Surviving Winter: Only 3 coats I need

  When I first arrived to the UK, I made two mistakes:

a) Buying wayyy too many coats simply because each one was slightly different to the other. But in my defense, it was my first time getting the chance to buy any sort of outerwear so I naturally employed the 'gotta catch 'em all' attitude...

b). Assuming that December was the coldest month in the UK so when Christmas came and went, and there wasn't any signs of snow, I thought, "Hey, English winter ain't that bad...what was everyone on about?" Needless to say, I was proven wrong because I am just finding out that mid January - mid February is in fact, the coldest periods.

    Yet buying coats to fit a petite frame is no easy task (probably why I got so many...that and my uncontrollable impulse shopping habit). It has to fulfill certain criteria. The sleeves can't be too long, a tailored fit is preferred or else it might drown you and look oversized when it's not meant to be and it has to be of perfect length. As with dresses, there can't be any awkward mini/midi/maxi in betweens.

  That being said, after buying more coats than I needed and trialing/testing them in the English weather, I have narrowed my coat collection to three - pretty proud of myself for that. 

1. Navy Toggle Front Hooded Coat - New Look Was £34.99 Now £9

  This is actually my most recent coat and I got it during the New Look Boxing Day Sale. Quite a bargain if you ask me! Although I definitely did not need another coat at that point, I really liked the navy shade, how it nips in slightly at the waist, how it looks relatively smart, how it has a hood just in case it starts raining... and it has pockets. Needless to say, when it arrived, I loved the brown leather accents. The sleeves are only a teeny bit long, but I cuff them so it's all good. The length is perfect and so is the fit! It's also actually quite warm.

2. H&M - £15

I got this before Christmas time and it was also in the sale section so another bargain! I was a bit hesitant about this at first because coats like these usually drown and work against me. But the boyfriend convinced me to try it on at least (and probably because I was taking wayyy too long deciding and he was getting impatient...) Again, sleeves were just a little bit long, but nothing a little cuffing can't fix! Other than that, I loved it. It has a double breasted/trench style, pockets (something all coats must have), the length wasn't too long which was something I was actually surprised about and came with a belt (not pictured) although I usually wear it unbuttoned. As the material is quite thick, it's perfect for those colder days and leaves room for layering too!

3. Duck Down Women's Hooded Jacket - Kathmandu  £79.99

  Now this is my ultimate snuggly warm coat. The one I wear when the temperature goes to or is close to the minuses. The one I wear when it's snowing outside. My aunt actually got this for me sort of as a 'going to England' present. Although it's not the most fashionable of coats and does make me look like an oversized marshamllow, I can't stress how warm it is! The insides have a sort of fleecy lining and the pockets too - which keeps my hands so warm. Highly recommend this for someone that has a low tolerance to super cold weather (AKA me).

So here you have it, the only 3 coats I need to survive the winter. Of course, I check the weather forecast every morning to determine which one I wear which usually depends on the time I will be spent outdoors vs. indoors, the amount of layering I want to wear and the temperature. Now, it's time for me to get rid of the other coats!

Do you have a coat that you stick to all winter?