I'm Back! With the Secret to Finding a Great Winter Coat

A keyword confessional

Gumshoe’s maternity hiatus has officially come to an end, and I’m so thrilled to be popping up in your inbox again. Hopefully you feel the same 🤗. I have some news that I’ll be sharing in the next week or so, but until then it’s business as usual — and today’s business is COATS.

Last winter I was dead-set on finding the perfect long, tailored coat — and naturally, I had a number of important criteria. I wanted it to be sleek, on the longer side, roomy enough for winter layering, made of a warm, non-synthetic material (like wool or cashmere), and priced under $200.

This quest is what lead me to one of the most fruitful keywords I’ve ever come across. A keyword that, when dispatched, leads straight to a treasure trove of beautiful, classic, well-priced vintage coats. The “open sesame” of outerwear, if you will. I discovered it by happenstance while browsing through the inventory of an excellent Netherlands-based Etsy seller, Nostradamus vintage. It was nestled in the keyword-stuffed description of almost every coat I clicked on: 1970s Vintage Blue Coat Loden Wool Greatcoat. 1980s Vintage Beige Cashmere Winter Wool Loden Winter Topcoat. 1970s Vintage Dark Marine Blue Wool Loden Winter Autumn Coat.

“Loden,” I learned through subsequent research, refers to a special way of processing and treating wool to give it a thicker, more structured, almost felt-like quality. Microscopic air pockets form through this process, trapping air that keeps you warm when it’s cold out or cool if you happen to — for example — step into a stuffy subway car on your winter commute. Perhaps even more impressively, the material can take almost half its own weight in water, making it naturally water-resistant in damp weather.

When I typed the keyword phrase “vintage loden coat” into Etsy, it was like unlocking a new level in a video game. So many great coats! Below is a roundup of some favorites that are currently for sale.

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1. Biscuit brown wool coat with a touch of cashmere, size L, $159

2. Navy wool double-breasted coat, size M/L, $153.43

3. Light brown coat with attached scarf (!!), $97.44. Sizing not specified — check listed measurements.

4. Vintage Christian Dior red felted wool swing coat, size US 14, $344.19. This one isn’t under $200 as my criteria would stipulate but I’m including it here because the color is so unique. Too good not to share.

5. Gray wool coat, size L, $153.43

6. Navy wool coat, size M, $81

7. Black wool coat, size S, $153.43. Zoom in on this one — it has a chic little built-in scarf at the neckline.

8. Olive green wool coat, size S, $102.28

A few additional notes:

• It’s possible that some of the coats I linked might not technically be considered “loden,” at least as far as the precise criteria for that fabric treatment are involved, but they are all made of what appears to be thick, structured, felt-like natural wool and were generated from that specific keyword search.

• I only included coats made of 100% natural fibers in the selection above, but if you don’t mind a little poly blended into the material check out this, this, this, and this.

• For larger sizes, consider adding “men’s” to your keyword search. This one, listed as a men’s size L, is stunning — and it’s $80.

I missed you guys! Thanks for sticking around. I’ll see you next week.

xo Harling