There is only one clothes show in town at this time of year, and that is the coat. Walk down the street and all you see is coats. You could be rocking the chicest outfit and it would go unappreciated, because your coat is all anyone else is going to see. This is liberating in some ways – the sartorial pressure is definitely off – but it also gets kind of dull. Clothes are self-expression. They talk to the world for you, sending out vibes about who you are, what kind of day you’re having, what mood you’re in. And your coat probably doesn’t have much chat.
But a coat can be a “coat-fit”. We all remember the Obamas at the first inauguration. Michelle in a lemon coat with chartreuse leather gloves. Little Sasha, seven years old, in an orange scarf with a pink coat. It was a masterclass in using accessories and colour to jazz up your look without undoing a single button. A jazzed-up coat gives a sense of who you are.
This is a nice thing, because those little currents of recognition between humans matter. The stranger on the train who you can tell appreciates how you’ve coordinated the colour of your scarf to catch your socks. It’s a helpful reminder that we are fellow humans, not quilted-nylon-puffer zombies shouldering our way to and from our caves, which is what winter can sometimes feel like.
A scarf is a great start. A whole lot more people will notice the colour of your scarf than will see the nice blouse you’ve carefully ironed. The statement scarf is having a moment, and Acne’s fluffy, rainbow-stripe version is as much a status symbol to millennial scarf-wearers as a square of Hermès silk was to their grannies. A bright, oversized scarf, draped over the coat as carefully as a prom queen’s sash (don’t tuck it in: rookie mistake) is one surefire way to beat the drabs.
But neater and more chic, IMHO, is the mini-scarf. There was a great photo in Vogue recently of a cool young thing wearing a mannish tweed coat with a pastel silk scarf knotted and tucked under the collar – in silhouette, the effect is more like a high-neck sweater under your coat than a traditional scarf.
Sadly, silk scarves make me look like I’m about to hand you a teacup and saucer and ply you with sponge cake, so I tend to avoid them. But a short wool scarf, just big enough to knot once, without lots of extra fabric, has been my style discovery of the winter. I found it on EtsyMine – it’s camel lambswool, made by Lucky Stitch. The diminutive size is unusual, so it doesn’t have to be a bright colour to still catch the eye. The trimmed neatness keeps your silhouette smart, and it has the panache of a silk scarf while still being cosy.
Matching the colour of your accessories can look old-fashioned, but (as the Obamas knew), if you give it a twist, it looks great. A scarf-and-gloves set in a colour that is an unusual contrast to your coat is a good example. I’ve been wearing my mini-scarf with tan-coloured boots that catch the camel colour. You can spin this any way you like: match your beanie hat to your socks, or your earrings to the hoodie you’ve layered under your coat.
Fun, no? And that is the point. These tricks are little liveners that make it easier to keep trucking on in the same sensible-warm-boring coat you are sick of the sight of, rather than either a) pointlessly spending money you haven’t got on a new coat, or b) switching to a jacket that isn’t waterproof/warm enough, and ending up with a cold for the 45th time since November. Winter will be over before we know it. Let’s finish strong.
Model: Hanna at Milk. Hair and make up: Sophie Higginson using Sam McKnight and Tom Ford beauty. Coat: Next. Scarf: Toteme from MatchesFashion
