(Photo via KyraKiss)
There are few clothing items all humans of different shapes and sizes can wear and look good in. Not among them are: skin-tight dresses (I’d like a personal apology from whomever created this idea, because my feelings have been hurt far too many times), neon anything, and gaucho pants. Among them are: jeans, Converse, black leather jackets and the ever-so-perfect camel coat.
The classic camel coat look is back in full force this flu season, but fashionistas are noticing something new happening.
Jennifer Yedid, a senior women’s stylist at Harrison Style said a classic look is being “completely reimagined,” with New Yorkers adding their own edgy spin to it, like dressing the affluent coat down with denim or dressing it even more down by getting it oversized and walking around the city with what’s basically a blanket around their body.
In short, New York is making grungy chic this season, and we’re all for it — and so are the fashion experts.
Professional and celebrity stylist Samantha Brown says the switch-up is because people are leaning more toward comfort and versatility than posh and pointed.
She’s seeing corporate silhouettes with ripped denim and slouchy sweaters and it’s working, hunny. It’s casual street style that can combine with work-appropriate neutral tones and become something similar in greatness to Barack Obama in a tan suit.
“New York is the the city for setting the cold-weather trends,” Brown said.
Beckie Klein and Martina Gordon of their namesake fashion site Beckie + Martina, say slouchy looks are all well and good, but make sure you don’t end up looking like a french fry in a potato sack. “If you’re taller, you can get away with a more slouchy and larger style,” Gordon explained, adding that shorter people should opt for camel coats that stop at the knee — an indication of a perfect length.
Avoid the yellow undertones that some camel coats have, the duo said, and find something a bit more peachy. Decide beforehand if you want the coat to synch at the waist or flow with no shape.
The layers can get expensive, but consider how long you can wear the jacket, Brown said, and how well it can adapt to different fashions. Because the coats are such a classic look, Klein recommends finding something that’s a bit more of an investment, because those will likely last for a long while.
One little-known fact to finding a less expensive option that looks chic is taking the time to analyze the buttons. The duo recommends finding thicker buttons as well as finding some without a plastic sheen.
Some more cost-efficient brands the experts recommend include ASOS, Topshop, Nasty Gal, H&M and Zara.
But be advised, Brown said, “if you’re buying fast fashion it’s definitely more for the trend than the quality … it’s not actually as warm as you’d have with something that costs a bit more.”
All of the stylists agree that a quality camel coat is worth the investment, especially since it can be morphed into so many different looks.
Yedid favors going for a street-style look with gray hoodie underneath and jeans as bottoms for a “really cool weekend vibe.”
Klein says chunky white shoes are great to pull the whole look together, so long as they aren’t Converse. “Or Ugg boots. Never wear Ugg boots with a camel coat,” she said.