My outerwear collection

Coats, jackets: not something you can live without in a country that has four distinct seasons. Be it summer or winter, fall or spring: some form of outerwear is handy to have on hand in The Netherlands. As a result, I have gathered quite a lot of outerwear. And I thought I’d show you the different pieces of outerwear I keep in my closet.

1.) Long coats

Camel ‘teddy bear’ woolen coat (ZARA)
Bright red long duffel coat with double closure (H&M)

A must have for me in winter is a long coat. Something that goes past my bum and closes all the way down to retain as much warmth as possible. Both of these coats have a high percentage of wool, are lined with wool and have a hood. A must for whenever it’s raining or snowing and temperatures are dropping. Both coats also have a pair of deep pockets so you can stuff your gloves or your hands in there. I unfortunately had to get rid of the red coat because it had started to fall apart, but I still wanted to include it in this post.

2.) Trench coats

Grey winter trench coat (Vila)
Black trench coat (H&M)

Of these two coats, one is no longer in my possession. I donated the grey jacket to charity as it no longer fit me properly. I bought that coat when I weighed quite a few pounds more and by now, it just felt too big and bulky on my frame. The black coat I only use whenever I have to do job interviews. It is my ‘more formal’ coat and goes with my more business like attire which I wear when I am on the hunt for a job.

3.) Parka

Teddy lined winter parka (Primark)
Longer lined parka (H&M)

Parkas are a great staple to have. I have two: one for winter which is lined with a soft fluffy teddy coat and a spring one. I’ve had the spring one for years and don’t wear it as much anymore, but it’s still a staple for me when the weather warms up, but it’s still to cold to go without a jacket. The teddy lined winter parka is one of my great loves. It’s about 3 sizes to big which makes it great for layering. I love wearing this on early morning, when I want to try and nap on the train. It makes for an instant blanky!

4.) Boyfriend coat & duffel coat

Petrol boxy woolblend boyfriend coat (H&M)
Camel a-line duffel coat )Primark)

Meet my latest addition! The petrol colored boyfriend coat came in just this week. It was on sale at half price, has a 50% wool count and just feels very comfy. Because of its boxy shape it will be a great coat for winter. It’s not too long, nor too short and I love how this adds a nice pop of color. The duffel coat is my staple in between jacket. It’s not thick enough to be a full winter coat, but I love wearing this in fall.

5.) Army jacket & pea coat

Dusty blue army coat (Fornarina)
Navy blue pea coat (H&M)

Both of these jackets are a bit older, but I can’t get myself to no longer use them. The Fornarina army jacket has a bit of a story behind it as it is quite possibly the cheapest and most expensive jacket I own. This jacket originally cost 200 euros, but I only paid 27.50 for it! An absolute steal. I don’t wear it that often anymore, but when I do I wear it during fall as it isn’t lined and thus not super warm. The pea coat is just a staple to have and I wore this to death. So it’s a bit grimy looking, but I still like to wear this from time to time to change things up.

6.) Biker jacket & aviator jacket

Faux leather biker jacket (C&A)
Faux leather aviator jacket (Forever 21)

A good biker jacket is a must have in my wardrobe. The one of the left ‘died’ mercilessly last fall. I couldn’t find a jacket I liked enough to replace it, until I randomly walked into Forever 21 a few weeks ago and found this aviator jacket. It’s a lot thinner than what I originally had, but then again, I love to wear this in spring and late summer mostly anyway. I love how it has a faux shearling collar and it also fits really nicely. And at less than 25 euros, I’ll see how long it lasts.

7.) Leather jacket & denim jacket

Leather bomber jacket (Mango)
Light wash denim jacket (Mango)

Last but not least, the staples of all staples: a leather and a denim jacket. I wear these two jackets all the time, weather permitting. The denim jacket is my staple summer jacket. I throw it on, goes with anything and chuck it in the wash if it’s too horrendous looking. The leather jacket I picked up during last year’s winter sales. I could not believe my luck when I found this jacket on sale and paid less than half price for a real leather jacket. Because of the elasticated waistband, it’s not the most practical jacket. I can only wear this open as it rides up the entire time. But that’s nothing that a scarf can’t solve in fall and early spring.

What is your favorite jacket?