There are certain fashion items that are non-negotiable in my wardrobe:

Shoes that do not require laces or even bending down to put on, for when I have 13 seconds to get out of the door (thank you, Birkenstock Boston clogs).
Trousers that are smart enough for the office but can withstand Wotsit cheese powder handprints and very limited ironing (thank you, Uniqlo barrel leg trousers).
A great winter coat. I’m talking about one that can camouflage whatever sartorial low I’ve fallen to during that morning’s drop off, that can multi-task and take me from work event to park playdate with ease. Most importantly, I’m talking about one that has pockets big enough to stash snacks, random twigs and balled-up bits of paper.

That’s right, of all the surprises motherhood has thrown at me, the biggest was the amount of random child-related paraphernalia I now have to carry around in my coat pockets. I recently pulled out my Sezanne Clyde trench from the back of my wardrobe when the temperature dropped and found in the pockets some mini Easter eggs and a glow-in-the-dark bracelet that no longer glowed. I now judge every coat by the depth of its pocket, immediately discarding those with neat, small slits or, God forbid, no pockets.

In truth, I need a few coats in my arsenal. A raincoat for the inevitable moment the heavens open just as I head out on the school run – I keep refreshing to see if Varley’s Alyssa rain jacket is back in stock in my size. Then there’s the puffer – aka the support blanket for every woman forced to stand beside frozen football pitches or in icy parks every weekend. I’m on the hunt for a new one and keep eyeing up this Next style. And finally, the sartorial saviour – the kind of coat that can be thrown over tracksuit bottoms for particularly bleak school runs, but also sit perfectly over my Jigsaw suit when I need to impress at a work event. I bought this Hush one last year in navy, and not only does it really pull its weight, it has roomy pockets that currently house a tub of slime and the discarded contents of a party bag, and no-one is any the wiser.

So I asked fashion editor Harriet Davey for her ultimate list of winter coats that tick every box, from on-trend leopard to functional rain jacket. All of them with a promise of a pocket big enough to hide snacks and sins…

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