Car Coats: Look Your Best In AND Out of the Car

Car Coat
Kim-Marie Evans, aka Luxury Travel Mom, in her Valentino car coat

A Girl’s Gotta Look Good: Fashionable Coats That Are Practical, Too.

As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week hits New York City, our thoughts turn to car coats, those practical coats that every woman should have in her closet – whether or not she drives.

Car coats are hip length coats that came into fashion in the 1950s, as the middle class started driving more and more. These practical coats keep your butt warm (they came of age before heated car seats) and are practical for cold train seats as well. Their shorter than full length also makes them easy for getting in and out of cars, whether you are the driver or the passenger.

Car Coat
Jordana Strosberg in her car coat

We asked fashionable friends, AGirlsGuidetoCars contributors and car company executives for photos in their favorite car coats.

Kim-Marie Evans, aka Luxury Travel Mom, said her favorite car coat is by Valentino. “I wear it with jeans and it dresses me up, I also wear it with cocktail dresses,” she says. It’s the perfect versatile car coat and has a little bow on the back so I feel fancy.”

 

Jordana Strosberg, Communications Manager at Cadillac said, “I love Mackage! It’s a Montreal-based company that specializes in warm but stylish coats. I love the cut and the collar’s knit detail.” As for the Cadillac ATS she rocks, Jordana said “it’s simply fun to drive!”

Car Coat
Francesca Montini proves that a Ford driver doesn’t always have to buy American

 

Francesca Montini, Community and Design Communications Manager at Ford Motor Company, is wearing a velvet 3/4 coat she bought in a small boutique in Rome called AnnGigli. “It’s brown but I actually own it in red and in blue as well! I always pair the brown one with a cream/ceramic pashmina.” Francesca also pairs her gorgeous car coat with a Mustang GT, California special.

 

Amy Barseghian, founder of OC Mentor and a AGirlsGuidetoCars contributor said,  “I love my Free Country coat. It’s weather proof without being too warm and it is fitted well to allow the coat to fan out when you drive without being too tight.”
Car Coat
Amy Barseghian looks relaxed in her fitted free country car coat

 

Tamara Mlynarczyk, Manager, Public Affairs at Mazda North American Operations, favors a Brooks Brothers quilted coat from a couple of years ago. This coat is a classic; Brooks Brothers offers different colors as a staple each year.  Tamara commends the coat for being “warm without being too warm when you are running around doing errands. Enough to keep you warm from car to grocery store or mall.” Tamara is driving a Mazda CX-5 –a small crossover with SKYACTIV technology. The car seats five and the manual version gets up to 35 mpg on the highway.

Car Coat
Tamara Mlynarczyk gracefully exits her Mazda in a Brooks Brothers quilted car coat

 

LeAura Luciano, Lifestyle Expert & Auto Enthusiast loves her purple mixed-media car coat from Kohls.com. LeAura was excited to get behind the wheel and test drive the all-new Nissan NV200 Taxi. The car is truly designed to meet the needs of New Yorkers with features including USB

Car Coat
LeAura Luciano is showing off 2 sporty styles: her car coat and the Nissan Taxi

charging, anti-fatigue seats, a panoramic roof providing sky-views of the city, upholstery that reduces odors, improved leg room, more cargo space and in case that’s not enough, a TV screen so passengers can watch TV.

 

Car Coat
Leigh Anne Sessions and her Anne Klein car coat are nearly upstaged by the VW XL1

Leigh Anne Sessions, Product Communications Specialist at Volkswagen of America said her car coat is from Anne Klein. “In the car, its unrestrictive shape and size allow me to drive comfortably. And when I need to get out of the car, it gives me the added benefit of a hood and pockets to keep me warm.” Leigh Ann posed front of a VW XL1, which she said is “the most fuel-efficient car in the world.”

Katie Björk, Assistant Manager, Buick Product Communications, also imports her style. She is pictured in her Tiger of Sweden car coat, a brand that evokes great memories for her. “Basically I am in love with this brand, I love their style. I buy something from them every time I go back to

Car Coat
Katie Björk, in her Tiger of Sweden car coat, behind a Buick  Encore

Sweden to visit since they mostly sell in Europe. I had to chance to live in the suburbs of Stockholm for four years during which I met my husband. Every time I put it on, it reminds me of our time there. It is made out of 100% wool which means that it doesn’t have to be very heavy to keep me warm when I drive for longer distances.”

 

Car Coat
Lisa Barrow’s car coat adds another pop of color to her Doge Dart

Lisa Barrow, Communications Manager at Chrysler wears a car coat by Dennis Basso.  She said, “I love driving in the coat because it allows me to comfortably reach all the controls inside the car and look presentable while running all my errands around town.” She sports her colorful coat in front of her equally colorful Dodge Dart.

Fadra Nally, writer, blogger and marketer who focuses on the interesting things in life on her popular blog AllThingsFadra says, “I love to wear my Lands End down vest. Whether it’s cool or cold, it keeps me warm, keeps my arms free, and doesn’t let me get too warm in the car. And if I get too cold, I turn on the heated seats!” And, she finds black to be a good neutral. “It’s a lot of black but that’s mostly my style.”

Fadra Nally In A Car Coat
Fadra’s favorite Lands End vest is perfect for running errands and provides warmth and comfort in a chilly Toyota Camry Hybrid
Judy Antell
Judy Antell

Judy Antell, who is TravelingMom.com's Free in 50 States editor, lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband and three daughters. Between road trips to visit colleges, travel sports and seeing East Coast sights, she spends a lot of time on the road for a city girl.

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