The playground-to-pub winter jacket
Buy now, wear into spring
This part of the year can be a bit of a weird one when it comes to shopping. Although it's often the coldest period, fashion talk has already turned to spring/summer (in fact the next A/W shows kick off imminently… the cycle is relentless) so buying wintery pieces feels a little late in the day. Unless it's a sales bargain too good to ignore.
Which is why I've recently been wavering over getting myself a puffer coat. Even though it makes sense because it's freezing and I’d likely wear it solidly until at least March - and then again from November - I’m too into next season to want to commit. Plus, most of the good ones have sold out.
So, what am I wearing instead? My solution is a quilted jacket. Something short, with a decent amount of padding that's going to keep me properly warm, but also lightweight so it can be stuffed it into a tote/buggy basket when needed.
It has to be the right silhouette to be able to layer a big jumper underneath now, but not look out of place worn in the spring over a T-shirt, pale denim and Birks.
On a press trip I went on this week, one of the editors was wearing the below from COS which ticks all the boxes. It's £135, has pockets (including a handy internal one), an A-line shape that's reminiscent of The Frankie Shop’s cult quilted coat and can fit a little shearling gilet underneath for extra warmth and outfit-elevating texture.
Very annoyingly, the dark khaki is currently sold out (I think I bought the last one in London after a manic call around COS branches) BUT while I was in store, I spotted the sage green version (£135). Although it looks greyish online, it’s actually a really chic, lighter neutral that feels like a good bridge between winter and spring. It's going to soften your navy and charcoal jumpers and work with every different wash of jeans.
The fit is oversized, so I'd suggest sizing down. I'm a clothes size 10 and the small is plenty big enough.
If you’d prefer khaki, this from Whistles (£155) is a good alternative. The trick with khaki is to make sure it's not too green. Darker tones, like this one, look more expensive.
Or go more heritage-chic with this corduroy-collared gem from Nobody’s Child (£70) which is on sale. It's giving Sunday-morning-at-the-farmer’s-market vibes, but would also look cute over a sexy cardi for evening pub drinks.
The Barbour x Alexa Chung Jamie jacket is a spendier option, but isn't the colour great? Also the ribbed cuffs! And the contrast lining! All sizes are available on Net-A-Porter where it's (£199) . Or sizes 12-16 are in stock on the Barbour site and down to £149.
Finally, a slightly different approach. I’ve become a bit obsessed with Adanola - I think it's fascinating that an accessibly-priced Manchester brand has managed to infiltrate the global athleisure scene, which is dominated by boujie LA brands selling expensive leggings (I recently wrote a piece about it). I also really rate the products and this puffy bomber (£119.99) looks like it would be a treat to wear on a chilly morning.
One more thing…
Booking a holiday seems to be a good way to cheer up January. If you’re currently in planning mode, a couple of recommendations to make things easier.
Tiny Travelship is a great resource of tried-and-tested family-friendly holiday spots. You can search by destination and the age of your kids – and even get the team to book everything for you. A friend found this family retreat in Spain via the site, which looks beautiful, fun for kids (there’s chickens! And donkeys!) and doable being only an hour’s drive from the airport.
My other tip is luxury travel concierge Victoria Payne who is incredibly lovely and helpful, knows all the best places and isn’t only for those with a massive budget. I used her when booking a Cornwall trip with my son and a child-free long weekend in Lisbon - neither of which were mega bucks.
She knows everyone in the industry so will get you great rates and often extra perks like late check-out. For a girls trip to Ibiza she managed to wrangle a table at Beso Beach despite it being fully booked. Drop her a line, tell her what you're looking for and she’ll do the leg work. Heaven!
That's all for now. You're doing great, Frankie x
Great minds! That sounds glorious 🙌🏻 x
How bizarre, I just bought a quilted jacket from Rokit. It's red and I think from the 90s?