The best slimming coats that offer great style at every budget (2024)

Outerwear can add unnecessary bulk, but the best slimming coats will ensure you're well protected from the elements while feeling fabulous too.

A seasonal staple come rain or shine, the best slimming coats certainly deserve a spot in your capsule wardrobe. Good outerwear is a wardrobe essential but finding coats that enhance your silhouette and don't overwhelm your figure can be tricky. For coats that fit and flatter whatever the weather, opt for designs that contour to your shape. The most slimming styles will often involve an element of tailoring to help highlight and streamline your silhouette. Look for vertical stitch detailing that will draw the eye down the body, or belted styles that will help cinch you in at the waist, creating an hourglass body shape. Well-fitted coats, that sit across the shoulders neatly, or slim-fitting wool or cotton varieties will always give a more slimming effect.

When it comes to color, don't be fooled into thinking that you have to opt for a black coat to get the most flattering finish. In terms of the best slimming coats, cut plays a far more important role than hue here, so inject some of the fashion color trends 2022 into your outerwear wardrobe and opt for mood-boosting brights to tap into the 'Dopamine dressing' trend. If you're looking for a real investment, as opposed to a seasonally led style, look for timeless designs such as a camel coat, or an ever-enduring trench coat as these pieces will always be in fashion.

Best slimming coats for spring 2022

From classic investment purchases to trend-led styles, these are the coats that will fit and flatter at every price point.

1. Trench Coats

The humble trench is a wardrobe staple. From the standout Burberry trench coat to more cost-effective straight-to-market iterations, this is a purchase that will work year after year. Often made of waterproof or water repellent fabric, it's often lighter than its smart wool coat counterparts. With a host of technical fabrics and treated cotton, a trench is ideal for months that are warmer, but potentially wetter, making it one of the best waterproof jackets. While beige and camel hues are the most common for this style, there are also brighter and more colorful options on the market.

This coat is particularly slimming because of its androgynous, tailored style. With defined seams that help to contour your shape and lengthen your silhouette, the waist-cinching belt helps to create a curvaceous finish. While double-breasted styles are common for a trench coat if you're looking for a coat to flatter a bigger bust, opt for single-breasted versions of this timeless design. This will add less bulk to a bust line, making it more slimming.

Fashion editor picks...

2. Quilted Coats

The best slimming coats as a general rule aim to minimize the bulk added to your frame. This makes some of the best winter coats a little tricky to navigate. When it comes to the best coat trends 2022 has to offer, puffer and quilted styles were everywhere, but this fuller design can add instant width to your frame. To make this trend work as a slimming coat style, opt for lighter levels of quilting that add a light layer in terms of thickness. This makes them more versatile as you can wear them in spring and autumn when the weather isn't as cold. For heavier padded pieces, choose designs with waist-embracing belts, or drawcords that allow you to add definition to your silhouette.

3. Parkas

Like a trench coat, the best parkas are a timeless style that you can turn to time and time again. While you can get heavier iterations and faux fur lined designs, making them ideal for winter months, in general, parkas tend to be lighter-weight, working best for spring and summer. Look out for water and windproof capabilities, as this will add versatility to your parka. While khaki is the most classic hue for this design, opt for whatever color will fit best into your outerwear wardrobe.

3. Wool Coats

A wool coat is ideal for those chillier days. For the best slimming wool coats, look for tailored styles with vertical seam detailing that offer excellent fit and act as an optical illusion, drawing the eye up and down the body, lengthening your silhouette.

Single-breasted styles will be more flattering on a larger bust, but those with a rectangle body shape will find a double-breasted style adds curves. A belted design will allow you to create a nipped-in waist, ideal for hourglass or pear shapes. High-quality wool and wool-cashmere mixes will keep you warm, even if the fabric is fine as the nature of their construction means that insulate well. The finer the fabric, the less bulk and the most slimming the coat.

5. Shackets

The shacket is a term coined by the fashion set to describe a combination of shirt and jacket. Early iterations might not have been weather hardy enough to be worn as outerwear but its growing popularity has spawned heavier versions that make for the perfect spring update. Light enough for those slightly warmer, sunnier days but still offering the protection of a jacket, when it comes to the best slimming shackets, look for more tailored shapes to avoid the look becoming too baggy. If you want to bring some shape back to your frame, opt for slightly longer line versions with a self-fabric belt, or add a slim leather belt for a more curvaceous finish.

6. Leather Jackets

The best leather jackets will always have a place in your wardrobe. This sleek fabric gets better with age, ensuring a well-loved leather coat or jacket takes on a more 'vintage' feel. For the best slimming leather coats and jackets for a busty frame, opt for styles that zip vertically as opposed to diagonal zips as these will fit over a bust better. To highlight a waistline, opt for slightly cropped styles, with waist stitch detailing that contour and curve more easily to your frame. And of course, a waist-defining belt will always be a key styling tool for outlining your frame.