Great Parkas

Long nylon cire anorak with down fill and coyote-fur-trim hood, Kors Michael Kors, $450; at Neiman Marcus.

Knee-length hooded nylon parka with down, Moncler, $855; at Bloomingdale's.

Long cotton-nylon parka with down and feathers, DKNY, $265; at Nordstrom.

Belted mid-length parka, viscose-poly with synthetic fill, Esprit, $220; esprit.com.

White nylon parka with a faux-fur trimmed hood and synthetic fill, Tommy Hilfiger, $119; at select Macy's.

Bronze polyester and fur parka with chevron seams, Weatherproof, $165; 312-440-0720.

Nylon-polyester short belted parka with down, Free Country, $170; 888-373-3692.

White ruched parka, polyester with feathers and down, Via Spiga, $200; at Bloomingdale's.

Short gray belted parka, nylon with poly fill, DKNY Jrs. Active, $148; at select Macy's stores.

Nylon and down chevron-seam vest with a faux-fur trimmed hood, Gap, $59.50; gap.com.

Nylon and faux fur vest with poly fill, Nine West, $100; at Nordstrom.

Polyester with down vest, Theory, $315; theory.com for stores.

Taller women, like 5-foot-8-inch Kate Walsh, have an easier timepulling off more length, as in this North Face coat. Even ifyou have the height, a belt or cinched waist can add welcomeshape. "If you're petite, avoid coats that go below the knee," says Tom Kolovos, stylist for Thebestdressedlist.com. Shorter women should opt for a hip-length parka instead. Pear shapes are also helped by a shorter coat since "long ones add extra bulk on the legs."

Have it cleaned professionally, and if you own a light-colored coat like Heather Graham's North Face one, "spot-treat stains as you would with any other luxe garment," says Wade Woodfill, product director forNorth Face. He suggests you wipe off any wet residue and let your coat dry completely before storing, then hang it with plenty of room to breathe. "The less compacted the down is, the more loft it will have," he explains.

Look for surprising detailing, unique fabrics, and extra embellishments, such as zippers on the sleeves or a fur-trimmed collaror hood (see Teri Hatcher's emerald puffer). Stylist Tom Kolovos suggests choosing a metallic hue or deep jewel tone-like eggplant or forest green-if you want something that will stand out. "You can also pick an iridescent fabric," he adds, "or go more extreme with something like Burberry's python version."