Best Designer Coats That Are Worth The Splurge

The following content may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.

best designer winter coats
coat: CO (also here, here, & here), top: Vince (similar here), jeans: Paige, booties: similar here, purse: Marc Jacobs, tennis necklace: Ahava Jewels, chain necklace: Ahava Jewels

There is nothing more decadent than a designer coat. When chosen wisely, a high-end winter coat is with you for the rest of your life — a staple for your cold-weather wardrobe. It’s a blanket on a plane, a versatile statement piece, and a more prominent status symbol than a high-end handbag in my personal opinion. With several months of winter still ahead of us, we need some more fabulous outerwear to stay warm out there.

Best Stores for Designer Coats

As I update this post each winter you’ll see some brands come up over and over again. Burberry is a great example of this. Beyond their classic trench coats, their outerwear in general is a fantastic investment and they have some truly elegant winter coats. I always have multiple Burberry goodies on this list, but the real consistency is where I shop for my high-end coats. Here is my list of go-to stores for the best designer coats, along with their return policies, since investment shopping can be nerve-wracking. 

  1. Farfetch – Returns are accepted for free within 14 days of receipt, items must be returned unworn, undamaged, and unused, with all tags attached and the original packaging included.
  2. MyTheresa – Returns are accepted within 30 days of receipt, all items must be returned in their original condition, without having been worn, washed, or altered, and with tags still attached. Free returns are only available from the country to which an order was originally shipped, for example, orders delivered to Germany must be returned from Germany. Otherwise, the return is unfortunately not free of charge (import and shipping fees will be charged at your own expense).
  3. Outnet –  Returns are accepted for free within 28 days of when the order was delivered.
  4. Bergdorf Goodman – Returns and exchanges are accepted within 30 days of receipt, with eligible merchandise returned for FREE if received within 15 days of the delivery date, with the exception of CHANEL handbags, accessories, and apparel which are eligible for return within 14 days of receipt and exchange within 30 days. All merchandise must be unworn, undamaged, and in sellable condition with original tags and original product packaging.
  5. Neiman Marcus – Returns and exchanges are accepted within 30 days of receipt, with eligible merchandise returned for FREE if received within 15 days of the delivery date. Returned merchandise should be in the same condition as when you received it, unworn, undamaged, saleable, with original tags and packaging.
  6. Net-A-Porter – Returns are accepted for free within 28 days of receipt, items must be returned unused with all tags and designer labels still attached.

Expensive Coats: When Are They Worth The Splurge?

There are coats on this list that range from $500 to $7,000 dollars. Depending on your income and expenses, even the least expensive coat can be considered a splurge. So let’s discuss when a designer coat is worth the splurge. An expensive winter coat is worth splurging on if any of these things are true…

  1. The coat is unique (and you LOVE it).
  2. The coat is versatile (and you will wear it often).
  3. The coat is timeless (and you LOVE it).
  4. You wear (or would like to wear) coats daily for at least 30 days of the year.

A designer coat is a no-brainer purchase if it is the right coat for you. If it is unique or versatile, flattering, and complementary to your wardrobe, buy it. If a designer coat pairs well with a lot of your wardrobe, and you will wear it often, it almost doesn’t make sense not to purchase such a useful item that has the quality to hold up season after season. Another thing to keep in mind is the climate where you live. It makes complete sense for someone in New York to invest in designer coats to help them stay stylishly warm from October through May.

I personally love to splurge on bold unique coats, but pragmatic people prefer to splurge on high-end winter coats that are versatile and/or timeless. In this case, I recommend splurging on a camel coat, trench coat, or puffer jacket.

Expensive Winter Coats: When Are They NOT Worth The Splurge?

An expensive coat does not make sense if you feel drawn into a major discount and not necessarily the coat itself. Above, I mentioned Outnet. Outnet sells discounted designer items. It is very easy to be distracted by the incredible deals you can get, but in the end, you should not own any item that:

  1. Isn’t flattering to your body type
  2. Doesn’t complement your hair color or skin tone
  3. Is itchy or uncomfortable
  4. Doesn’t pair well with any of your fall/winter wardrobe
  5. Doesn’t make sense for the climate you live in

Let’s expand on the climate where you live. If someone lives in San Diego (like moi) and never travels to extreme cold, splurging on a heavy-duty designer winter coat is not a smart choice. It makes more sense to splurge on the lighter-weight designer coats that are perfect for the 45-degree evenings in America’s Finest City. Likewise, in this case, you probably don’t need as many designer coats in your closet since it only reaches 40° at night a couple months of the year.

