Stylish Coats For Every Budget

I can't remember a year when so many different shapes and colors were in fashion at the exact same moment. We road-tested the three biggest trends—cropped leather jackets, exaggerated silhouettes, bold colors—in the middle of Central Park.



• The Cropped Leather Jacket. We’ve seen so many celebrities falling for the biker chic look including Elizabeth Banks, Kate Mara, Emma Watson, Taylor Momson, Bar Fareilli, Becki Newton, and Katie Holmes. I tried on the exact Catherine Malandrino jacket that Vanessa Hudgens wore to the UK premiere of High School Musical 3. It has a great fit but like most leather pieces it’s on the pricey side at $895. MM Couture’s caramel jacket with three quarter sleeves is a more reasonable $225 at Macy’s. Forever 21 has a Peta-friendly pleather version for $37.80.

• The Exaggerated Silhouette. We spotted Kim Raver in aRalph Lauren Collection’s black cashmere wool coat with a pointy, oversized collar— a great example of this trend. That jacket retails for a whopping $2,998. But we found a $99 zip-up at Zara with a similar, dramatic collar and a flattering drawstring waist.

Now, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, cocoon coats are also big this season. Instead of showing off your curves, these comfy asymmetrical blankets are all about volume. You can layer on as many wooly sweaters as you like and still look chic in our favorite black cocoon coat from H&M ($129).

• Bold color. You’ll never have a hard time picking your coat out of the pile if you wear one of these. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cate Blanchett, Jane Krakowski and Rihanna have already embraced the trend. I tried out the pink silk Emanuel Ungaro coat Rihanna wore at an In Style photoshoot. It’s pretty cool to wear anything that’s been given the nod by Rihanna but truthfully I think the hot pink Madeline coat (on sale for $248) from J. Crew is more my style. On the other hand, Forever 21’s electric indigo jacket is a nice bargain at $49.80

And since the cold weather means lots more time in doors, we’ve put together a list of our favorite movies that all feature Central Park in its technicolor glory. What are your favorite movies to get cozy with in the middle of winter? Let us know at sar_bernard@yahoo.com or post a comment below.

Thanks for checking out The Thread. We’ll be back next week from our Planet Hollywood studio with a brand new episode.

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