Coat Layering 101: How to Bundle Up without Bulking Up
Listen, we all intrinsically know how to layer. You put something on, and then you put on another thing, and then you basically keep going until you end up feeling a semblance of warmth. But why stop at base layers and chunky knits when it's possible to layer your warmest pieces: Your outerwear.
But before you try to shove three coats over a T-shirt in a misguided attempt to avoid frostbite, know this: Coat layering is a different beast. One wrong move and you end up looking more Ralphie's little brother in A Christmas Story than I-just-threw-these-on-and-now-I'm-the picture-of-warmth-chic. Not exactly what you're going for.
Instead, the trick to looking purposefully warm rather than stiff (read: like this, this, or this) is be sure your inner coat is slim enough to comfortably fit underneath something bulkier. The easiest way to eyeball it is to check the shoulders and sleeve volume — a more feminine-cut silhouette with a proper shoulder will always lay flatter underneath something more relaxed or draped. But that's not to say you can't layer something shorter, like a cropped puffer, over something a bit longer, like a thigh-length blazer that toes the line between jacket and coat. Or, if you're feeling really capital-F-Fashion, you could try pairing two belted coats together, tucking the more slim-cut one inside a more oversize iteration.
Recommended Articles
Ahead, find seven winning coat-layering combinations that — let's be honest — won't just keep you warm: They're Instagram #OOTD gold, if you're into that sort of thing.
Bomber + Puffer
Pattern on Pattern
Colorblocked Coat-Layering
Short + Long
Red on Red
Longline Puffer + Longline Wool
Double-Belted Layers
Related Articles:
21 Ways to Achieve Peak Cozy This Winter
21 Chic, Weatherproof Boots That You'll Want to Wear In and Out of The Snow
32 Ethical Winter Fashion Pieces That Will Make Your Closet Instantly Cozier
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
Want the latest fashion industry news first? Sign up for our daily newsletter.