Choosing a Winter Coat

FASHION · GLOBAL

Choosing a Winter Coat

Insulation types, fill power, shell fabrics and fit over layers

A winter coat is bought once and worn daily for years, and the specifications that matter are about insulation and how well it keeps wind and water out.

Down and synthetic

Down is the warmest insulation for its weight and packs down small. It loses almost all its insulation when wet and takes a long time to dry.

Synthetic insulation is heavier for the same warmth and keeps working when damp. For a wet climate rather than a dry cold one, synthetic is frequently the better choice.

Fill power and fill weight

Fill power measures the loft of down — how much space a given weight occupies. Higher numbers, from around 600 to 850, mean better quality down and more warmth per gram.

Fill weight is how much down is actually in the coat. A high fill power with very little down is not a warm coat, and this is the figure marketing usually omits.

Wool coats

Wool insulates well, resists wind reasonably and handles damp far better than cotton. Check the weight in grams and whether it is lined, since an unlined wool coat is a windbreaker.

The shell

Wind resistance matters as much as insulation, since wind strips warmth away. Look for a stated waterproof rating and taped seams if you want it to handle rain rather than drizzle.

Details that do the work

A hood that adjusts and stays up in wind. Cuffs that close. A storm flap over the zip. Length to the mid-thigh or below, which keeps far more warmth than a waist-length jacket.

Fit over layers

Try it over what you will actually wear underneath rather than over a t-shirt in a warm shop. Raise your arms and check the hem still covers you.

Layering under a coat

A thin technical or merino base layer under a jumper does more than a thicker coat, and it can be removed indoors. Cotton next to the skin holds moisture and stops insulating the moment you sweat.

Extremities matter disproportionately, so a hat, gloves and wool socks change comfort far more than another coat layer does.

Buying off-season

Coats are cheapest in late winter and early spring and most expensive in October. Nothing about the garment changes in between.

Fit at the shoulder

Shoulder seams sitting at the edge of your shoulder is the one measurement that cannot be altered affordably. Sleeve length, hem and waist are all straightforward jobs for a tailor to alter.

Care

Wash down with a specialist cleaner and tumble dry with dryer balls to restore loft. Dry cleaning ruins most technical insulation, so read the label.

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