As today is the first full day of fall, it seems only appropriate to take a look at some of the warm and cozy garments in our collection. So, today we bring you a selection of coats and jackets, from sensible wool to patterned lamé. Let us know if you see anything you love!

Coat
c. 1926
Silk & lamé brocade & mink
Gift of Ms. Judy Thomsen
S2004.823.15

Woven with metallic threads, this coat features the columnar silhouette that was so popular during the 1920s. The clean lines of the coat are enriched by the abstract pattern and rich colors of the textile and its oversize fur collar. Lamé evening coats were extremely popular during the 1920s; a 1924 Vogue article featured lamé evening coats and wraps by Worth, Doucet, Chanel, and Molyneux. Like the coat seen here, many 1920s coats lacked a fastener of any kind. Called clutch coats, they were clasped together with the hand, or fell open to reveal the dress underneath. Period fashion illustrations often picture women grasping both sides of their coats, while also holding a small purse tucked under the arm.

Jacket
c. 1946 
Wool, cotton, brass buttons
Lanz Original
Gift of Patricia Marks
2003.45.3

This wool jacket is classic Lanz. Founded in Austria during the 1920s, Lanz of Salzburg specialized in skiwear and Austrian traditional dress. The company began synonymous with the newly popular folklore style, even earning a 1933 mention in American Vogue. This Lanz Original jacket dates from after company founder Josef Lanz immigrated to the United States sometime during the 1930s. Despite this relocation and renaming of the company to Lanz Originals, Lanz continued to produce sportswear with a folklore feel. This green wool jacket features the strong 1940s silhouette, but is softened by embroidered strawberries and a red/white patterned lining. The brass buttons are a detail typical of Lanz designs.

Noh Coat
Bonnie Cashin for Sills & Co.
1953-1957
Gift of Elenore Berman
2004.832.2

American designer Bonnie Cashin (1907-2000) was a promoter of no-nonsense dressing for the active, modern woman. Cashin's garments were designed with practicality, comfort, and warmth in mind, while also emphasizing uncluttered lines, easy fit, and functional details such as large pockets. The Noh coat (pictured above) was Cashin's take on the flat planes of the Japanese kimono. Roomy and warm with a single leather tie closure, the Noh coat was designed as the outer layer of a Cashin outfit.

Maxi-coat
Ossie Clark
c. 1969
Gift of Honeya Barth
2008.923.1B

Ossie Clark's (1942-1996) severe black maxi-coat is a take on the redingote, a heavy, long coat worn by 18th century men for outdoor pursuits and horseback riding. As is often the case with menswear, women adopted the redingote for their own, donning versions made from patterned silks. This style of coat was worn off and on through the 19th century. Like Clark's version, redingotes often had oversized collars and turned back cuffs. Fitted jackets and coats were an important part of Clark's design vocabulary, often serving as a foil for his whimsically patterned dresses.