Brrrrr…..
Is it me or does it feel suddenly like there’s a bit of a chill in the air the last couple of days? Granted it is October but it suddenly seems as if we’ve been catapulted quite suddenly from Summer into full scale Autumn. I’m not complaining mind; Autumn is definitely my favourite time of year and I can’t wait until Hector is old enough to go rustling through the leaves, collecting conkers and enjoying the fireworks that will be peppering the sky by the end of the month.
I digress however because today’s post is all about coats, or more specifically the best kids coats for Autumn and Winter on the high street and available to buy right now! I’ve enlisted the help of the Rock My Family team in writing this post so you’ll have a sneaky peek into their favourite picks from the shops and you can even discover which coats they’ve bought their own little ones to see them through to the other side of Christmas.
With the exception of a couple of pram suits, we’ve made sure that all of the outerwear in today’s post is available in a range of sizes – from 1 year up to 13 years where available. We know from experience that here’s nothing more frustrating than spotting something for your little one to wear and finding out that it doesn’t come in their size. Hopefully you’ll find something that both you and your mini me will love and will keep them warm and cosy until Spring shows up again.
Lottie
For Alice I adore the prints and styles of the Boden coats. This cute little fleece lined mac is super cosy and warm and bright enough that I won’t lose her when she makes a dash from the buggy! The Boden coats wash so well and just seem to last really well. Available in sizes 0-3 months to 2-3 years.
For Molly I have been coveting a cute duffle coat for a while, perhaps I’m reminiscing abut childhood stories of paddington bear! This classic navy style from John Lewis is just adorable with just a couple of toggles for little fingers and the sweetest hood for chilly morning walks up to pre school. It is one of those go with anything styles that works with jeans and trainers or with a pretty party dress. Available in sizes 2-12 years.
Becky
I saw this fleecy lined jacket in Tesco last week during the weekly shop and I couldn’t resist. It’s incredibly childproof both in colour and in material and very good for nursery as for £14 I couldn’t care what state it gets into.
As well as having a dog walking jacket I also think it’s nice to have a ‘smarter’ jacket for outings etc. Leo has a parka from Next for such an occasion which sadly they don’t do anymore but I am currently crushing on this cute quilted number from H&M. The ‘occasion’ jacket is something he wears much more infrequently than the day to day jacket and so at £20 I think it’s a really good amount to spend on such a piece. Most age ranges are currently stocked.
Lorna
For the boys Elliot and Joseph, you can’t go wrong with a parka like this one from Boden, or this Trench Coat from Zara perfect for rainy school days over their uniform keeping them warm in the playground and then teamed with their jeans at the weekend for a stylish look whilst hanging out with friends.
I also love this grey Duffle 3 in 1 jacket from Next which looks warm, comfy and stylish. I love the grey colour, although it may not be appropriate for little ones who still enjoy getting muddy! Great for older boys though. I love all the layering options available as lets face it who doesn’t have a struggle getting their older kids to put a coat on! For some reason they say they just don’t feel the cold! At least with this they can adjust it to their temperature.
For Anabelle, I love that this pink parka from Zara is both girly and practical. The dusky pink colour is utterly adorable and the fur lining will keep Anabelle snug as a bug whilst we’re on our adventures. It will also protect her from copious amounts of Mummy squishes too.
This pram suit from Mamas & Papas wouldn’t fit Anabelle anymore but how utterly adorable is the floral Liberty Print…
Fern
We recently bought Elle this pink hooded jacket from Next – it’s lovely quality and you can’t see from the photos, but has lovely fleecy bits on the inside which make it super snug. It’s not too heavy or bulky either, so she can have a jumper on underneath if it’s a bit colder and it’s not too difficult to strap her into the pushchair.
If she was a bit bigger and walking around, I’d have been more than tempted by this particularly amazing Zara sheepskin jacket or this double breasted camel coloured coat from H&M complete with ears! So cute!!!
Charlotte
We’ve just invested in this super cute pink coat for Mabel, not only is it quilted and cosy but the fake fur lined hood offers extra protection against the winter chill for littles delicate ears. It is also machine washable at 40 degrees. Available from 3 months to 3 years.
Lolly
I’m a huge fan of Zara for kids clothes; they wash well, are reasonably priced and tend to fit Hector according to his actual age as opposed to me having to size up or down (honestly it’s SO confusing!). It’s no surprise then that I’ve got my eye on this checked sheepskin duffle coat. Firstly it’s a duffle and I think it’s a rite of passage to a) wear a duffle at some point before you’re ten and b) wear aforementioned duffle with mittens on a string; I’m yet to find the mittens. Anyway I’ll definitely be purchasing this snuggly jacket because come on just look at that sheepskin lining. Bliss. Available in sizes 9 months – three years.
