The cheap secret to revolutionizing your fall wardrobe
And one not so cheap secret
I’ll just tell you — it’s a statement-patterned coat in a neutral color palette.
Now, allow me to explain.
Outerwear has long plagued fashionistas across the globe from a very young age. It’s one of the first times we experience practicality getting in the way of vision. No matter how many hours you spent perfectly curating your elementary school ensemble, it was no match for your mother waiting at the door to shoot your body into the barrel of some giant, stuffy, puffy coat.
I often see people regard their coats and outerwear as utility-driven purchases, only willing to invest if the product promises to submissively “work” with every outfit. And while practicality is absolutely a must, it doesn’t mean your coat closet needs to be a sea of the same familiar brown and khaki wool blends. At least until it’s actually winter, then forget everything I’m about to say and wear whatever is warm.
In my experience, no matter how loud the pattern, if it’s in a neutral color, it’s still a neutral piece, thus creating the secret weapon. I first discovered the power of neutral-patterned outerwear two years ago. It was late, and I was scrolling eBay for something tantalizing, though I didn’t know what. I came across this tiger-printed gray and black 1980s raincoat with a velvet lining. Though I wanted it desperately, I knew I had to wait my mandatory 12 hours before clicking “purchase” to test if I actually really loved it.
When I woke up the next morning, I snatched my phone, opened eBay, and to no surprise and massive dismay, it had been sold. I messaged the seller and offered to pay more in exchange for canceling the other order (unethical, yes, but I was operating in a frenzied haze devoid of morality). She said she couldn’t and, in a strike of immediate karma, offered to “source” me an identical one for the low fee of $50.00.
She had no idea who she was speaking with.
In less than 10 minutes, I was able to extract the fabric makeup from the care tags she posted in her listing and track the coat back to its original warehouse manufacturer. There, I found the brand label and was able to locate another coat on Depop for $28.00. The coat was mine. And in just two short weeks, it arrived at my door from London.
I slid the coat over my arms, looked in the mirror — and it hit me. Even though this was technically a “statement” piece, it was going to go with just about every single outfit I owned. This was one of those tiny watershed moments that alters the course of your personal style forever. A little light bulb that goes off and, consequently, illuminates your entire closet. From that day, I vowed to re-evaluate my definition of the word “neutral.”
This $25.00 XL vintage coat, for example, serves the exact same color-matching function as an all-black trench coat. But when paired with a graphic tee and jeans combo, it takes the outfit to a totally different and much more personal place.
Through the power of texture, this $39.00 patchwork tan leather coat is able to completely revolutionize it’s familiar silhouette into something entirely different-
And with this sneaky little animal print number you could transform a classic going out outfit into a whole new type of character-
You can shop all of the items in the flat lays here
If you’re not quite ready to throw yourself off the deep end, consider a jacket with a patterned lining. The pattern is confined to the inner body, offering just a breeze of funky styling — only noticeable to the keenest of eyes when a gust of wind or a subtle tilt reveals it.
And here are a few honorable mentions that don’t quite fit into the aforementioned category, but are worth showing you before I cast them back into the Depop pond.
You can shop these jackets here
And if you simply must keep your outerwear a true neutral — which I completely understand (and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t own a plain wool navy coat myself) — then may I suggest a statement bag as the second secret?
People ask me all the time how to choose which bag to wear, and if I could boil all my advice down to one bite-sized sentence, it would be this: Choose a bag that’s the opposite texture of whatever it’s lying on, to create a clear distinction between the two pieces.
A lot of the time, bag choices feel off because we’ve stacked a black slouchy leather bag on top of a black slouchy leather jacket — putting all the visual interest in one place and confusing the eye about where one piece ends and the next begins.
So, if true neutral outerwear is the best choice for you, take a look at your bag collection and see if there’s an opportunity to add a funky texture or unexpected pattern.
Welp thats all for now, I’ll be back to bother you when I have something else to say. Keep an eye out for Sunday’s newsletter and I hope you enjoyed!