With the first snowfall of the season in the Blue Mountains, winter has finally officially come to Sydney. Mind you, it is late June, so perhaps it’s about time! With the biting chill of the wind blowing off the ski fields down south, it is high time to drag out the winter woollies and rug up snugly. The wind-chill factor is something to brace yourself for!

In winter mode, I thought it was high time to feature one of my favourite garments of the winter season: the all-essential winter coat. There are so many beautiful vintage winter coats to be found, even in the Antipodes. And if you’re lucky enough to be closer to Europe or North America, the variety of winter outer garments on offer is extensive.

A vibrant red leather sixties coat

I have quite a collection of coats for someone living in relatively warm climes. I do love to don a coat, so I have gathered quite a few over the years. My favourites would have to be two Chloe coats that, I hasten to add, I did not pay top dollar for but bought online for a fraction of their original cost. These beautifully made garments have given me excellent service over the years but are now due for some TLC. Fortunately they were so wonderfully made to begin with that mending them and giving them a new lease on life should be a cinch for a talented tailor or seamstress, one of whom I am lucky enough to have easy access to.

One of the coats is a dashing 60s-inspired garment, close-fitting, with a full-length zip and pleather-clad pockets. It looks very much like something a sixties lass would have been proud to wear.

 

One of my favourite winter coats, on parade in Paris

 

Another coat I am especially fond of does actually hale from the sixties: it’s a Catherine Bertal of Paris creation, in a rich textured black fabric adorned with sixties flowers such as daisies. It has some rather ostentatious and glittery buttons which I will remove in favour of more serviceable fastenings for everyday wear. Of course I’ll keep the original glitzy buttons in case I want to replace them again at some time in the future.

 

Vintage velvet brocade ‘flower power’ coat

I do wonder about the history of this coat. What stories does it have to tell? Who has worn it over the years since it was crafted in the sixties? Was the original owner a young Parisian woman who was revelling in the freedom of sixties youth culture? What places has it been and events has it witnessed? I would dearly love to know.

A close-up of the fabric reveals lovely embossed floral detail. I’m not entirely sure what kind of fabric it is, perhaps an unusual heavy velvet brocade.

 

A detail of the sixties velvet vintage brocade

 

Another lovely sixties coat in my possession is a rather glitzy black patent-leather trench coat with glorious large round gold buttons. This garment is nearly as new as the day it was made, so I feel very lucky to have discovered it in such great condition.

 

My sixties patent-leather trench coat

 

Of course, it’s important to note that I’m not someone who has a problem wearing leather, although I appreciate that there are many people who don’t like to wear it and I have much respect for their views. Quite a number of vintage coats also feature genuine fur. Again, there are many who wrestle with the rights and wrongs of wearing fur. I wouldn’t purchase a new fur but I figure that a vintage fur is less problematic as the garment is old and purchasing it does not support the existing fur industry. However, again there are many who would not be comfortable about wearing any kind of genuine fur.

Whatever your views, I’d love to hear about your favourite winter coat. Do you love to rug up in the winter months and accessorise with scarves and gloves? Or are you a person meant for warm and sunny climes?