THE weather is definitely starting to turn – and it’s officially coat season.
Autumn is probably my favourite time of year as I can’t wait to get into cosy jumpers, hats and scarves.
But picking the perfect coat can be tricky, especially when you are trying to flatter different body shapes.
My work bestie and I regularly turn up in the office in near-identical looks – whether it’s overnight curls or animal print everything – with colleagues often ribbing us for being clothes clones.
I’m a 44-year-old size 10 with a little mum tum that I am always trying to hide.
Meanwhile my pal Katy, 33, is a size 18 curvy goddess.
Neither of us love anything too clingy or too young – but we also love fashion.
In a bid to offer up some size-inclusive inspo for the over 30s, we’re testing out the same outfits in different sizes from a range of high street favourites to see what works – and whether stores really offer something ‘for everybody‘.
While we were filming our latest fashion haul from River Island, we have discovered the coat of the season – and, spolier alert, it’s leopard print.
This jaquard coat is such a beautiful, quality material, almost feeling like uphosltery. It feel incredibly expensive, but comes in at £95.
And while that may be a bit more than you’d usually pay for a coat, I truly believe this is an investment piece.
But more on the price later, first up the fit.
The coat comes in sizes 6 to 18, so is fairly inclusive, and we grabbed it in a 10 and 18.
It’s definitely true to size as we were both delighted with the way it looked, feeling roomy and comfy without drowning either of us.
And it’s the perfect balance between being cosy and not overly heavy, ideal for this in-between season that can go from being blustery and cool to full on freezing – all in an afternoon.
It also goes with everything. And I am not exaggerating here.
So far I’ve paired with with a smart black dress for work, leggings and an oversized t-shirt for a crisp autumn walk, with jeans and a jumper for shopping with a pal and over a sparkly skater for dinner on the town.
That’s where the pricetag comes in because, using girl math, given the wear I know I am going to get out if it, this coat is an absolute bargain.
But it’s not just us going dotty for the spotty coat, fashion fans everywhere are loving the look.
One said: “The perfect coat.”
Another wrote: “It’s so dreamy.”
While a third commented: “I just went leopard crazy too.”
It’s not the first incredible find we’ve discovered during our fashion hauls.
As well as the coat of the season, we stumbled across the most perfect dress for autumn – and it was a super soft supermarket find at just £18.
