No. Genuine leather is water resistant rather than waterproof, and any brand claiming otherwise is overselling. In practice it handles drizzle, showers and half an hour of steady rain without a problem. What damages leather is not the water but drying it too fast afterwards. Blot the surface with a dry cloth and hang the coat at room temperature, well away from radiators. Waxed and cowhide finishes cope best with sustained wet weather. Suede is the exception and needs a protector spray plus dry days.

Sheepskin, also sold as shearling, which is hide with the wool still attached. The wool fibres trap a thick layer of air against your body while the leather face blocks wind completely, and it handles roughly -15°C to 5°C. Sherpa lined leather comes next and is noticeably lighter to wear. Wool blend is third, with the useful advantage that it keeps insulating when slightly damp, which matters more in Britain than raw warmth ratings suggest.

Sheepskin and shearling are the same thing, a single hide with the wool left attached to one face. Shearling is simply the term the trade uses. Sherpa is different: it is a knitted faux fleece used as a lining, not a hide, so it is lighter and less expensive while still trapping air effectively. Both work. A sheepskin coat is warmer and will outlive you. A sherpa lined leather coat is easier to wear daily and easier on the wallet. Our product pages state which is which on every piece.

A lined one is, yes, and arguably better suited than most alternatives. British cold is wind-driven and damp rather than extreme, and leather is one of the best windblocking materials there is. An unlined summer-weight leather jacket will not cope with January. A quilted, sherpa or shearling lined leather coat handles the same conditions as a mid-weight puffer while lasting many times longer. Length is the other half of the equation: a 3/4 length car coat is meaningfully warmer than a waist-length biker in the same leather.

Most styles here are comfortable from -1°C to 15°C over a single layer, which covers the large majority of the UK winter. With a merino base layer and a jumper underneath, quilted leather works down to around -8°C. Sheepskin and sherpa lined pieces go further, comfortably to -15°C, which is more than Britain will realistically ask of them. Suede is the exception and is best kept to dry days above 2°C.

It comes down to coverage and context. A coat reaches mid-thigh or lower, covers the hips and lower back, and works over tailoring, so it is the better choice for commuting, office wear and genuinely cold spells. A jacket stops at the waist, moves more freely and layers under nothing, so it suits driving, riding and milder days. If you can only own one and you commute on foot or by train, buy the coat.

• A real lining, quilted, sherpa or shearling, not a thin polyester facing.
• Length past the hip. The cheapest warmth upgrade available.
• Closed cuffs and hem, ribbed, buckled or snapped, so wind cannot travel up the sleeve.
• A high or fastening collar, ideally with a hood option for rain.
• Genuine hide. Bonded and PU coats crack at the seams within a season or two of British damp.

With a high collar or biker jacket, a simple loop (fold the scarf in half, pass the ends through the fold) sits flat and does not bulk out the neck. With a car coat or wool topcoat worn over tailoring, drape it flat under the lapels rather than knotting it, which keeps the coat's line clean. The practical point is to seal the gap at the collar. That gap is where most of your heat leaves, and a scarf closes it more effectively than a heavier coat does.

Measure your chest while wearing the heaviest layer you intend to put underneath, then match that figure to the chart. Our winter styles already include layering room, so most people take their usual size. Size up only if you plan to wear a thick shawl-collar knit under it every day. Check the shoulder seam before anything else, since that is the one dimension that cannot be altered later. The sizing guide has the full measuring method.

Hang it, on a broad or padded hanger that supports the shoulders. Leather creases permanently where it is folded and those creases eventually crack. Wool tolerates folding better but loses its shape. For summer storage use a breathable cotton garment bag rather than a plastic one, which traps moisture and is a genuine risk in a damp British loft or under-stairs cupboard.

Yes. Standard coats run short on a tall frame, so we cut a tall range for men fitting 6'0" to 6'4" and a tall range for women fitting 5'9" to 6'0", both with longer body and sleeve length rather than just a wider cut. For shorter frames the petite collection is scaled down at the shoulder and sleeve so the proportions stay correct.

Yes. UK delivery is free and fully tracked on every order, with no customs charges to settle on arrival. Prices on this page are in pounds and include everything. If a size does not work, the exchange process is straightforward. Details are in our shipping policy and returns and exchange pages.

Our discounts run year round rather than as one end-of-season clearance, and most winter pieces on this page are already reduced between 17 and 45 percent. Everything is made in our own workshop in limited runs, so the common sizes in car coats and shearling tend to sell through by mid-winter. If your size is showing in November it is worth taking rather than waiting for a January sale that may not have your size left.