Since BC (before COVID), the leather coat has been an integral part of most fashion people's uniforms. And like most trends in recent years, it all began with Bottega. Ever since that brown buttery-soft Bottega Veneta style stormed the A/W 20 runway, the love for leather outerwear (be it real, faux or vegan) has increased tenfold. With Prada putting leather coats back on the runway for S/S 22 in oversized styles, we predict they'll only get more popular. Far removed from their previous Buffy the Vampire Slayer comparisons thanks to beautiful tailoring and rich colour palettes—think glossy caramel, chocolate brown, teal and terracotta shades—it's time to try out the investment buy.
Pictured above: Bottega Veneta A/W 20
With designer styles costing in the thousands, making them "lifetime buys" rather than something to wear for a year or two is something to think about before you buy one. Fashion buyers have heavily invested in leather outerwear this season, as Tiffany Hsu, fashion buying director, explains, "Following the wave of minimalist leather-on-leather tailoring inspired by menswear, new leather looks appeared in the collections this season. Tan and beige are, of course, still key. However, designers also incorporated new colours to create statement pieces."
Fashion influencers have recently been backing the statement styles by wearing Saks Potts' real-leather iterations in zesty yellow or green (like Karina is wearing above). Sustainable brand Jakke has also created vegan-leather versions for those who prefer to go faux, and you can snap it up in our edit below.
If you want to lean toward a more classic choice, we love the tan leather coats from Prada and Loewe, and black is still popular, with minimalist brands Sundarbay and Novo reworking the trench in the luxe-looking fabric. Leather coats are still a significant investment if shopping on the high street, but we love the chic collarless style by COS. We also recommend shopping for leather coats second-hand and have found some amazing options on Vestiaire Collective. Keep scrolling to see our edit of leather coats worth the spend.
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Next up, see our guide to the best under-£250 winter coats.
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