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You’ll wish you could wear them all year Fur Infinity Scarf
September has always been my favorite month on the fashion calendar, but 30 consecutive days of fresh runway collections from designers from Bottega to Gucci is only half of the appeal. I look forward to this season more than any other because it’s the moment to finally get dressed with the best fall coats.
Fall outfits involve layers upon layers of the richest textures—chunky knits! Denim! Leather! More knits!—and the best fall coats set the tone for the entire look. (After all, they’re the first layer anyone passing you on the street will see.) Wool, cashmere, shearling, and alpaca knits in longline or wrap silhouettes elegantly lock in warmth; gabardine trenches and waxed barn jackets offer a coolly classic way to dress for gloomy weather. My own fall coat collection is grounded in three staple styles that pair with everything from printed dresses to denim-on-denim: a wool wrap coat, a double-breasted plaid coat, and a waterproof trench. This season, I’ve seen a few updates to those classics at labels like A.L.C. and Fear of God, plus some new blanket wraps and car coats at Attersee, Fforme, and Toteme.
From cozy wool robe coats to classic trenches, the right coats make getting dressed for autumn a luxurious experience—and prove why fall is fashion’s best season. Read on for the 24 best fall coats of 2023, each selected based on fit, materials, shopper reviews, and my own extensive testing.
Regardless of what’s trending any given September, oversize denim jackets are an essential form of fall outerwear. I’ve tested this version from Free People’s new in-house label and love the fit. The dropped shoulders and trucker shape come with a broken-in feel that I’ve otherwise only seen in vintage pieces. My favorite way to wear it? Doubled up with more denim.
Colors: Washed black, medium blue denim, tofu, warm camel, frosted earth
What reviewers are saying: “I’m usually a size small, and I thought it was perfectly oversized. The denim has some structure so it doesn’t look baggy or unkempt, and it is so comfortable and perfect to throw on over almost anything. Obsessed, need more colors!!”
Celebrity street style is filled with the best shackets from August until November. This Maeve style inspired by the trend features roomy cargo pockets and a weighted fabric to keep you warm (but cool).
Sizes: XXS–XL, 1X–3X
What reviewers are saying: “Love this super soft trucker shape for Fall! The fabric is cozy - with a soft lining - and the fit is easy and relaxed. The shape is different than other shackets in my closet! Can easily wear with denim or athleisure (on-the-go), or paired back with a skirt as pictured for a more versatile option!”
Just like her cult-favorite sweaters, Lauren Manoogian’s alpaca-blend coat is one of the softest layers you could wear this fall. The coat is generously cut for a cocooning, blanketlike feel, with wide sleeves and a draped hood. Double up with a sweater dress underneath for the coziest approach to autumn dressing.
Marcella’s wool Maren coat flips between two fall layering modes. The first is softly romantic and polished when it’s fully unzipped, letting its structured collar fall to either side. The second is cool, sharp, and structured when it’s zipped all the way up, revealing an asymmetric hem and high-rise collar.
Colors: Cream, black, camel, gray, blush
What reviewers are saying: “Warm and stylish, got lots of compliments. It has a kind of architectural appeal to me.”
I knew J.Crew’s plaid barn jacket had reached its target audience one day in late August, when I saw no fewer than 10 fashion editors sharing it on their Instagram Stories. J.Crew first issued it in 1983 and brought it back for its 40th anniversary this year. The jacket’s balance of heritage details (plaid print, corduroy collar, gold buttons) with fresh updates (double-side pockets) are why it’s winning over the fashion crowd.
What reviewers are saying: “It’s been too hot to wear this yet, but it is very good looking along with being practical- and the quality is great. The inside seams are bound- it’s not lined, and it’s roomy enough to go over sweaters even though I sized down. I usually need petite which this didn’t come in, but it did not overwhelm me and the sleeves weren’t too long–yay!”
There’s no time, place, or outfit this coat won’t complement. The oversize check pattern comes in a color story that coordinates with all the best fall sweaters and boots. Inside, there’s a covert button to secure the wrap closure.
At the center of my fall mood board is a photo of Zoë Kravitz in Paris last fall, gazing out at the Eiffel Tower in a leather trench coat and cat-eye sunglasses. This faux leather jacket exudes the same cool-girl energy of Kravitz’s, with a straight silhouette and a silver hardware belt to cinch it together.
