Ted Baker Wool Coat: Updated Review after four years

I bought the popular Ted Baker Wool Coat (US, UK, NL) four years ago. At the time, my fashion budget used to be tight as I was paying student loans and saving for a home. Retrospectively though, I’m glad that I budgeted to spend a little more on this coat instead of something cheaper that wouldn’t have lasted as well. This coat truly is my most worn piece in the fall and wintertime, which is testament to the quality and timeless design of the coat.

Ted Baker has brought this style back year after year since 2017. This is likely why I continue to receive questions about whether I’m still happy with my purchase since I last reviewed the coat here. In this blog post, I’m sharing my thoughts on the design, pricing, sizing, durability, and more to help anyone who is considering buying this coat. Without further ado, let’s get on with it!

Fabric and design

The fabric composition of the coat is 75% wool, 20% polyamide and 5% cashmere. Overall, the material is heavy-weight as it should be for winter jackets. The luxe coat lining is stitched in meticulously and is composed of 95% polyester and 5% elastane. Now I tend to avoid polyester, but in a timeless design such as this I didn’t mind it four years ago.

In terms of design, Ted Baker has done a clever twist on the classic wool coat. This style has an interesting collar that can be worn with the lapels down or lapels held up by a magnetic gold button on your left shoulder. Similarly instead of the more popular straight cut in wool coats, this one is designed to be more A-line. In comparison to its peer wool coats, this coat isn’t oversized. Despite the waist on the belt, the coat has structure that doesn’t make it look like a bathrobe. Lastly, I love that it has deep functional pockets for someone who commutes via public transport for work.

Pricing and where to buy

When I bought the coat four years ago, it retailed for EUR 430. Luckily, the price hasn’t gone up! In fact, at least in the Netherlands, it costs EUR 425, down 5 euros! Nonetheless, EUR 425 is still a steep price tag that’s not convenient for everyone. I was fortunate to snap it up at a 20% discount. However, ever since I’ve noticed that the black color in this style hasn’t gone on sale.

Good news is that since this style has been on the market for over four years. I’ve seen it being sold on pre-loved sites like Vinted and eBay for as low as EUR 50. Of course, to find a premium quality coat such as this one on a bargain requires research from your end, but it’s not impossible if you’re determined.

Sizing and fit

The coat comes in Ted Baker sizes 0 to 7 corresponding to UK sizes 6 to 18, US sizes 2-14, and EU sizes 34-46. That’s a wider range than the size offerings on the high street. So while not inclusive of all sizes, most people can find a size that fits them.

The fit of the coat is true to size. I’m usually a US 4/UK 8/EU 36. I could have gone for an EU 36, but I got the 38 instead to have more room for blazers and chunkier knits. Four years and a couple of extra kilos on me later, I’m glad that I sized up. The coat still fits me perfectly without being tight.

I find that the A-line cut is more flattering and forgiving for my pear-shaped body. I also prefer this length of the coat. It hits me right at the knee with my 165 cm height. Anything length longer than this drowns me.

Quality & cost per wear

The only other coat in my winter wardrobe is a puffer jacket, so you can imagine how much I’ve worn this coat in the last four years. I must add here that I never baby this coat. I’ve packed this coat in carry-ons, squeezed it in the back of car trunks, soaked it in rain showers, and stuffed it in overhead bins during flights. In spite of all that hard wear, it still looks new and has a lifetime of use left in it. And while in my initial review, I called the dry cleaning bill an annoyance, I’ve only dry-cleaned it once in four years.

It’s still a steep price tag though, right? But since it’s one of my two winter coats, the cost per wear of the coat is much lower. I wear it almost daily from October to March at least. Assuming I wear it 15 days every month from October to March, that’s 90 days on average per year. Over four years, that is 360 wears. I paid EUR 344 for the coat. EUR 344/360 days = EUR 0.95. My cost per wear as of this year is EUR 0.95 and it will only go lower as I continue to wear it this year, and in the years to come!

This makes the coat a great financial choice, but also a sustainable choice for the environment. Instead of three cheap coats sitting in a landfill because they couldn’t survive the test of time and wear, I still look forward to wearing this one coat a ton in the coming years!

Final verdict

Would a cheaper coat with sub-quality material and tailoring give me 360 wears in four years? I doubt it. Not only is the fabric of my Ted Baker wool coat in great condition, the gold hardware and the magnetic buttons also are in mint condition.

Based on my experience, I consider this purchase entirely worth it! It’s also taught me to invest where there is long-term pay off. I want to add a lighter-colored winter coat my wardrobe, but this Ted Baker coat has set high expectations! I’ll let you know how I get on with that purchase, but for now I hope this review is helpful! Don’t forget to let me know if you get this coat and how you like it! And if you liked reading this post, you will also enjoy reading how I budget and save for big fashion purchases.

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