How to Style a Classic Black Wool Coat | With Colour, Pattern and Texture

This is quite a muted look for me, even for winter. I wanted to show you how a classic (some might say boring?) black wool coat can look a lot more interesting with the addition of some colour, pattern and texture to zhuj it up a bit.

I must just say that apart from a couple of blazers and a biker jacket, this is the only black coat I have. Everything else in my winter coat arsenal is either patterned or brightly coloured, and last winter I had a yearning for the most classic black coat I could get my hands on. I went with a single-breasted, masculine-cut wool one from La Redoute (this one is a very close match) – and I love it.

Unfortunately, it’s very easy to get into a style rut in the winter where black coats are concerned. I see many, many women who have all added jeans, black boots and a black scarf to their black coat and it gets to be quite a snoozefest. It needs to be switched up from one day to the next otherwise you’ll end up looking exactly the same every day you step out the door throughout the whole of winter. (Admittedly I’ve worn black ankle boots here, I do realise that.) But we want to have fun with our clothes all year round…!

Textures are your friend, and so is pattern. It goes without saying that colour makes all the difference! For this outfit I added a soft, fluffy blue scarf, a blue waffle knit sweater, grey/red tartan trousers and a fringed crossbody bag. Here are some ideas for bolder pairings to put with a black coat:

You don’t have to start with eye-wateringly bright primaries if you’re not a bright colour person, but softer colours like sky blue, blush pink or a winter white all look great with black.
Great patterns such as bold tartan (a scarf), pinstripes (trousers) or another classic, leopard print, counterbalance a safe black coat.
Finally, some interesting textures always work: For example, a crazy floral textured sweater, a bouclé sweater dress or a faux fur collar.

So in the few (hopefully) remaining weeks of winter think about how to get creative with that black coat of yours – it doesn’t have to be boring!

Are you a serial black coat wearer in the winter? Do you try to switch it up a bit or have these ideas given you the impetus to get creative? Tell me in the comments or tweet me @notlamb!