All About Coats

 

Do you own outerwear that fits all your needs, including making you look your best? If you have an hourglass shape, the coats that look best on the inverted triangle shape would flatten your bust and take away your curves. I’ve given you one example of why it is essential to learn which coat style is best for your shape.

The hourglass figure looks best in the coat style with a belt and a fit and flare silhouette. The wrapped style will look great on you.

 

Your best leather jacket would be similar to the shape below.

 


The pear shape figure has hips that are wider than the bust and the waist. Your best coat style will bring the attention up to the shoulders. Wider collars with fur or a hood and other details such as epaulets are great for you. Never let the hem end at your widest part. Keep the hem of short coats above the hips. Long coats should be fitted and sleek with no extra fabric below the waist.

 

The best style of a biker jacket for a pear shape figure would be similar to this coat.

 


If you have a rectangle shape, belted coats are best for you. A long tailored straight coat such as the one below can also work for you.

 

Your best biker jacket will have details that mimic a waistline, such as the jacket below.

 


Those of us with inverted triangle shapes can wear trapeze and bell-shaped coats, which add a little volume below the waist to balance broader shoulders and smaller hips. The upper part of coats and jackets should fit close to the body without adding bulk.

 

The best biker style jacket for the woman with an inverted triangle shape is sleek and fitted without studs, zippers, padding, or other shoulder details.

 

 

 


The woman with an apple shape gains weight in the tummy area first. Swing coats and other coat styles fitted in the bodice and then flare out under the bust are best for you.

 

The apple shape requires a biker jacket that ends below the tummy area without adding bulk with its details.

Always hang your coat on a hook or rack to air out and dry thoroughly before hanging it back in your closet. Use sturdy hangers so that coats maintain their shape.

I hope my examples, descriptions, and tips are helpful to you. The video below shares my retirement wardrobe of coats and one of my favorite scarves. I am planning for my retirement time now, so I can only buy things I can wear for several years as I travel more often and enjoy a low-key lifestyle.

 

24 Comments
  1. WONDERFUL information!!! Thank you for explaining why certain coats just are not for me!! I looked at coats last winter and really struggled finding the right style. This is SO helpful.
    Also wanted to say that your post on necklines was very helpful, again, putting words to why certain styles just are not for me. I appreciate the knowledge that you share!! I have learned so much from you. Thank you!!

  2. Thank you, as always, for the insightful and helpful information. Coincidentally I just picked up a coat yesterday. Today I will stand in front of a mirror to evaluate whether or not it is a keeper, using the information in your post.

    Several posts ago you did a video in which you unloaded your travel bags after a trip. Where did you find the travel case for your makeup brushes?

  3. What an incredibly helpful post because we often neglect how we look in our coats…yet we are seen in them all the time! Susan, I have been following your blog for a number of years, but I have rarely commented. But I want to say THANK YOU! Your advice has saved me money, time,
    and frustration. Aftrr all this time and wasted money, it finally sunk in that a limited number of styles look best on me (hourglass), The same is true for colors with my skin tone. Now that I know how to wear scarves (thanks again!), I never feel as if I am wearing the same outfit. I really enjoy dressing up now after many years of dreading it.

  4. I’m loving the videos, Susan!! Thanks so much for adding more of them to the blog! This was really helpful information…I don’t often find many suggestions about the correct outerwear (coats/jackets) for each body type. Your videos and blog posts are the ones I refer to over and over again! Thank you!

  5. A great article. Coats are an investment, such good advice! Thank You. Hope you are safe from Florence, probably lots of rain for you next few days?

  6. Great post and video on coat and jacket styles! I have the same shape as you and I have whittled my coat collection down too. I read long ago I shouldn’t wear double breasted coats so I avoid those and excess trim features. Your advice is so relevant to my age and lifestyle now (retired but active in clubs and organizations). Please keep up the good advice for our age group!

  7. That was a great post and video on coats. I was going to buy one of those puffer coats this year, but am now really re thinking that.
    Susan, do you have a favorite blog or site to go and help me determine my skin tone and what colors look good on me. Everything I’ve looked at gets me confused. I can’t tell if my veins are blue or green. Either gold or silver jewelry shows predominately better on me. Undertones confuse me to no end, and my eyes are a mix of blue and green. Where do I fit in? You helped me so much determine by body shape. Now if I could figure out the colors for my skin tone, I am set to shop. Have the closet purging thing going on. Have lost a lot of weight and my body is totally different. Nothing in my closet fits! Help! Thank you for all you do to show us the way.

    1. From what you say, it seems that you might have a neutral undertone. You can buy and wear whatever you like, but I would suggest that you still work with three main colors, two neutral colors and four accent colors when building your new wardrobe. If all of these colors work together, you can get the most mileage for your investment. For example, my main wardrobe colors are navy, gray and lighter blues. White and black are my neutral colors. My four accent colors are red, royal, coral and turquoise. Most of these colors can work with each other to create different outfits.

      1. Thank you again, Susan! Your knowledge is so helpful in getting myself started. By the way, this morning I pulled all my scarves out of a drawer and put them all on hangers. This is a much better way to see what I have and match to an outfit rather than rummaging through a drawer. And I love the new scarves on your shopping site! They are beautiful. I just ordered a few for myself and a couple for xmas gifts. Have a great weekend!

  8. Thank you for your tips, Susan. I am 5’1″, and inverted triangle as well. I am 63 and have short wavy silver hair also, and I find your tips to be immensely helpful.

  9. Hi Susan
    I found your coat video helpful but was unable to see the detail on the coats because it was too dark. Can you lighten the video a bit?
    Thank you!

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I share tips and inspiration for using what you already have in contemporary ways. Defining words include effortless, classic, refined, discreet, and elegant. My style is chic, minimal, and timeless with a bit of edge.