Donning beautiful outerwear is a serious fashion pleasure of the cooler months, but there’s no need to hang up your coat come springtime. Step into a bright summer cover-up and let the fun continue all year round.
By Natalie Trevis
Slowly but surely, certain winter fashion staples have steadily become fixtures on the spring/summer runways. Over the knee boots, fur gilets and multi-layered knits. Summer leather and suede, breathable and light. And, of course, the summer coat. Soft, unlined and prettily hued, it promises sunshine filled days exploring a new city or long languid evenings with friends at a spring wedding. Ever since Christopher Bailey sent the iconic Burberry mac down the runway in bejeweled mint lace for SS14 we’ve known that this is a garment with which to play; the usual outerwear constraints need not apply. It doesn’t have to be functional - it is ready to throw over the first summer dress of the season or tuck around sun-kissed shoulders at dusk. ‘When I’m designing a coat for the winter, it’s about warmth, comfort and style. In the summer it’s the statement piece of the outfit,’ says Katherine Hooker, designer of custom-made coats and jackets worn by fashion-conscious customers from Meryl Streep to Taylor Swift. ‘The most important thing for me is that it’s light,’ she notes. ‘You don’t necessarily need it for warmth…it’s more that it completes the outfit. It should also complement the dress. You can feel a bit vulnerable in a summer dress. The coat should make you feel strong!’ Bracelet sleeved or button-less, printed or punctuated with texture, the summer coat is our new style statement.
Christophe Lemaire captured the carefree spirit of the summer coat in his final collection for Hermès, in a perfect round-collared coat that opened the show. Reminiscent of a traditional kurta given a luxurious Hermès twist, the drop-shouldered coat is practically detail free save for two vents at the front, which create a mesmerising movement on the body. Its simplicity belies its impact. While understated opulence is always the calling card of the house, executed expertly by Lemaire throughout his reign, the blank-canvas coat is symbolic of the rejuvenation we all seek as winter turns to spring. A fresh start, an optimistic statement - for our wardrobes and for us too.
Of course Miu Miu can always be relied upon to take its own unique view on any conventional wardrobe staple. It’s no secret that Miuccia Prada loves a housecoat. Miu Miu’s mod-inspired quilted version in unabashed pink, precociously topped with a fur collar (willfully defying the summer heat) is the best example of the season. Deliberately constructed by the ingeniously divergent Miuccia to disguise luxury fabrics as polyester, the summer coat was given a punky edge. Integral to the collection, the dolman-sleeved style appeared repeatedly in checks, tweed and bold red leather. Hardware free (as summer coats should be), save for oversized matching buttons and contrasting suede panels, Miuccia’s coats took centre stage as the anchor around which prim pencil skirts and sleeveless ruffled shirts floated. ‘I wanted to revive the beauty of incredible fabrics,’ Miuccia noted. And with a summer coat in every desirable fabric of the season, Miu Miu offers us outerwear for every occasion. Which is surely the beauty of them. Thrown over beloved denim shorts for a weekend road trip or dressed up over a gown for an evening soirée, the right summer coat, whether an oversized silk trench, leather cropped jacket or linen boyfriend blazer, can add a dose of anything from elegance to urban edge, dependent only on your mood.
‘Personally I don’t think a coat needs to be super coordinated, it just needs to work with the rest of the outfit,’ says Katherine. It’s just this spring-inspired contrariness that has us turning to summer coats in hues from which we might normally shy away. The painter’s palette is your playground when it comes to colour. Skin tones work exceptionally well - soft blush colours suggesting skin without actually showing it, a prelude to summer tans and beachwear. These fresh neutral tones are a welcome break from the darker formality of our winter wardrobes as we make the long transition into hazy summer days and long hot nights.
The contemporary market has cannily embraced the summer outerwear trend. Raey has arrived at Matchesfashion.com as a breath of fresh spring air with the perfectly cut basics we always knew we needed. A virgin wool blanket coat in sorbet pink battles its canary yellow counterpart in a bid for summer coat supremacy. In either hue it’s a standout piece in a collection of classics that taps into a versatile charm we wish every item in our wardrobe could convey – especially come summer. ‘The women’s collection has taken on a stronger, more masculine silhouette, which is easy and effortless,’ says Raey designer Rachael Proud (former design director at Christopher Kane).
And easy and effortless is just what a summer coat should be. Pockets, hoods, and long sleeves all seem too constraining for summer, it’s clean lines and neutral tones alternated with pops of candy colour that we desire as the temperature heats up. When it comes to outerwear this summer, discover your own lighthearted style, throw caution to the (balmy) wind and say goodbye to practicality. The summer coat is nothing but a warm weather pleasure.
