I was fed up with winter coats that kept my top half warm and seemed to forget about the rest of me

I know it’s only September.

A few years ago, I probably wouldn’t even have looked at a proper winter coat yet.

But after spending last winter repeatedly wondering why every coat I owned seemed to finish at exactly the wrong place, I decided I wasn’t waiting until the first properly cold morning to sort it out again.

I’m 47, and I don’t need anything particularly fashionable or complicated from a winter coat.

I just want to put it on, walk out of the house and feel properly covered.

That sounds obvious.

Apparently, it wasn’t.

It wasn’t freezing yet, but it reminded me exactly why I wanted something longer this winter.

My old coats always seemed to stop where I wanted them to carry on

For years, most of my winter coats have finished somewhere around my hips or upper thighs.

They looked perfectly nice and kept my top half covered, but on properly cold days I’d still notice the chill lower down — especially walking into town, standing around outside or waiting for the car to warm up.

So last winter I started thinking that my next coat needed to be longer.

Not slightly longer.

Actually long.

That’s what made me stop when I saw the Paige Long Hooded Quilted Winter Coat from Merritt London.

It comes down towards the calves, which was exactly the sort of coverage I had in mind. It also has a built-in hood and a fleece-style inner lining, so it looked much more like the sort of coat you put on when winter has properly arrived rather than something you’re forever trying to make work with extra layers.

I ordered it while it was still on offer.

Partly because I liked it.

Mostly because I knew I’d be annoyed with myself if December arrived and I was still making do with the same old coat.

“For once, I wanted my winter coat to cover more than just the part of me that was already wearing a jumper.”

The length was the first thing I noticed

I tried it on over jeans and a light jumper when it arrived.

Obviously, September isn’t the real test of a winter coat.

But the difference in coverage was immediate.

Instead of the coat finishing halfway down my outfit, it actually felt like an outer layer.

That may sound like a small distinction, but it was exactly what I’d been missing.

There’s something reassuring about pulling on one coat and knowing that when the colder weather comes, you’re not relying entirely on another jumper underneath to do the work.

And because the Paige is quilted rather than looking like a formal long coat, I didn’t feel as though I’d bought something I’d only wear for certain occasions.

Jeans, jumper, boots and one proper outer layer. That’s more or less how I want to dress all winter.

I wanted something I wouldn’t have to think about

This was probably my second reason for keeping it.

I’m not somebody who wants to plan five different layers every time the temperature drops.

Most days, I’m wearing jeans or trousers with a jumper.

If I’m heading into town, walking somewhere, doing the school run for my niece or simply getting on with the day, I want the coat to be the easy part.

The Paige works with exactly that sort of wardrobe.

The product page describes it as an everyday winter coat that can be worn with jeans, boots and layers, which is essentially what I bought it for.

The hood helps as well.

Not because I expect to spend winter wandering around in terrible weather, but because it’s one less thing to think about when it turns cold and miserable outside.

Coat on. Hood there if I want it. Done.

That practicality matters to me far more than owning a coat that only looks good when the rest of the outfit is perfect.

And I’m quite glad I bought it now

It’s still early enough in the year that I’m not wearing a proper winter coat every day.

Nor would I expect to.

But colder mornings are starting to appear, and I know perfectly well what comes after that.

So instead of waiting until November and suddenly deciding I need something, I’ve got mine hanging ready.

I actually quite like that.

There’s no rush, no emergency winter shopping and no trying to convince myself for another year that my old shorter coat is “probably fine”.

Not an everyday coat just yet. But one thing I’m pleased to have sorted before winter gets here.

It feels like I’ve sorted winter before winter has sorted itself out

That’s probably the best way to put it.

I didn’t buy the Paige because September suddenly felt like January.

I bought it because I already knew what annoyed me about my old winter coats, and this solved that particular problem.

Longer coverage.

A hood already attached.

A soft-feeling inner lining.

And something I can put straight over the clothes I already wear rather than building an entire outfit around it.

At the moment, Merritt London has the Paige at £49.95, reduced from £124.95.

I’m quite happy to have bought mine before I desperately needed it.

Because when that first genuinely cold morning arrives, I already know which coat I’ll be reaching for.