The military theme has been a dominant trend in women's winter
coats for the past
decade. Coats, jackets, dresses and knitwear all get the
army, navy, or air force treatment.
Sometimes the effects are soft and cartoon like,
for example,
the little drummer boy style with braiding and tape
ornamentation. Other times the military line takes on a seafaring
personality with a Captain Bird's Eye
touch and lots of parallel button arrangements. Now and then military fashion meets utility
garment, and the result is
near to the original functional outerwear garment, where the military
coat acted as a blanket for long treks and army manoeuvres.
The main women's fashion coat trends of autumn 2010/winter 2011 include camel
as a top autumn colour, but with subdued bland neutral
shades of beige through tobacco or khaki and taupes. These
tones are also popular for classic and military styles.
Other practical everyday top-coat trends include the
aviator bomber
jacket.
You are reading an
original review of women's military coats for 2010 by Pauline
Weston Thomas only for publication on
www.fashion-era.com.
Left - Burberry advert of 1918.
Right - Burberry Prorsum - Fashion Trendsetter Catwalk
Model.
Burberry Prorsum combines traditional British outerwear pieces
with a modern twist. The word Prorsum is a Latin adverb
meaning 'forwards', or 'onwards'; Burberry use it to
differentiate these military coats from their more classic ranges.
High street retailer instantly copy the designs. Of course the material used at high street level
rarely matches the quality fabrics and good stuff Burberry uses,
but the mass retailers do a good job of capturing the current
fashion mood in this case women's military coats.
The khaki Burberry coat below left sells at £2,030 at Cruise. The
Burberry catwalk coat, above right, costs £1,895 directly from
Burberry or
matchesfashion.com. See how the centre and right coat below
are less than a twentieth of the price at £75 and £90
respectively. But of course, they don't carry the Burberry label,
nor do they use top end luxury Shearling. But as the old
saying goes - 'Cut your clothes according to your cloth' or in
this case according to your purse!
Left - Burberry Prorsum 168833 Khaki Women's Military Wool Coat With
Deep Shearling Hem £2030 - Cruise Autumn Winter 2010 - Stockist
Number: 0844 800 4622 or
cruisefashion.
Centre - Debenhams Red Herring - Fur Hem Olive Green Khaki
Women's Coat
£75/€116.
Right - Fur Hem Women's Military Coat £90/€115 Miss Selfridge - Stockist Number:
0845 1214517 - Winter Pastels.
Khaki Style Military Army Coats
Women's
Military overcoats have been a strong fashion trend for a decade or
longer. Women's military have been visible in every fashion era
such as the Regency. This season they come in traditional khaki muddy tones,
but trimmed with gold buttons and braids or leather buttons.
Think of a genuine army uniform fabric, classic WW2 squaddie wear, and you
have the exact colour.
Above Left - River Island Peron Coat £79.99
River Island AW10 Womenswear Hero Shots - Stockist
riverisland
Centre - Tesco Clothing - F&F Wool Khaki Military Style
Women's Coat £35
- Stockists - tesco
Right - Olive Green Women's Military Coat Esprit Autumn Winter 2010 Womenswear.
»
Marks & Spencers AW10 Military Range
Department stores like Marks & Spencer offer a
range of military looks in jackets, coats, knitwear and utility
trousers. Snap up these bargains now for a fast fashion fix.
Notice these items are styled with opaque tights and boots. The
M&S Limited Collection and Autograph both pick up elements of
catwalk fashion and make it affordable and available for women
of all pockets, but at high street prices.
The military coat lends itself very well to the full length
maxi coat, making it an ideal warm winter coat when all a woman
wears
beneath are leggings and a short flimsy tunic dress.
Left - Hobbs Black Tyler Maxi Coat, £269/€310 - Hobbs Autumn Winter 2010 - Maxi Coat Stockist
hobbs.co.uk.
Centre - Primark Grey Floor Length Maxi Military Coat £45 - Due
Mid Oct - Primark Womenswear AW 2010.
Right - Littlewoods.com
Black Maxi Coat.
Drummer Style Winter Coats
No review of women's military coats would be
complete with without looking at the 'Drummer Boy' style.
Observe how tapes and braids with parallel button
arrangements add the drummer boy, marching boy, Sergeant Pepper and
Cossack touch to women's military coats, and in some cases they almost
become coat dresses.
Above Left - Monsoon Michelangelo Coat - Florence
772061 - £100/€155 - Oct A/W 10.
Centre - Autograph Double Breasted Coat - £99 October
Marks &
SpencerAW10.
Right - Penneys Military Coat €40.00 Penneys (Ireland) Autumn
2010 Womenswear.
Women's
Military Trends in Dark Coats With Gold Buttons
Navy military line coats always have an air of the ocean about
them. But for women they are also very smart with trousers adding a touch
of nautical that can work really well as spring days appear.
Left - Women's Melton Military Coat Navy £70 - BHS AW10 Womenswear - Stockist Number: 0845 196 0000.
Centre - Primark Embellished Shoulder Coat £35 Primark
Womenswear Autumn 2010 Stockist Tel: 0118 9606 300.
Right - BHS Drummer Boy Jacket £40.00 - BHS AW10 Womenswear
Stockist Number: 0845 196 0000.
The choice available in military line coats is
enormous. I especially like the Savida coat below centre left
and the cape far right is a trend gaining ground.
Above Left - Chanel Catwalk Check Pattern Modern Military Coat.
Women's Box Tweed Double Breasted Coat with Dyed Sheared Mink Collar and
Cuffs.
