Winter 2014 is shaping up to be a season of the overcoat. Jude Hathaway looks at some of the fabulous offerings.
There is nothing that generates more mystique than a woman stunningly turned out in an overcoat.
A shining example of this has been seen during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's visit to New Zealand.
Coats, are usually the most substantial investment in any wardrobe, so they hold a special allure.
Maybe that's it ... because of that initial outlay, seldom is their purchase the result of a whimsical flutter.
Rather, time has been taken in the decision, which means there must have been a fair amount of certainty the buyer loves that coat over all the others before they've handed over the cash or the card.
Either way, they've bought the coat, they're happy with it and they're confident wearing it.
There is absolutely no better formula for them to look good.
And for those worried there might not be the ''right'' coat out there for them this season, they are spoiled for choice.
Overcoats are big this winter - metaphorically and figuratively - which is always a bonus for those of us who dwell in colder climates.
For here in the South warm outerwear is much more than a fashion dalliance.
It's vital if we are to hunker down and enjoy winter rather than simply endure it.
Those who keep an eye on trends through the northern hemisphere 2014 fashion week shows will have caught the many designers who featured big, substantial wool and fur coats that swaddled the models in warmth and comfort.
Closer to home, many of the designers appearing at the recent iD Dunedin Fashion Show brought to the catwalk their individual takes on what makes a splendid winter coat.
Dunedin's fashion retailers are also showing some stylish weather-beaters.
Designer and retailer Maria Strauss, of the DADA Vintage label, demonstrated her love of coats by showing seven, in three different styles, and in a mix of spectacular Italian wool fabrics on the iD catwalk this year.
On regular trips to Paris, Marie picked up on Europe embracing big coats about two years ago when labels such as Chloe first brought them in''They're comfortable to wear and show a wonderful generosity of spirit as well as a unique elegance,'' she says.
And the selection is wide, incorporating a swathe of looks and silhouettes, many taking their cue from the '50s and the '60s when coats were full and roomy enough to wear over tailored suits.
But there are also those which are based on men's coats. Because women's coats developed relatively late - towards the end of the 19th century - designers had no guide to turn to as they looked for classic day styles and instead used men's fashion for inspiration.
Around 1900, travelling in modern transport such as open cars was still rather cold and uncomfortable, so ankle-length, double-breasted coats with high collars were necessary.
Travel clothes became lighter in the 1920s and 30s as cars became more weather-resistant.
However, a growing number of women were working by then and needed practical thick coats that could be worn to the office.
This led to a few basic forms such as the trench coat, the knee-length swing coat, the double-breasted wool coat - with or without a belt - the pea jacket and the duffel coat that are still given myriad treatments by many accomplished designers today.