Last year two of my best friends also gave birth within two weeks of Hector being born (no it wasn’t planned!) and hilariously we all bought the same John Lewis snowsuit without any of us realising, cue lots of pictures of babies propped up against each other like a set of triplets. I’m not sure the babes saw the funny side. Joking aside I loved the snowsuit and it served us well against the cold so I’ll be purchasing another this year. I’ve fallen for this grey London themed onesie that comes with, yep you guessed it, mittens! Handily, sizes 9-12 months and up do not have enclosed feet, to allow kiddos to wear boots. Available in sizes newborn – three years.
That’s our handy round-up but we’d love to hear all about your own recommendations, what you’ve purchased this year to keep Jack Frost away or any brands you think we should know about…
Great selection!
I have just got my daughter this one. She’s 6 but tall so I had to get aged 7. It is expensive but so toasty and warm. She loves pink but cannot keep anything clean! This she was happy with as it has pink inside. It’s much trickier to find a good quality coat that looks lovely when they are older.
http://www.joules.com/Girls/Jackets-Coats/Jnrwynter/Girls-Faux-Wax-Parka-Jacket/Everglade?id=T_JNRWYNTER|EVERGLD
I totally agree about duffle coats being a rite of passage Lolly! My eldest is on her second brightly coloured one from Boden. She’s 11 in January and will almost certainly decide they’re no longer ‘cool’ once she starts high school next September. I really must get one for her younger brother!
I like to spend a little bit on winter coats because they really do need to be hard-wearing, especially once they start school. My top tip is to buy a size larger and just roll the sleeves up a little at first. That way you can almost always get a second winter out of it. I have all our coats dry-cleaned in the spring and then pack them away until we need them again.
Franky the size bigger is a great tip – Mabel’s first coat was a duffle (with bear ears!) it was my most favourite item of clothing for her. Gutted I didn’t buy it a size bigger (Or frankly, just bought another size up as well) as I haven’t been able to find anything similar.
Franky I do love a duffle! Plus you can’t look bad in a duffle either – they just seem to suit every situation/eventuality. I hope your eldest continues to rock her duffle throughout high school despite what others may think.
We’re seasoned sleeve-roller-uppers too. I hated it when my mum used to do it to me but now I’m a mum I can completely see how it’s plain common sense. It’s all about getting the wear out of things isn’t it!
I love coats, altho have fallen down the fashion over function pit a few times!
We have boden ones from last year that my eldest is just growing out of, but I have been so impressed with the quality (they come up on the large size) wash well, fleece lined but not overly so that the kids will actually wear them and waterproof.
My one tip for winter would be to purchase a gap logo fleece (or similar ) to be worn in the car as let’s face it they HATE wearing coats and it’s just one less battle if the coat is in the boot / buggy it’s there for when they do eventually get cold and you know the fleece is comfy and cosy so that you don’t look like a terrible mother!
Gemma I’m so with you on the fashion over function thing. Currently Hector is struggling in dungarees and conventional trousers. He’s fine standing up but they’re restricting his crawling when he’s on all fours so I’m having to just dress him in leggings at the moment. He does look so cute in dungarees though!
Great tips also on the fleece idea – runs off to purchase one….
Yep same as skirts and dresses for girls at that age!
Have you seen mini rodini for some seriously stylish boys leggings?
I’d also recommend H&M for great tights for boys. Just bought 8(!) pairs this week so we’re set for winter round here.
Kiara Hector had so many pairs of tights when he was smaller; they were an absolute godsend! We’ve moved on to leggings since he’s literally on the verge of walking and needed that extra bit of grip.
We actually have a pair of Mini Rodini leggings from about two seasons ago that I managed to buy for a tenner when I was pregnant. They’re bright green with lizards on them – immense.
We also bought him a mini Rodini bat jumper from their current season for his first birthday. I loved the caramel colour and I figured what the hell – I’d splash out for his birthday. We’ve had so many people come up and tell us that they love it. Perhaps because it’s very on trend with Halloween just around the corner…
Can highly recommend Jojo Mama Bebe for coats and outer wear. We have had several all in ones and coats and they tick all the boxes – look good, wash well, hard wearing and have great added extras such as hooks for mittens! We’ve crawled through goodness know what and walked the dog in the cold and wet and still been happy (mummy win!)
Morning Rach! I’ve purchased a few things from JoJo Maman in the past and have always been impressed with the quality so I might check them out (the penguin hat for babies on their site is particularly cute!) Thanks for the tip!
That Zara sheepskin jacket!!!! So cute but I foolishly bought Silvie her winter coat a few weeks ago when Joules had 20% off their new range… Maybe for next year?
I went for this super pink number http://www.joules.com/Baby/Baby-Girls-Outerwear/Babymeriweather/Baby-Girls-Printed-Jacket/Pink-Gymkhana?id=T_BABYMERIWEATHR|PINKGYM
It is fleece lined, warm and very waterproof, and I loved the print as I’m a total sucker. I bought it in 9-12 months so as she is coming up 7 months it should last all winter…
The January sales have a whole new level now though- picking up new goodies for next winter- those duffel coats won’t age at all…. Hmmm….
