The winter coat that lasts a decade

A winter coat is the most expensive thing most people wear and the one they think about least. It is also the easiest to get right, because the things that make a coat last are all visible in the photographs before you buy.

Check four things

1. Fill or fabric weight. Down is warmest for its weight; wool is warmest for its life. A wool coat under 500g/m² is a spring coat wearing a winter name.
2. The lining. A coat fails at the lining first. Look for a full lining, not a half one, and for seams that are sewn rather than glued.
3. Length. Mid-thigh handles a commute. Below the knee handles a platform in February.
4. The hood. If it does not fit over a hat it is decoration.

The layers do half the work

People buy a warmer coat when what they needed was a base layer. Merino next to the skin, a fleece or a fine knit over it, then the coat. That system is warmer than any single coat and you can take it apart indoors, which a coat alone cannot do.

Feet and hands

Insulated, waterproof boots with a real tread. Cold gets in from the ground long before it gets through a coat. Mittens beat gloves for warmth every time, because fingers keep each other warm.

Kids

One size up, never two. A snowsuit that is too big lets air in at the cuffs, which is the whole problem it was bought to solve.

The one mistake

Buying black because it is safe, then never wearing it because it is dull. You will wear this coat two hundred days a year. Buy the colour you actually like.