Why you should buy a statement coat

Like most of what I wear, this linen Delpozo coat was a love at first sight piece. I'm not really the person you come to for capsule wardrobe ideas. I am the person you come to for heart-stopping, wear-forever statement wardrobe ideas! I've always subscribed to the theory that if you only buy what you really, really love, it will all work together, as if by magic. The passion for your style is the thread that ties everything together and makes it work. Back to this coat… Bright cheerful colour? Check. Statement sleeves with serious volume? Check. Looking both retro and modern at the same time? Check. On sale? Check. Made by dreamy Spanish brand Delpozo to boot? Add to cart!

To me, this dramatic coat looks like something a 1950s screen star would wear; it has that generous cocoon shape that was so popular back then. The bright shocking pink colour was also popular in the 1950s, thanks to Elsa Schiaparelli. Fashion is awash with deeply impractical statement sleeves, but I love the twist that these are on a coat rather than a blouse. A blouse with impractical sleeves irritates me in my day to day life, but a coat is more manageable.

I decided not to wear any other colour, and put a simple white shift dress underneath so the coat could do all the talking… or in this case, shouting! I wish I had some matching fuchsia shoes to play up the 1950s styling, but I settled for my multicoloured go-with-everything glitter heels (glitter is a neutral in my world) which do have some fuchsia glitter flecks in them. I happened to have a matching fuchsia clutch, which disappears nicely into the coat.

Now, the Spanish house of Delpozo has been around since the 1970s, but like Gucci, it has had a huge revival in the past few years since the genius Joseph Font was appointed as creative director. He's an architect by training, and you can really see that in his designs and materials. He creates bold silhouettes using durable stiff fabrics so that they hold their shape. He's Spanish, and like the most famous Spanish couturier, Cristobal Balenciaga, the love of volume and drama seems to be in his DNA. Joseph Font also embellishes like no other. He sometimes uses sequins the size of 50 pence coins or shaped into spiky flowers. I'm on the edge of my seat every season to see what fantastical new creations he has come up with.

Since I love statement dressing, unique coats feature heavily in my closet. It makes me sad to cover up fabulous clothes with a boring coat. If you don't own a statement coat that brings you joy, prowl the sales or charity shops and see if you can find one. Choose something in your favourite colour, something that makes you stop and stare, and something with interesting details you'll never tire of. Investment dressing doesn't mean only classic style, it just means a style that is timeless for you. 

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