Personally, I love to sport the bold designer coats when I travel to New York or Park City in winter, but they can be very memorable, so I often rent most of the expensive coats you see me wearing from Rent The Runway.

Where To Buy Second-Hand Designer Coats

Buying a second-hand designer coat is a great idea if the coat you want is sold out, you want something no one else has, or you want to save some money. Here is where I like to buy second-hand designer coats:

  1. The Real Real
  2. Rent The Runway
  3. Farfetch

Another great way to get good prices on designer coats, is to wait for Nordstrom’s annual Anniversary Sale.

Feel free to email me or leave a note in the comments if you have any questions about which splurge-worthy coat has the most versatility for your wardrobe. I am more than happy to assist you with this investment purchase.

Smythe Double-Breasted Wool Overcoat

designer winter coats
Smythe $1,195 $597

Available at Neiman Marcus and Garmentory.

Sizing: 2-12

Material: wool, nylon, polyamide

Sentaler Long Wide-Collar Wrap Coat

high end coats
Sentaler $1,990

Available at Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s.

Sizing: XS-XL

Material: 70% baby alpaca, 30% wool

CO Wool Blend Cardigan Sweater Coat

best designer coats
Co $1,495

I love the freedom of movement (and the cool factor) of this sweater coat. This designer coat is incredibly versatile because it works well for dressing both up and down. It’s a medium-weight coat and great for layering so it can make sense in a number of climates.

Available at Bloomingdale’sNordstromSaks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus.

Sizing: Runs large. I am wearing an extra-small. Available in XS-XL.

Material: 68% wool, 29% cashmere, 3% polyamide

LoveShackFancy Mahika Wool-Cashmere Wrap Coat

expensive winter coats
LoveShackFancy $1,295

Available at LoveShackFancy.

Sizing: XXS-XXL

Material: 90% wool, 10% cashmere

Vince Shadow Plaid Wool Blend Coat

designer winter coats
Vince $895

Available at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Shopbop, Farfetch, and Vince.

Sizing: XXS-XL

Material: 70% wool, 25% nylon, 5% other fibers

GABRIELA HEARST Kant Belted Double-Breasted Leather-Trimmed Wool Coat

expensive winter coats
GABRIELA HEARST $6,750

As you know, red is one of my favorite colors to wear, and a bold red coat in winter is particularly scrumptious.

Available at NET-A-PORTER.

Sizing: XS-L

Material: 100% wool; trim: 100% leather

LAMARQUE Vanessa Coat

best designer winter coats
LAMARQUE $530

Available at Revolve.

Sizing: XS-XL

Material: 55% wool/laine, 45% polyester

Rails Hugo Fringe Detail Wool Blend Coat

best designer coats
Rails $398

Available at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Shopbop, and Rails.

Sizing: XXS-XL

Material: 51% wool, 49% polyester

Nicholas Candice Coat

best designer coats
Nicholas $795

Available at Farfetch.

Sizing: XS-L

Material: 70% wool, 30% polyester

Burberry Detachable-hood Padded Jacket

designer coats
Burberry $1,650

Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Farfetch, and Burberry.

Sizing: XXS-XXL

Material: 100% nylon

Dolce & Gabbana Lace-insert Tie-waist Trench Coat

expensive winter coats
Dolce & Gabbana $6,345

Available at Farfetch and Dolce & Gabbana.

Sizing: XXS-M

Material: 35% cotton, 30% wool, 29% viscose, 6% polyamide

Burberry Waterloo Heritage Trench Coat

designer coats
Burberry $2,590

Burberry makes some of the best designer coats because they are truly timeless and versatile. You will get a lot of wears out of a coat like this.

Available at Farfetch, Nordstrom, and Burberry.

Sizing: XXS-XXL

Material: 100% cotton

Max Mara Teddy Bear Icon Camel Hair And Silk-Blend Coat

max mara splurge worthy coats
Max Mara $4,490

Available at Net-A-Porter, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman.

Sizing: XS-L

Material: 88% camel hair, 12% silk

Canada Goose Marlow Parka

designer coats
Canada Goose $1,525

Available at Farfetch, and Harrods.

Sizing: L-XL

Material: lining: 100% duck feathers, 100% polyester, 98% cotton, 2% spandex/elastane ; outer: 100% polyamide

Mackage Elodie Double Breasted Military Maxi Coat

splurge worthy winter coat
Mackage $1,090

Green is one of the most versatile jacket colors, meaning an olive green coat like this one will likely go with a lot of your wardrobe.

