COAT, PLEASE!

‘Tis the season… for a good coat! Now that I’m back on the East Coast, I’m kind of excited to go through a real, full-blown winter. I know that many people consider a SoCal ‘winter’ a joke. And I don’t really blame anyone for thinking so. But you have to understand that when you’ve acclimated to the weather of Southern California, where sun and warmth are the norm, 49-degree mornings in the winter can be painstakingly frigid. On the other hand, a 49-degree day during a DC winter is actually a blessing, especially if the sun is out. But now I’m back in the land where winter weather is the real deal, and that means that it’s time for me to invest in a brand new coat.

If you know me well, I’m pretty picky when it comes to clothing. Coats are no exception to my utter pickiness. I’m not one for “ordinary” looking outerwear, and the “mass-produced” look of those box-shaped black wool jackets (You know you’ve seen them. Banana Republic and Kenneth Cole are big culprits.) are bo-RING. (Sorry to those who actually like them.) I’ve spent the last couple of weeks actually scoping out the “coat scene” here in the DC area. So far, I’ve had no luck finding anything outstanding. Every store from Banana to J. Crew, H&M to French Connection, and even Sisley to Zara have been disappointments. I remember being wowed by the coats I saw at the new Zara in L.A.’s Farmer’s Market on 3rd this past September. I expected to be equally impressed by the Zara’s here (if not more so), but that didn’t happen. This just goes to confirm that DC-area style can be nothing short of boring. It’s “uniform city” here in Our Nation’s Capital, but I am not discouraged.

If only I were friends with Jil Sander, or whoever is designing for the brand these days. (Ha!) I’ve always been allured by the silhouettes of Jil Sander outerwear. The brand knows how to craft a well-worn coat; one that fits a person in a way that compliments them, rather than merely covering them up. The functionality of keeping warm is still there, despite the fact that you won’t drown in their coats and jackets. So the hunt continues.

L-R: Rudolf Dassler Wool Long Jacket (Puma.com), Mackage 3/4 Trench (revolveclothing.com)

L-R: Mackage grey wool "Neil" cable knit collar coat (bluefly.com), Jil Sander Fall 2009 Collection

I wonder how long it’ll take me to find the “perfect” winter coat?