Balenciaga 100% wool brown and camel checked double breasted coat with buckled belt and 100% lambskin lining, $ 2,628 through Matches Fashion

Even though today was a sunny day with temperatures in the 80’s, my mind is on coats for this fall/winter. Year after year I started looking for the perfect chic, trendy, or any particular coat, too late in the season and ended up with not much choice. And nothing can make your outfit look put together like a fantastic coat and, if you choose a coat in a color that you love, it brightens up your day as you go out into the dreary fall weather.

This fall the collections offer so many gorgeous styles to choose from, how am I ever going to decide? At least I have two distinct coats to shop for since I usually have a “work” coat and a “play” coat for the winter season. In terms of coats that I would wear to the office, I will have a hard time choosing between the many luxurious updated belted coats, and the swing coats with its playful slight A-line shape. The style is very reminiscent of the 1960’s and I think it adds fun to a look. Although, I am afraid that it may make me look a little matronly. This can be avoided however by choosing a coat with a well defined shape and in a rich, deep color like royal blue or plum. Then, the belted defined coat is hard to go wrong with; wear it to work for the chic businesswoman look, or out for the evening and look like an old school glamor girl. Fabric used for this year’s collections are very luxurious, think ultra-fine wool, cashmere and satin. I do worry that the colors, which are gentle pastels, may be a little tricky to keep clean in cities that have grimy winters!

While I may be on the fence about what to choose for my formal coat, I have no doubt about what type of weekend coat I am going to get. Short leather, biker style jacket, here I come! Okay, so I don’t own a motorcycle, I just think there is something so chic and cool about the style; I must have it. Besides, I do love wearing jeans and boots, which will look awesome with such a chic short leather coat. This season the style of the biker jacket has been made a little less utilitarian with zippers, studs and (fun) fur trim, and is available in lots new colors available besides the standard black. I am pretty sure I am not daring enough to try the leopard print biker style jacket but this gorgeous lightweight zippered brown Italian leather jacket by Forzieri will be well worth the investment. To complete my perfect fall/winter wardrobe I have my eye on the Balenciaga brown and camel checked double breasted coat, pictured above, and to brighten up my day; the vibrant fuchsia single breasted a-line wool coat from Patrizia Pepe. Left: $ 659 through Matches Fashion and right: $648 through Forzieri