174: When the coat is the outfit

Long coats from Liberowe, By Malene Birger, and Studio Nicholson, and what lies beneath.

Dec 10, 2023

From now until mid-March, at least, getting dressed can be boiled down to putting on a coat. The “have one solid winter coat” crew make a fair argument, but for those of us who need to change up our look regularly—in the deepest Maslowian sense—capsule dressing can make the two arm holes of a single coat feel more like a pillory.

When it comes to outerwear, go wide.

Lately, there have been three coats in my regular rotation, all serving different needs. And I find myself working backwards when I get dressed. Coat comes first, determining the proportions and fit of what goes under it (even if that secret, inner outfit is only seen, like, 10% of the time).

Liberowe Velvet Trimmed Wool Coat, $3,000 / Soeur Vertue Jumper, $295 / La Collection Ramona Shirtdress (sold out but available in silk here, $990, or a similar style here, $590, also on The RealReal, $95 ~~$190~~) / One Of x Khaore Mini Pillow Bag, $495 / LoQ Camilla Heels in Hueso, $340 / Santangelo Silver & Brown Bepe Earrings, $182 ~~$320~~

This Liberowe coat and La Collection shirtdress are a match made in The Row SS23 heaven. The addition of the Soeur vest—whose discrete side ties allow it to hang without bunching despite the coat’s lean tailoring—lends a Jil Sander ‘91 feel straight from my inspo scrapsheet for the season; just the slightest gesture to ren faire overdressing without going full town fool.

The coat’s polish makes it prime holiday party fodder, so that’s exactly the direction I’ve taken it with the accessories, a One Of x Khaore bag whose glistening, golden beaded threads offer a way into sparkle without succumbing to sequins and Santangelo pearl earrings whose shell trios ground them more than freshwater-only pairs.

By Malene Birger Sandras Shearling Coat, $2,000 ~~$4,000~~ / Alex Mill Taylor Striped Cardigan, $175 / Aeron Forum Knitted Midi Skirt, $363 ~~$453~~ / Everlane Knee-High Banana Heel Boots, $350 / Cuyana Mini System Tote, $228 / Sophie Buhai Everyday Hoops, $275

Among the great things about this By Malene Birger coat is the not-immediately-obvious fact that it is reversible! The shearling-out side is very designer-teddy-bear-in-the-arms-of-a-precocious-French-child, to paint with broad strokes. (It’s also certainly expensive but nothing compared to this $10k Max Mara coat of the same concept.)

Given the sort of “seriousness” of the coat (call it elegance or old world charm), my backwards process here was to create a not-too-precious assemblage of loungey knits peeking out at the collar and hem. The funnel neck on this striped Alex Mill cardigan, which is very in the vein of the iconic Agnés B snap cardigan, is so catchy and fun, and this Aeron skirt (as comfy, maybe comfier than sweats, but that’s coming from a skirt girl) becomes a very alive, rich navy sliver gently flouncing just below the coat’s hemline.

A note on this Cuyana bag: It’s great! I think of it as my Paris bag, because I got it right before traveling to PFW last September, and I ended up wearing it again and again there. I only recently realized why I gravitate to it so much, and I think it has something to do with how similar it looks to The Row’s TR1 bag (here’s a second link in case the first sells out). Mine is the Mini System Tote in Stone, but an even closer match to TR’s is the 13-inch System in Olive.

Studio Nicholson Ria Coat, $1,100 / Dissh Tilly Longline Vest, $129 / heirloom silk pants from one of my grandmother’s suits (similar vintage pairs/sets here, $49, here, $99, and here, $45) / Savette Symmetry Pochette, $1,190 / Marséll Arsella Slipper, $225 ~~$750~~ / Agmes Large Astrid Cuff, $680 / Missoma Mini Chubby Hoop Earrings, $115

The drop-shoulder cut of this Studio Nicholson coat makes it a great outer layer for bulkier bases. I had a proper suit in mind when sketching out this outfit, but landed on this Dissh vest paired with silk trousers I inherited from my grandmother combined into a makeshift “suit” instead—I couldn’t resist giving full view of such a satisfying run-on row of buttons. The ren faire strikes again, I fear.

My Marséll shoes from the La Garçonne sale are clearly an editorialization from someone who insists on wearing sandals worryingly late into the season, but, to suggest a more pragmatic footwear choice, wouldn’t this be just the ideal outfit for a babouche boot?

To expand this outerwear-as-outfit survey, a few more ideas I want to surface are this approachably priced Frankie Shop felted coat (it’s under $500), a phenomenally elegant CO coat with an ultra-wide double-breast that makes it almost dress-like, an A.W.A.K.E. Mode coat with a pinched waist and croissant-sloped shoulders (reminds me of when Jacquemus was giving us hits), another sub-$500 coat from Amomento with an easy robe-like shape, and a splurge of an option from Fforme with a very tempting “ruffle” creeping all the way across the back from sleeve to sleeve.