Centre Left - Savida Gold Button Black Coat €100/£85 Ref:7934278
(Oct 2010) at Savida Autumn Winter 2010 - Savida Stockist Number:
00353 14751111.
Far Right - Model 1, Navy Military Coat £85. Model 2, Navy
Military Cape £95 Wallis AW10 Clothing.
These navy military coats all have necklines that can stand high
and encase the neck. The smart coat below far right with its dip
hem is from Evans so available in very large plus women's' sizes.
Above Left - Jane Norman - Women's Coats & Jackets
janenorman
Centre - Sergeant Pepper Military Coat - 772032 - £180/€280 A/W 10
Monsoon Fashion.
Right - Evans Dip Hem Military Coat £65/€99.50 - Evans AW10.
For a camel coat style with longevity, choose a classic women's 'British Warm'
double breasted style. These coats below ranging from £350 to
£1570 will always look good, never date and can be funkied up if
you desire by styling with the latest lace tights, leopard scarves or bags.
They will all age well, always look as if they cost a lot and
tell the world you understand classic understated good taste if
that is what you want your social circle to decode about you.
There is always a 'British Country' trend every winter in one
form or another and this coat style slots very safely into it if
you are seriously prepared to buy an investment coat.
Left - Hobbs Camel Iden Coat, £349/€400 Hobbs Autumn Winter
2010 Women's Clothing hobbs.co.uk.
Centre - Women's Deep Camel Coat By Sportmax Aw10 - £598 at
matchesfashion.
Right - Chloe Double Breasted Coat Also Matches Fashion AW10 -
£1570 - 75% Virgin wool, 25% Angora.
Creamy tones, beige and taupe mushroom all offer alternative
tones for those who don't do camel. These coats below offer the
modern military equivalent of a car coat length. Yet the black trimmed
coat below shows not only a longer length, but also how women's skirt
coat silhouettes are gaining volume, which also accommodates fuller
skirts and dresses.
Above Left - NEXT - Flare Military Style Women's Coat £75/€101 - NEXT Stockist Tel: 0116 284
9220 or 0845 4567818.
Centre Left - George at ASDA - Camel Pleated Double Breasted Coat
£30 - George at ASDA AW10 - Ladies Clothing.
Centre - Classy Velvet Trim Women's Military Coat €70/£60 - Savida
Autumn Winter 2010 No. 7934269 - Stockist Tel 00353 14751111.
Right - Dorothy Perkins AW10 - Stud Cuff Women's Military Coat £70/€110 -
dorothyperkins.
Jacquard Brocade Coats AW10
This is fresh take on military. Designers have used jacquard
brocade and novel raised cloque fabrics with the same sever
military cuts. In effect these are women's frock coats.
Left - Monsoon Lara Coat - £160/€250 (October) Monsoon A/W 10
- Historical Romance Range- Tel 0844 8110068.
Centre - FEVER Empress Coat £129.99 - Fever Designs AW10
Stockist Number: 0207 6366 326.
Right - Limited Collection - Black Patterned Quilted Military
Long Jacket £99 - Available Nov - Marks & Spencer.
˚
Military Trends in Women's Capes
Finally if you want to get ahead get a women's military
cape. This one gives you a Primarni look at Primark prices.
Navy military cape £25 due in Primark stores early October 2010. This cape is worn with wet look leggings £7,
chunky cable arm warmers £3, grey over the knee socks £2, and
black lace ankle boots £15. Budget fashion clothes all from
Primark Womenswear Autumn 2010.
Now military has moved in on capes the military influence is
just so obvious. For the Sherlock Holmes factor opt for a Pringle checked wool
cape or a leather bound cape.
Above Left - BHS SGC Grey Cape £50. BHS Stockist Number: 0845
196 0000.
Centre Left - Jane Norman Coats & Jackets - Stockist Number:
0207 659 9396 or
www.janenorman.co.uk
Centre Right - Littlewoods Fashion AW10- Navy Cape Coat
www.littlewoods.com
Far Right - Dorothy Perkins AW10 - Buckle Front Cape £65/€105 -
Stockist Number: 0845 121 4515 and
www.dorothyperkins.com
Finally if a military coat, cape or jacket is not for you,
consider a military inspired piece bag or these gloves.
Left - Black Leather Military Gloves -
Marks & Spencer
£29.50/€40.
Top - Sergeant Pepper Purse £8.50/€13.20 - Accessorize A/W10.
Bottom Right - Military Brooch Clutch £30/€46 A/W10 Accessorize
Stockist Number: 08448110068.
Conclusion of Women's Military Coat Fashion 2011
»
This is a coat season of functional clothes for women and this year it's
hard to beat a military based British Warm coat. Make the coat
your most significant coat choice this season.
Coat dressing this autumn is statement making. Think of a
military coat, a cape, a classic coat, a 1950s/60s fuller
skirted coat or a fur based coat. The coat is the must-have for any new winter wardrobe,
so buy your coat for the long haul and think of it as an
investment piece.
Copyright of images courtesy of PrShots.com, IFTF,
Cruise, Swarovski, Miss Selfridge,
Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Hobbs, House of Fraser, Primark, Penneys, Matchesfashion,
Wallis,
River Island, Monsoon, Sainsburys, Savida, Evans, BHS, Tesco,
Burberry, Fever, Next, George at Asda, Littlewoods, Dorothy
Perkins, Jane Norman. Header image - Debenhams Red Herring - Fur
Hem Olive Green Khaki Coat.
Fashion-Era.com looks at women's costume and fashion history and analyses the mood of an era. Changes in technology, leisure, work, cultural and moral values. Homelife and politics also
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