Coats get new feminine touches for fall

Traditional coats have been updated with feminine details for fall and winter. Joan Hirsch, executive vice president of Gallery, a leading designer and manufacturer of coats, said coat bodies have been given a new feminine reference, such as a shirring or a special button. “Women always want to look like women,” Ms. Hirsch said. Color, wool jackets and knee-length coats, wool tweeds, metallic trims and novelty buttons are the hottest coat trends, she said. Perhaps most notable this season is the peacoat, which can vary widely from the traditional sailor look. “It can be short. It can be almost knee-length. It can be in a bright color wool or a crinkled metallic fabric. It can have a back belt or not. It can be single- or double-breasted with buttons or snaps,” Ms. Hirsch said. “The point is, the peacoat is timeless and flattering for every woman that can be as updated or as classic as the person wants.” While full-length coats (50 to 52 inches long) always will be available, the most sought-after this season will be coats just above the knee and waist-length, she said. “Most women have a number of coats,” she said. “Remember, you keep your coats for a number of years and just add to and update your collection.” Lorean Mays, a nursing student at Southern Adventist University, said she has several coats in her collection. “I love blazers, jackets, coats — but they have to be feminine,” she said. “I’m small, and I prefer a tailored fit. I like a coat to fit comfortably over my clothes.” Ms. Mays said her favorite winter coat is the classic peacoat. “I like it because it’s comfortable, double-breasted, and, today, it’s available in just about any color you can think of,” she said. “I like the shorter length and the midcalf-length peacoat. I also like to accessorize the coat with a coordinating hat and scarf.” The cape is likely to be an important 2008/2009 winter fashion, thanks to Victoria Beckham, reported Gill Hart on womensfashion.suite101.com. The former Spice Girl was seen at fall Fashion Week in New York wearing a chic white cape “which can only mean one thing,” the Web site noted. “Having given her seal of approval to this current trend, we can expect to see a flurry of capes of all shapes and sizes hitting the stores shortly.”