanket on a plane, a versatile statement piece, and a more prominent status symbol than a high-end handbag in my personal opinion. With outdoor socializing still a major part of our lives and a chilly spring ahead of us, we need some more fabulous outerwear to stay warm out there.
Best Stores for Designer Coats
As I update this post each winter you’ll see some brands come up over and over again. Burberry is a great example of this. Beyond their classic trench coats, their outerwear in general is a fantastic investment and they have some truly elegant winter coats. I always have multiple Burberry goodies on this list, but the real consistency is where I shop for my high-end coats. Here is my list of go-to stores for the best designer coats, along with their return policies, since investment shopping can be nerve-wracking.
- Farfetch – Returns are accepted for free within 14 days of receipt, items must be returned unworn, undamaged, and unused, with all tags attached and the original packaging included.
- MyTheresa – Returns are accepted within 30 days of receipt, all items must be returned in their original condition, without having been worn, washed, or altered, and with tags still attached. Free returns are only available from the country to which an order was originally shipped, for example, orders delivered to Germany must be returned from Germany. Otherwise, the return is unfortunately not free of charge (import and shipping fees will be charged at your own expense).
- Outnet – Returns are accepted for free within 28 days of when the order was delivered.
- Bergdorf Goodman – Returns and exchanges are accepted within 30 days of receipt, with eligible merchandise returned for FREE if received within 15 days of the delivery date, with the exception of CHANEL handbags, accessories, and apparel which are eligible for return within 14 days of receipt and exchange within 30 days. All merchandise must be unworn, undamaged, and in sellable condition with original tags and original product packaging.
- Neiman Marcus – Returns and exchanges are accepted within 30 days of receipt, with eligible merchandise returned for FREE if received within 15 days of the delivery date. Returned merchandise should be in the same condition as when you received it, unworn, undamaged, saleable, with original tags and packaging.
- Net-A-Porter – Returns are accepted for free within 28 days of receipt, items must be returned unused with all tags and designer labels still attached.
Expensive Coats: When Are They Worth The Splurge?
There are coats on this list that range from $500 to $7,000 dollars. Depending on your income and expenses, even the least expensive coat can be considered a splurge. So let’s discuss when a designer coat is worth the splurge. An expensive winter coat is worth splurging on if any of these things are true…
- The coat is unique (and you LOVE it).
- The coat is versatile (and you will wear it often).
- The coat is timeless (and you LOVE it).
- You wear (or would like to wear) coats daily for at least 30 days of the year.
A designer coat is a no-brainer purchase if it is the right coat for you. If it is unique or versatile, flattering, and complementary to your wardrobe, buy it. If a designer coat pairs well with a lot of your wardrobe, and you will wear it often, it almost doesn’t make sense not to purchase such a useful item that has the quality to hold up season after season. Another thing to keep in mind is the climate where you live. It makes complete sense for someone in New York to invest in designer coats to help them stay stylishly warm from October through May.
I personally love to splurge on bold unique coats, but pragmatic people prefer to splurge on high-end winter coats that are versatile and/or timeless. In this case, I recommend splurging on a camel coat, trench coat, or puffer jacket.
Expensive Winter Coats: When Are They NOT Worth The Splurge?
An expensive coat does not make sense if you feel drawn into a major discount and not necessarily the coat itself. Above, I mentioned Outnet. Outnet sells discounted designer items. It is very easy to be distracted by the incredible deals you can get, but in the end, you should not own any item that:
- Isn’t flattering to your body type
- Doesn’t complement your hair color or skin tone
- Is itchy or uncomfortable
- Doesn’t pair well with any of your fall/winter wardrobe
- Doesn’t make sense for the climate you live in
Let’s expand on the climate where you live. If someone lives in San Diego (like moi) and never travels to extreme cold, splurging on a heavy-duty designer winter coat is not a smart choice. It makes more sense to splurge on the lighter-weight designer coats that are perfect for the 45-degree evenings in America’s Finest City. Likewise, in this case, you probably don’t need as many designer coats in your closet since it only reaches 40° at night a couple months of the year.
Personally, I love to sport the bold designer coats when I travel to New York or Park City in winter, but they can be very memorable, so I often rent most of the expensive coats you see me wearing from Rent The Runway.
Where To Buy Second-Hand Designer Coats
Buying a second-hand designer coat is a great idea if the coat you want is sold out, you want something no one else has, or you want to save some money. Here is where I like to buy second-hand designer coats:
- The Real Real
- Rent The Runway
- Farfetch
Another great way to get good prices on designer coats, is to wait for Nordstrom’s annual Anniversary Sale.
Feel free to email me or leave a note in the comments if you have any questions about which splurge-worthy coat has the most versatility for your wardrobe. I am more than happy to assist you with this investment purchase.
Keyword: Purey Clothing