Available at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Sizing: XXS-XL

Material: 100% wool

Mackage Patsy Water Resistant Down Coat

best designer winter coats
Mackage $890

Available at Bloomingdale’s.

Sizing: XXS-XXL

Material: shell: nylon, spandex; lining: nylon, spandex; fill: goose down, feathers polyester; trim: real leather

Burberry The Waterloo Trench Coat

high end coats
Burberry $2,590

Available at Burberry and MyTheresa.

Sizing: 0-16

Material: 100% cotton; sleeve lining: 100% viscose; buckles: 100% calf leather

Mackage Mai Long Wool Wrap Coat  

designer winter coats
Mackage $1,090 $817.50

Available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman.

Sizing: XXS-XL

Material: 100% wool

Sentaler Alpaca & Wool Textured Sleeve Wrap Coat

best designer winter coats
Sentaler $1,295

Available at Nordstrom.

Sizing: XS-XL

Material: 60% alpaca, 40% wool

Burberry Cashmere Trench Coat

designer winter coats
Burberry $3,890

Available at Burberry.

Sizing: 0-14

Material:  95% cashmere, 3% wool, 2% other fibers

Best Designer Coats From Years Past

I originally wrote this post on the best designer winter coats years ago and update it regularly due to its popularity. I’ve left these photos below for nostalgic purposes. Whenever I update older posts, I love to hold on to a collection of images as a bit of a time capsule so we can watch how our style evolves.

Akris Kosima Cashmere Long Coat

expensive winter coats
Akris $6,950

You know I love wearing pastels in winter. A chic baby blue designer coat will take away your winter blues and is well worth the investment. This coat is available at Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue, and Bergdorf Goodman.

Isabel Marant Étoile Double-breasted Checked Coat

designer coats
Isabel Marant Étoile $895 $545

Theory Double-breasted Wool Coat

stylish winter coats
Theory $720 $685

MSGM Belted-waist Midi Coat

splurge worthy coats
MSGM $1,160 $631

Patrizia Pepe Double-breasted Belted Trench Coat

designer coats
Patrizia Pepe $568

P.A.R.O.S.H. Fringe-detail Belted-waist Coat

expensive winter coats
P.A.R.O.S.H. $1,010

Moschino Tap-plaque Single-breasted Coat

designer coats
Moschino $2,950 $1,509

Burberry Kensington Trench Coat with Detachable Hood

burberry splurge worthy coats
Burberry $1,350

This Burberry coat is available at Saks 5th Avenue, Burberry, and Farfetch.

Max Mara Studio Wool, Cashmere and Silk Coat

stylish winter coats
Max Mara Studio $1,625 $1,137

Max Mara Labbro Belted Cashmere Coat

splurge worthy winter coats
Max Mara $6,090

This designer coat is available at Net-A-Porter.

Carolina Herrera Shawl-Collar Belted Wool Twill Coat

splurge worthy coats
Carolina Herrera $3,190

Burberry Shearling Trim Wool Cashmere Trench Coat

burberry shearling trim wool cashmere trench coat
Burberry $6,500

Mackage Azara Water Resistant Wool & Leather Wrap Coat

mackage splurge worthy winter coats
Mackage $690

Burberry Two-tone Cotton Gabardine Trench Coat

burberry trench coat splurge worthy winter coats
Burberry $2,690

Gabriela Hearst Franz Belted Leather-trimmed Cashmere Trench Coat

gabriela hearst cashmere trench coat splurge worthy coats
Gabriela Hearst $7,290

Valentino Double Breasted Double Face Cashmere Coat

splurge worthy coats
Valentino $7,500

This designer coat is available at Nordstrom.

Burberry Kensington Cashmere Heritage Trench Coat

burberry kensington cashmere heritage trench coat
Burberry $2,990

Leave a note for Vanessa.

2 Responses

  1. Sarah Beauchemin says:

    OMG the Gabriela Hearst ones… I am obsessed!!!!!!! Amazing curated list, as always.

    1. riiight?! They’re so stunning. Glad you enjoyed the article 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter

wardrobe stylist

Items selling out are my reader's biggest complaint. Sign up for my weekly updates so you get first dibs.

Are weekly emails too much? Sign up for the monthly round up and receive my personal five favorite recent purchases. In my professional opinion, you should sign up for both!

* indicates required
Please enter your e-mail address.
What updates do you want from me?

Sign up for my newsletter

* indicates required
Please enter your e-mail address.
What updates do you want from me?