NOOOOO!!! What have you done!? I need them all. I’m already planning which ones to get for my boys…. and maybe I’ll just get one for my niece too! I can tell this blog is going to be bad for my bank balance 🙂 x PS Totally agree about crazy sizing. SO annoying. x
Joanna it is seriously bad news isn’t it! The whole team are bad influencers but I blame the readers too! Only yesterday I purchased a heap of books off the back of a recommendation from a reader about The Book People which I hadn’t heard about until Lottie wrote her presents for Newborns post. Don’t tell the husband!
Hehe! I’ve just read that post and have just purchased that book set, for my niece for Christmas. Bad times.
?????
How did you all choose what size pram suit to buy? Felix is almost 6 weeks old and I know we’ll need a more substantial option than a cardi and blanket soon but I have no idea what size to buy him!
There was a lovely one in M&s yesterday when I was out shopping.
As an aside why are there so few options for baby boys? Felix would have a much bigger wardrobe if shops actually stocked more than 2 options for boys!!!
Oh also check out Zara’s autumn range. I picked up a really cute fox print babygro and fox socks (they have ears!) and a lovely tube skirt and scarf for me
Vicky I actually have a rule with myself with Zara – I am only allowed to look once a week. Once I did three online orders……in one evening. I kept going back to check if I’d missed anything after I had already paid and well, I had missed stuff.
The Hermes delivery people must think I have some kind of problem….. !
Too true Charlotte! I live a 5 minute drive from Zara so do click and collect if I’ve not made the free delivery minimum spend then have a browse to make sure I’ve not missed anything.
I finally actually met my local Hermes delivery driver and my local DPD driver this week (the joys of maternity leave and the shame of ordering so much on line!).
Vicky my local hermes driver greets me as if we’ve known each other for years. We always have a bit of a chat about how his day has been and he always asks after Hector. It’s obvious that my online shopping is a bit out of control ?
In terms of the Pram Suit I always buy at least a size bigger, if not two, depending on the store. For example as Fern notes M&S does come up big so I tend to stick with the size specified for Hector, same with Zara but I find that pretty much anywhere else I need to go up a size – like John Lewis, Next and The White Company. If it’s a little on the large size, I roll sleeves and arms up until he grows into it xx
Hi Vicky,
If you can, just take him with you when shopping and hold the suits up against him. I have found M&S stuff to be on the bigger side, and Elle is a long baby so it must be big!! Elle was 5/6 weeks old in February and so was often in a pram suit for those early weeks and to be honest the one she had was massive for a while, but as she was lying totally flat, I didn’t think it mattered too much, as she couldn’t wriggle herself down if that makes sense…
I’d just keep checking that her head was still at the top of the hood and that she didn’t have anything over her mouth and nose.
Hope that helps!
Fern x
Helloooo winter! I want that sheepskin jacket so so badly! Plus the whales on the Boden coat are the cutest.. And the duffel is a classic, although I can remember battle royal with my mother as I probably preferred some hideous anorak or grotty jumper over the coat of her dreams…
Sadly for us, I just bought Silvia’s first winter coat a couple of weeks ago though- Joules were having 20% off their new range, so I succumbed like the sucker I am. It’s the loveliest shade of dark pink with ponies and bunnies on, but it is NOT too girlie, although seeing that written down sounds like a total contradiction in terms. She doesn’t wear much pink, so it goes with all her greys and blues beautifully. It’s called the Meriweather (an aside- who names these things???!!!).
I went for a size 9-12 months, so she’s currently rocking it with the sleeves rolled up a good inch and a bit. Glad I’m not the only one forcing this look on my baby!
I can’t wait for the January sales to snap up next winter’s coat from this lot- the whole concept of a child that grows into next year’s clothes is bad for my bank balance. We have a stash of bargain goodies tucked away up to age 4…. anyone else?
PS- tried to post this morning on an iPhone 4s with the latest Safari, tried three times and it didn’t stick- maybe because I put a link to the Joules coat in there? Just in case, thought I’d let you know.
Lucy we also have a stash of goodies currently up to age 3 although the blame for this lies entirely at the door of my family. Both my mum and my sisters all regularly splash out on the small boy so we have a range of coats ready and waiting for him ranging from a rocket printed puffa jacket to a khaki coloured rain mac. Ridiculous!
P.S. we have passed your technical woes onto Adam so hopefully he can get that rectified for you ASAP!
I am such a coat addict. Especially for toddlers. Niema already has 6… and an all in one but otherwise I would be after that pink one from Next. Love the tulip shape of it.
I’m totally off season now though but am after a lighter weight one for my 11 year old. She has a lovely winter parka from French connection which is now on its 3rd year (I also size up) and has a new navy cape coat from Zara which I would like for myself… but with a long walk to school she is just too hot to wear one and really needs one of those light weight waterproof ones that have just stopped being sold everywhere! If anyone knows of any good ones I’ve not missed please let me know!