COAT TALES

How to choose your most important fall investment piece, according to Wes Gordon.

“My girl knows what she wants,” says New York designer Wes Gordon. “She wants to look beautiful, but she doesn’t want to look like her mother—or her mother’s mother.” Here, Gordon lays down three rules for selecting a statement coat that’s on the still-cool side of sophisticated:

1. “Go for a piece that speaks to you—that makes your heart beat a little bit faster.”

2. “Think about versatility. A coat is like a handbag: It’s an investment that you use every day. It becomes an extension of yourself for at least five months of the year.”

3. “There should be a bit of grandeur about it. If you’re going to walk down the sidewalk and really own the city, you can’t feel drab. Your coat is your armour; it should make you feel powerful.” ■