One of my favorite fall outfit formulas goes as follows: a collarless jacket, a white T-shirt, straight-leg jeans, and comfortable loafers. It’s a high-low blend anchored in the sophistication of a jacket like Nili Lotan’s, with its shiny gold buttons and textured bouclé fabric.
When I think of pinstripes, I usually think of workwear. COS’s pinstripe coat is definitely one to wear to and from the office this fall, but not simply because it coordinates with a suit set. The detachable, oversize scarf and equally slouchy coat present so many opportunities to tie, layer, and bundle up for the transition from fall to winter.
I love chore jackets for a light layer in the spring and late summer, but most cotton styles aren’t warm enough for fall. Luckily, Alex Mill covered its utility style with a cuddly shearling fabric for autumn—and kept reviewer-favorite features like the roomy pockets.
What reviewers are saying: “The quality, fit, and style are even better than expected. A cozy and stylish addition to my wardrobe.”
This Helsa coat has been on my radar since model Elsa Hosk launched the brand last year. I love the contrast between the camel wool and cream embroidery—and how the coat can function as a dress with tights, a turtleneck, and some high leather boots.
Sizes: XS/S, M/L
Sea’s Beatriz coat is exactly what I’ll want to brighten gloomy fall days. It’s an unstructured twist on a trench coat with a removable hood that, from the front, looks like a layered scarf draped across the shoulders. The style also comes with a detachable belt to cinch at the waist.
Even if Sofia Richie hadn’t arrived at Prada’s Spring/Summer 2024 show in an outfit highlighting this coat, it would have been a worthy investment for fall. But Richie did select this slim-fit coat to layer with a red sweater, cigarette pants, and point-toe slingbacks, proving that it’s even more polished in person than it looks hanging on the rack. And that plaid—it’s quintessentially fall, but the abbreviated belt makes it feel ever-so-slightly subversive.
By Malene Birger tops Bazaar’s list of the best minimalist brands, and its take on the wool coat embodies our reasoning for that. The design expertly balances the color trend ruling fall 2023—a deep, lipstick red—with an understated wrap silhouette. When you’re wearing your most laid-back everyday outfits, adding this coat on top will elevate them to the highest degree.
Attersee was founded in 2021, but it has already become fashion editors’ destination for luxurious twists on wardrobing essentials. All summer and at Fashion Week, Bazaar editors were wearing Attersee’s square vest; for fall, we have our eyes trained on its new car coat. It keeps the classic single-breasted shape and pointed collar, but makes it even more fall-appropriate with a cozy cashmere fabric.
Colors: Black/white print, navy
It’s been almost a year since Toteme’s scarf jacket blanketed TikTok in its warm wool fabric. The style transcended its viral moment to become a lasting wardrobe hero with the help of its cooly oversize shape and functional scarf detail. There are five neutral tones to choose from; minimalist black is my personal favorite.
Colors: Black, chocolate, light gray, heather, dark gray
Shrimps’ coats are an annual fixture on my fall mood board. The London-based brand is best known for its faux fur trimmings and whimsical, vintage-inspired cuts—exemplified in the Balthasar coat. It’s the sort of coat that can make any average morning feel like an occasion when you put it on, thanks to those exaggerated cuffs and collar.
Colors: Black/honey, blue/green
If your fall outerwear taste leans toward quiet luxury brands, Fear of God’s overcoat may as well have your name stitched inside. It can be styled either as a robe coat with the detachable belt, or as a stately double-breasted overcoat with all the buttons secured. The 100 percent wool fabric and slightly oversize construction feel like a warm hug from an elegant friend either way.
Fforme’s first runway show at New York Fashion Week last month showed just why designer Paul Helbers is the one to watch. And for anyone who’s fallen in love with his refined minimalism, the brand just brought its elevated, tailored knitwear to Net-a-Porter. This coat’s layered, scarflike front adds weight and texture—not to mention an invitation for friends to ask where you found your perfect black coat.
Sizes: XS/S, M/L
There's a misconception that the coziest fall outerwear comes in the form of a longline teddy coat. Acne Studios’ reworked moto jacket proves the alternatives are just as fall-weather appropriate. The coat’s shearling lining is pillow soft, and there’s a cool juxtaposition at play with rough-around-the-edges buckles and zippers.
Halie LeSavage is the fashion commerce editor at Harper's BAZAAR. Her style reporting covers everything from reviewing the best designer products to profiling emerging brands and designers. Previously, she was the founding retail writer at Morning Brew and a fashion associate at Glamour.
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