Blanket Coats Are Going To Be Winter's Coziest Trend

What's not to hate about winter? This gloomiest season of the year arrives with appalling driving conditions, runny noses, and exorbitant heating bills. If there's any comfort, though, winter might just be the best season for style. Think about it: the wintery weather is the only excuse to don layer after layer of anything you fancy to create a style you can call your own. Albeit encumbering, bundling up gives you the opportunity to put your inborn sense of style to good use and step into the snowstorm in style. So how do you do it? Trendspotting. Looking at TikTok as the barometer for the latest hypes in fashion, you'll see that blanket coats have been garnering frenzied attention lately.

Blanket coats don't necessarily mean using blankets as your outerwear. Warm fabrics like wool and cashmere, an oversized form, a built-in scarf, or draped plaids slung over the shoulder are typically the defining characteristics of blanket coats. If you can style a quilt by draping or belting it — more power to you. In fact, blanket dressing was popular among the locals of Virginia in the 18th century, per Colonial Williamsburg. Not only does their slightly oversized nature make them the plushest of the plush, but it also makes layering much easier while creating the illusion of a put-together look. If you're on the quest for blanket coats that double up as statement pieces to fill your winter wardrobes with, here are some wearable looks to get you inspired. 

No winter dressing reflects your sense of style better than doubling up on outerwear. Layering jackets — wool overcoats, bombers, trench coats, denim jackets — is a tough skill to master. But if you nail it, you can take your street style to the next level. The key to layering multiple jackets is to juxtapose colors that complement each other. Take it from @lucky_girl_h, who killed the winter layering game with a loose-fit, floor-sweeping camel coat over a navy blue suit. The soothing, warm undertones of camel accentuate the depth of navy, creating a combination that feels grounded and striking at the same time. Another thing to keep in mind is the textural contrast and the varied shapes of the pieces, which help to create a well-balanced silhouette. For instance, you can't go wrong with a knee-length trench coat worn over a cropped denim jacket, or an ankle-length overcoat over a waist-length biker jacket. 

You can also gather inspiration from this stylish mid-length coat from Barbara Bui, which consists of an oversized outer coat and a sleeveless jacket that can be worn together or separately. You can opt to don only the sleeveless jacket over a base layer or throw them all on when the temperature drops to subzero. Keep in mind that your base layer should consist of breathable, lightweight basics, such as meriwool sweaters, a silk blouse, corduroys, or fleece pants.

If Hailey Bieber's top-notch street style has taught us anything, it is that what truly matters is what happens under the cover. Oversized, structured blazers are, without a doubt, the media personality's favorite street style items all year round, and she almost is never seen wearing them buttoned up. Instead, she is always throwing them open and showing off her sculpted abs with a crop top, a tube tank, or a bare bra. Her success recipe is simple: always striking a happy balance between warm and cool, heavy and thin, formal and fashion-forward. And the way to do that is to mix up items that have different lengths and textures. Cotton and denim, for example, combine nicely together, while a combination of cashmere and satin or mesh adds interest to your style. If you're wearing a heavy coat, make sure what's underneath is light and revealing enough to show off your cleavage.

A great way to experiment with this style is donning a floor-sweeping, open-front coat like Balenciaga's maxi hooded wrap coat. For a heavy coat with excessive coverage like this, you don't need to wear a sweater beneath it to keep yourself toasty. Instead, opt for a body-fitting thigh-slit dress with a low neckline or a sports bra paired with shorts for a nonchalant yet striking look. Depending on your style and height, you can pair this coat with trainers, ankle boots, or heels.

Symbol of comfort, a scarf can do more than keep you toasty on a chilly day. Layering your outfit with a scarf or a shawl adds intricacy to your look and gives your ensemble a focal point. No matter how plain your outfit is, having a scarf slung over your shoulder can draw attention and revitalize your whole look. Depending on the style you're going after, your scarf can come in cashmere, wool, or silk and in various sizes. For instance, a silk scarf wrapped around a sweater or a blouse can turn up the elegance in the most off-duty ensemble, while a blanket scarf belted under your coat accentuates your waist and makes you look fashionably messy. Alternatively, you can try the nerdy look by wearing an oversized scarf like a shawl, letting it cover your shoulders and arms. 

Another approach to nailing this scarfy look is to don a scarf jacket, which is what @aline.kaplan did and slayed the winter street style. In her video, she wore an embroidered Totême scarf jacket cut in a boxy silhouette with a built-in scarf loosely slung over the shoulder for an elegantly draped neckline. Because it's not too long or too heavy, you can still layer it over weightier materials, like fleece pants or merino wool leggings. On a less chilly day, you can layer this scarf jacket over basics like a white tee and pair it with high-knee boots for a high-fashion look.

Boxy, cropped coats might give you more styling possibilities, but staying warm should still be the priority of your winter dressing game. Therefore, have at least one calf-length or ankle-length coat in your winter wardrobe. Depending on your needs, you can layer the longer piece over a cropped jacket, or you can wear the overcoat directly over a base layer, such as a sweater and slightly flared pants. Or, to balance out the structured feel of the coat, wear loungewear or bodycon jumpsuits as the base layer and leave your coat open. The key to nailing a smart casual look with a long coat is to look formal on the outside and laid-back on the inside. 

In this picture, we love how @stella.anthony managed to look sporty and toasty at the same time, wearing an unbuttoned puffer coat over matching joggers and a bralette set. The thing about a puffer coat is that it makes you look and feel as snug as a bug in the rug. Because it's quilted, it's typically padded with multiple layers of fabrics to engineer insulation and thus able to trap your own heat to keep you toasty, Textile Apex points out. Besides, a puffer coat is lightweight enough to carry around with ease and is perfect for traveling in any weather. A coat with great coverage like this should be balanced out with a pair of knee-high heeled boots or stack-soled boots. 

As designer Jonathan Simkhai tells TZR: "Fringe is fun, it's playful, it offers a distraction from the struggles of recent times, and it showcases personal style." To give your winter wardrobe extra flair, do not hesitate to experiment with fringe and tassels. Fringe-trim jackets — basically, jackets with fringes around the yoke and the sleeves — come in a wide range of styles, sizes, and materials. One thing is for sure, though: nothing gives you a punk and rockstar vibe like the swingy element paired with shiny studs. 

Depending on your needs, you can choose an oversized fit made from wool to keep warm or a cropped, suede fringe jacket, which can pair with everything from skirts to jeans. @safina_ks shows how wearing a swingy fringe jacket allows you to rock the vintage look while still managing to look relevant. To cement the edgy feel of your fringe jacket, wear a chic lace dress underneath it. Or, you can team it up with a lightweight top and rodeo-ready jeans. Top your ensemble off with a cowboy hat and roper boots, and you've got yourself a signature winter look.