Star Bright! 9 Celeb-Approved Coats to Stand Out From the Crowd

Outfit-Making Coats: Lily Aldridge
Photo: Joe Schildhorn /BFAnyc/Sipa USA, Courtesy (3)

It's hard to find sartorial inspiration when your mood matches winter's pervading bleakness. But in a sea of black coats, things get old pretty fast.

For guidance, we turned to the stars for genius ways to stand out without resorting to black. Lupita Nyong'o used her plum topper to inject a lush layer of color, unexpectedly combining it with a touch of saffron yellow and pretty pastels for a fresh color-blocked combo. From oversize robe coats to eveningwear pastels to cozy shearling toppers, take a look at all the nine star-approved ways to stand out from the crowd all winter long.

PHOTOS: 9 Celeb-Inspired Outfit-Making Coats to Wear All Season Long

01 of 09

Add a Lush Layer

Outfit-Making Coats: Lupita Nyong'o
Richard Young/Rex/REX USA, Courtesy (5)
  • Take Lupita Nyong'o's lead and do the unexpected! Couple a lush-hued topper with summery pastels for a surprising, yet incredibly fresh, color combo. Shop the look below:
  • Coat: Lands' End, $149; landsend.com
  • Top: Alice + Olivia, $198; aliceandolivia.com
  • Skirt: H&M, $35; hm.com
  • Belt: Lodis, $27; 6pm.com
  • Heels: Seychelles, $109; shopruche.com
02 of 09

Forego Color

Outfit-Making Coats: Marion Cotillard
Pierre Suu/GC Images, Courtesy (4)
  • In a sea of dark winter coats, stand out in a crisp white topper, like Marion Cotillard, who epitomized elegance in a pristine white coat layered over a high-neck lace top and a shin-grazing black dress. The stain-prone color may be high maintenance, but its elevated effect more than makes up for it. Shop the look below:
  • Coat: Cos, $275; cosstores.com
  • Top: Whistles, $240; whistles.com
  • Dress: Zara, $80; zara.com
  • Boot: Banana Republic, $198; bananarepublic.com
03 of 09

Cozy Up to an Oversize Belted Coat

Outfit-Making Coats: Ciara
Marc Piasecki/GC Images, Courtesy (4)
  • Ciara had the right idea-bring your classic white button-down and distressed boyfriend jeans to the next level with an enveloping coat that slouches in all the right places. Shop the look below:
  • Coat: Zara, $189; zara.com
  • Button-down: Equipment, $214; equipmentfr.com
  • Jeans: Mother, $196; piperlime.com
  • Pumps: Charles by Charles David, $100; nordstrom.com
04 of 09

Go Bold With Graphic B&W

Outfit-Making Coats: Sarah Hyland
Raymond Hall/GC Images, Courtesy (5)
  • No gray area here! Attract attention with a contrasting coat laced with the two most timeless colors in the spectrum. Sarah Hyland took it one step further and injected autumnal shades with saffron yellow pants and burnt red sandals. Shop the look below:
  • Coat: Mango, $80; mango.com
  • Top: DKNY, $255; net-a-porter.com
  • Pants: Issa, $395; net-a-porter.com
  • Purse: River Island, $57; asos.com
  • Sandals: Mode Collective, $230; piperlime.com
05 of 09

Find a New Neutral

Outfit-Making Coats: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Jack Hammer/startraksphoto, Courtesy (5)
  • Skip the usual suspects, like black, gray, and navy, and gravitate toward olive green-it adds a surprising element, but still retains the ability to complement just about anything. Case in point? Rosie Huntington-Whiteley topped hers over a striped knit and a tough-girl leather mini. Shop the look below:
  • Coat: Cos, $290; cosstores.com
  • Sweater: Mango, $30; mango.com
  • Skirt: Topshop, $72; topshop.com
  • Bag: Express, $28; express.com
  • Boot: J. Crew, $258; jcrew.com
06 of 09

Lighten Up With Pastels

Outfit-Making Coats: Sami Gayle
Raymond Hall/GC Images, Courtesy (3)
  • Have a dressy occasion on the horizon? Let Sami Gayle be your guide, and team your party sequins not with a classic black overcoat, but with a layer of pretty powder blue for a dash of whimsy and unpredictability. Shop the look below:
  • Coat: Rebecca Taylor, $750; rebeccataylor.com
  • Dress: French Connection, $478; frenchconnection.com
  • Pumps: Nine West, $79; ninewest.com
07 of 09

Color-block With Soft Shades

Outfit-Making Coats: Naomi Watts
Ray Tamarra/GC Images, Courtesy (3)
  • Add contrast ever so slightly with nuances of light, like Naomi Watts, who pitted her blush pink sheath with a dove-gray coat. Shop the look below:
  • Coat: Ann Taylor, $230; anntaylor.com
  • Dress: Reiss, $340; reiss.com
  • Pumps: Kate Spade New York, $328; nordstrom.com
08 of 09

Bundle Up With Shearling

Outfit-Making Coats: Kate Bosworth
Phillip Chin/WireImage, Courtesy (4)
  • Embrace fall's coziest trend, shearling-Kate Bosworth sure has! Give your all-black ensemble a plush spin with a coat blanketed all over in the wooly material. Shop the look below:
  • Coat: Ann Taylor, $298; anntaylor.com
  • Sweater: Marciano, $98; marciano.com
  • Jeans: Joe Fresh, $39; joefresh.com
  • Boots: Coach, $395; coach.com
09 of 09

Shrug On a Duster

Outfit-Making Coats: Lily Aldridge
Joe Schildhorn /BFAnyc/Sipa USA, Courtesy (3)
  • Who says outerwear is exclusively for the outdoors? Make yours a part of your outfit with a languid lightweight duster, a la Lily Aldridge. For a heartier push into eveningwear, we selected one with a high-shine finish. Shop the look below:
  • Coat: Topshop, $90; topshop.com
  • LWD: Reiss, $290; reiss.com
  • Heels: Dolce Vita, $200; dolcevita.com
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