The changing of the seasons makes it necessary for us to change up what we wear to adapt to the climate, and this can be a bummer for vintage fashion lovers. After all, it’s never easy to be told you have to cover up all your cutest clothes. Thankfully, though, Retro Stage has your back with a huge selection of 20th-century-inspired outerwear, so you don’t have to worry about throwing off your look with modern-day coats and jackets.

In this article, we’ll be walking you through a few different categories of overcoats organized by length, starting with the shortest ones and getting longer as we go. While you’re reading, keep your existing wardrobe in the back of your mind and consider how outerwear might enhance different combinations of pieces, especially if it’s getting cold where you are. And if you like anything you see, just click to take a closer look.

Cropped Coats & Boleros

These fun little mini-coats tend to serve as more of a fashion statement than anything else since they don’t cover the whole torso and might not even have full sleeves. That being said, they can certainly come in handy for both practical and aesthetic reasons. If you’re wearing something underneath that has a distinctly high waistline, or if you just want to protect your arms from the chill in the air, a cropped coat can be the perfect complement to your existing outfit.

Textural pieces like our Brown 1950s Retro Fur Collar Bolero Jacket and Black 1950s Retro Woolen Wrap Bolero Jacket go especially well with semi-formal and cocktail attire, rounding off more minimalist ensembles and providing a lightweight outer layer on cool evenings. Similarly, adding a sturdy collared coat like the Black 1950s Textured Knitted Crop Jacket is a great way to instantly bring a hint of sophistication to your look.

Short Coats

We’re using “short” here to describe a wide range of pieces that fall anywhere between the waist and the hips. Suffice to say, this type of coat or jacket is a reliable wardrobe staple that’s more or less a must when it gets colder outside. Garments in this category tend to be more straightforward in terms of construction, closing with a single zipper or line of buttons, but this can also mean they leave less of an impression fashion-wise than other pieces with more real estate.

When it comes to amping up casual wear in the fall and winter months, lightweight sweaters and cardigans are where it’s at. Take for example the 1960s Jacquard Floral Knitted Cardigan and the Red 1940s Striped Sailor Collar Sweater Coat, two personality-filled pieces that are sure to liven up any outfit with their vibrant patterns. These well-loved garments are made to prioritize comfort in cold weather with their streamlined designs that cut down on extra bulk.

From cozy cardigans to office-ready blazers, short coats span a huge variety of textiles, styles, designs, and colors, making this a very accessible length no matter what your personal tastes are. Just keep in mind that certain materials like leather may not hold up as well over time if you expose them to rain, snow, or hail. Overall, though, for mild to moderate fall and winter weather, short coats are a great starting point for both everyday shoppers and dedicated vintage fashion lovers.

Mid-Length Coats

This is another broad category that can reach anywhere from below the hips to right above the knee. In general, mid-length coats tend to go for a more tailored look and are often designed to flare out at the waist to achieve a flattering, feminine silhouette. They pair well with short swing-style dresses and can help protect the fabrics underneath from harsh weather, though skirts with extra volume or petticoats may be difficult to wear if the coat’s built-in flare isn’t pronounced enough.You can really see the difference when comparing pieces like the 1950s Fur Collar Waisted Winter Coat and the Dark Green 1940s Solid Button Coat. The former has plenty of fabric to accommodate full skirts, while the latter has a straighter cut that could end up looking strangely bulky if you try to fit too much material under it.

This is also a fun length to wear with pants or leggings because it essentially creates an extra look, with the proportions of the coat acting in harmony with whatever bottoms you have on. Even if you’re not wearing a dress, for a moment it’ll look like you are! Hardcore fashion divas should definitely take this into account so they can style for both “outfits” at once and keep everything cohesive. At the end of the day, though, it’s not always that serious, and there’s no need to stress—free to rock a head-turning mid-length coat without worrying about whether it matches your main ensemble. Fashion is all about experimentation and individuality, so go wild with whatever inspires you!

Long Coats

Coats that fall to or below the knee carry a certain level of mystery to them, as they cover most of the body and evoke imagery of the stone-faced spies you see in the movies. However, there’s also this aura of maturity that vintage lovers are no doubt familiar with, so it’s far from unknown territory. Long coats often have the same fit-and-flare tailoring seen in many mid-length coats, but others are cut with a straight silhouette or a more relaxed fit, so there’s plenty of room to play with different shapes. For example, the Dark Blue 1950s Solid Belted Coat doesn’t have much built-in flare, but it comes with a belt that can be worn tied or untied as you see fit; meanwhile, both the Navy Blue 1940s Patchwork Button Coat and the Pink 1930s Velvet Patchwork Button Coat feature sleek, curve-conscious designs that fit closer to the body.

While there are never any hard and fast rules for fashion, we do have some recommendations for how to look your best in a long coat. Whether it’s worn open or closed, pants are usually preferable over skirts since they provide some contrast to the coat’s elongated silhouette. Skirts aren’t taboo by any means, but you should be mindful of the length and ideally limit it to (at most) a couple inches below the hem of the coat. Floor-length skirts can be an exception if you’re aiming to break norms with intriguing geometry; still, you’ll want enough fabric visible to avoid awkwardly cutting yourself off at the ankle.

Of course, the only surefire way to know if you’ll like how something looks with your long coat is by trying it on at home. You might find that you’re not that picky about your outerwear, or that you really love how you look when you go against the advice we’ve presented here, and that’s okay! As always, we’re only here to provide some guidelines that will help you get started if you don’t know how—the rest is up to you.

Making the Right Choice

There are a lot of factors you should take into consideration when picking out a coat, but the most important ones in our opinion (other than your personal style) are the weather and your reason for wearing it—that is, where it falls on the spectrum of aesthetics and functionality. If you want to prioritize creating cohesive looks, we recommend picturing what sorts of outfits you’ll wear with the coat, and if you just want something to protect you from the climate, focus on pieces made of sturdy, well-insulated materials. Fall is already in full swing in some places, so keep an eye on your local forecast to get a sense of what you’ll need to stay warm and comfortable in the coming weeks. Above all, though, have some fun and do what feels right!

You can find all the fantastic pieces from this article and so much more on the Retro Stage website.