The ‘yeti coat’ is your winter wardrobe hero
The latest pin-up being channelled by the style set? It’s not a Hollywood star (although, he has made an appearance in several films), or a top model, or even a princess. Instead, it’s that great mythical creature, the sasquatch – with his long shaggy coat being the inspiration behind some of the chicest outerwear on and off the red carpet at the moment.
Last week saw Claudia Winkleman, national treasure and everyone’s current style icon, wearing one during one of the tasks on The Traitors, which she paired with knee-high shaggy boots in a look she described on Instagram as “full yeti”. Meanwhile, before Christmas, Wicked star Cynthia Erivo channelled Oscar the Grouch (who she also duetted with on Sesame Street) in a fringed brat-green cape for the Los Angeles premiere of the film, while singer Sabrina Carpenter arrived for the taping of her Netflix A Nonsense Christmas special in a vintage Chanel black and white furry look, proving that it doesn’t need to be sub-zero for the trend to work.
“I love [yeti coats] for a sense of drama,” says Winkleman’s stylist, Sinead McKeefry. “They feel at home in the rugged backdrop of the Highlands and the leaf-filled woods. Also they are timeless. They are rock and roll. And you can give them names. We called last year’s black YSL version Mick!”
A look that has its origins in 1970s groupie culture (see: Anita Pallenberg, the girlfriend of the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, as well as Kate Hudson’s character Penny Lane in Almost Famous), it has come in and out of fashion in the decades since, most notably in the 1990s and 2000s courtesy of Kate Moss. It’s an aesthetic that has blown up on TikTok recently among Gen Z, with fans including Hailey Bieber, who wore a chocolate brown yeti coat for her latest Rhode campaign, and Selena Gomez, who was snapped in one for her engagement photo shoot.
“They are cosy, warm and bring instant It-girl glamour to any outfit,” explains the designer Charlotte Simone, who has a following for her shaggy coats. “I try to design timeless styles that elevate an everyday outfit and allow heads to turn, the idea is that a Charlotte Simone instantly lifts any outfit with effortless ease and lasts longer than a season.”
The undisputed queen of the shaggy coat though? It’s got to be actress-turned-singer Suki Waterhouse, whose style borrows more than a little from Penny Lane et al. She wore multiple different versions during the Memoir of a Sparklemuffin tour last year, including a purple Michael Kors design for her Coachella performance. What’s more, she’s often papped in them too, and was recently spotted in The Frankie Shop’s cult £570 version, aptly dubbed “The Yeti”.
“In the winter, your best friend is your coat – so why not add a little drama to it?” explains The Frankie Shop’s designer Gaëlle Drevet. “That’s where the Yeti coats come in, which we offer in various colours, perfect for multiple occasions. I was inspired by vintage coats with big, dramatic shapes. It’s definitely a 70s mood combined with bohemian chic vibes, and a standout ‘look at me look’ moment. With everything being so grey in the winter months, it’s nice to combine staying warm with practicality, comfort and style.”
The influencer Camille Charriere, who is partial to a shaggy coat, agrees. “For me in the winter, comfort and staying warm enough is the most important part of getting dressed. The reason why I love this kind of coat over something like a puffer jacket is that it always feels chic. You can wear it with anything and it doesn’t need to be styled. The coat is the look. It just doesn’t go out of fashion ever.”
