And in other news: I'm an idiot

I know I should have done this in August - but I didn't. Now I'm totally stuck with only myself to blame (although I am trying to shift the blame onto anyone else in the near vicinity). What on earth am I talking about? Buying a Winter coat of course!

The weather has changed. It's cold and I am currently trundling along my rat-run commute with only a light layer of cotton protecting me from frozen fingers and chilled bones. It's not working! Of course now that I'm ready to part with my hard-earned I can't find anything I want to actually buy but, I have to admit - just like my search for Summer sandals, I'm being a bit picky.

The criteria:
*I want something more akin to a long jacket than a coat so I don't feel smothered with fabric. However the length must cover the top of my thighs (*whines* it's not my fault I don't have any junk in my trunk - it's called being fashionably thin).

*I don't want cropped sleeves - hello, I'm buying a coat to keep warm!

*Dark colours (navy, charcoal) are best but I'd rather steer clear of black (or prints or plaids). It must look different but not distinctive.

*The coat must last several seasons without looking dated (so classic styles are best) and without pilling or wearing through (therefore I'm searching for a tough wool).

*I'm hoping that the bigger the spend the better the coat (it's been the case with my previous purchases) so the budget is £500

Would you like to see my rejects?













Burberry £675: It's over budget but I could s-t-r-e-t-c-h for this one. Love the hood (will keep my lugholes toasty) although the wide flappy sleeves are a little incongruous.

Dries Van Noten £690: The empire line might kill my figure but this is a sweet coat that I could feasibly wear next year without feeling dated (mainly due to it's sombre shade). But is it too dull? And perhaps a little too femme for me?

Fendi £790: Neat but not too sweet. Good sleeve length and good derriere coverage too. However it's still black and it's still over budget!

Fendi and Burberry from Net-a-porter.com; Dries van Noten from Brownsfashion.com













Marc by Marc Jacobs £345: That's more like it, price-wise! But the gold buttons look tacky, cheap and possibly irreplaceable while the puff shoulders are too twee for a grown-woman to carry.

Miu Miu £625: Great shape, perfect length but it's sky blue! How am I going to keep it clean when traversing the Jubilee line? (As seen on Kelly Osbourne too. So that's a no, then).

Both from Net-a-porter.com

Then these are the possibles













Balenciaga £990: It's a little short but I've fallen in love with the styling - so idiosyncratic, so this season and yet so timeless. Good investment pieces will last and last, however I might have to do some serious begging or possibly drugging of Mr Fashion before it arrives chez nous.

Whistles £195: A great classic and it would quickly become my signature - there would be plenty of dosh left in the budget for fripperies such as party frocks too! The deal-breaker? There are Whistles logos on all of the buttons. NOOOOO!

APC €350: Great price but I don't think I can splash out on something so obviously Autumn '07. Every time I look at it I can't help thinking "bandwagon", "hipster", "jumping", and "on". Brown's so not my colour anyway.

Balenciaga from Brownsfashion.com; Whistles from Whistles.co.uk; APC from APC.fr

So, have you bought a winter coat yet? Do tell. I bet you're way more organised than me!