As the temperature drops, our attention turns to the most essential winter-wardrobe piece. The coat. Casual, dressy, primed for weekend jaunts or office commutes, there is a coat for every occasion, budget and figure. Time to wrap up!

The perfect coat is almost an outfit in itself. A delightful combination of form and function, it screams your fashion stance loud and clear. So what will be your coat of armour this winter? What will you swaddle yourself in as north winds blow? An investment coat will last you for seasons to come, so opt for quality rather than quantity. Look for luxurious fabrics that will stand the test of time (and the elements), a fit that suits you and flatters your figure and a colour palette you can easily integrate into your existing wardrobe. In short look for wearability. Of course, wearable doesn’t mean boring. Quite the opposite.

This season, catwalks were awash with dramatic, billowing coats as fashion houses generally returned to bygone-era glamour. Alexander Wang went dark, dark, dark harnessing gothic beauty in sweeping ebony coats etched in velvet and studs. Hugo Boss showcased black coats too (neatly clasped at the waist) and two-tonal coats where every step revealed a shock of red underneath. More bright angel than midnight vixen? We’ve waxed lyrical about our love of winter white. But oh in a coat! It is a thing of beauty. Céline and Louis Vuitton have both fallen in love with the shade. Dreamy cream numbers tipped with fur or fuzzy-wuzzy polar-bear like creations. Yes please!

Meanwhile Dior Couture and Acne played with proportions. There were oversized structured options in navy hues at Dior – layered over heavy knitwear and finished with killer boots. Acne dabbled with the cocoon shape, giving voluminous superhero-like sleeves in grey or tweed. The androgynous look was ubiquitous once again with Jill Sander in particular favouring clean, boxy lines.