Cold Weekend - Cosy Coat

Do you remember this last post where I featured the Vila Effie down coat from Room 31 in black? Well in true Jackie O style, I bought it in both colours and the cold weather this weekend has given me the perfect excuse to wear the caramel colour.

On a Saturday morning, my girls go to Girls' Brigade. Now, I'm not really sure what GB is but it's held in a church near where we live and the girls LOVE it so that's enough for me.  And the gorgeous church provided a nice backdrop for today's photos..

I'm loving this colour in the Effie coat. It's perfect for wearing with greys and browns so today I wore it with my TK Maxx silk top I picked up a few weeks ago, French Connection grey skinny trousers (last seen here), Marco Polo ankle boots (last seen here) and a neutral H&M scarf.

Unfortunately, all colours in the Effie coat are sold out but as always, I've got some alternatives. Firstly, Zalando have the newer version of this coat in a few colours:

Vila Joela Down Filled Jacket £75-80 from Zalando

Uniqlo Down Coat

Esprit - available in several colours

and finally a Tommy Hilfiger one in a gorgeous shade of brown. I've got a cream TH one like this that I picked up in the sales a couple of years ago and it's excellent - so cosy though difficult to keep clean. I should point out that all of these coats are washable. Check out this post from Sharron over at Style At Every Age regarding caring for your down coat. Tennis balls and Tumble Driers are key! 

Tommy Hilfiger (also available in Black & Navy)

With down coats, just a few other pointers:

• Always look for proper down filling - the synthetic stuff won't keep you warm!
• Look for belted or waisted options to give you a figure within the down
• Buy neat fitting to maximise warmth and minimise michelin man effect
• Remove faux fur on hood before wearing and place in the bin :)

Please share any other great buys in the comments below and have a great weekend x