Meet the Coat That Will Transform Your Winter Wardrobe

One of my favorite pieces in my whole entire closet is a bright fuchsia coat that I bought at a vintage store in Paris with my roommate at the time (we effectively shared a wardrobe, so if we both liked something, we’d just split the price down the middle—it wasn’t a perfect plan, but it worked well enough). The coat is double-breasted, with shiny black buttons and a matching collar. It’s not exactly warm enough for New York winters, and there are slices in the lining where we ripped out the gigantic shoulder pads it came with, but I insist on wearing it right through February. Why? Well, amid a sea of black and gray, plus the occasional Park-Avenue brown mink, it’s nice to feel like a special flamingo—especially during the drudgery of a morning commute.

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Pink coats—be they bubblegum-pink puffers, blush bombers, or Pepto-pink shearlings—are one of the best antidotes to winter doldrums. Even if you’re otherwise sheathed head-to-toe in black (as I often am), when you put one on, your outfit is instantly energized. And sure, the traditional thinking is that coats should be purchased in dark, go-with-everything shades because they tend to be the “investment pieces” of the season, but since we (that is, internet-fluent millennials) are treating pale pink as the new neutral, that should logically extend to outerwear, don’t you think?

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Below, shop 21 pink coats that will give your wardrobe new life this season—plus get inspiration on how to wear them.