Contrary to what Timothée Chalamet remarked about opera being a dying art form, the street style is proving that this centuries-old creative discipline is more relevant than ever. At least, on a sartorial front, that is. Indeed, as understated and sophisticated as they are, opera coats are proving to be quite the covetable item amongst minimalistic dressers with a penchant for everyday opulence.
Sleek, clean cut and calf-grazing, this effortlessly elegant coat style offers a luxurious styling solution for days when you want to encase your ensemble with an exterior layer inspired by the uniform of chic New York societies like Lee Radziwill, Babe Paley or C. Z. Guest. (Practically anyone who Truman Capote dubbed his “swans”.)
As the name suggests, this coat style derives from the outerwear worn by glamorous women to operas. Whilst once exclusively relegated to the cloak rooms of grand theatres like Venice’s Teatro La Fenice or Vienna’s Wiener Staatsoper, a modern desire for subverting conventions has made this piece appropriate for more mundane settings.
You need not feel like Cher attending a performance of Puccini's La Bohème alongside Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck when wearing this trend. Instead, adherents of this trend are proving just how established this silhouette can look in the aisle of a Bayley & Sage, at after-work drinks, or just cruising around your local park whilst walking your dog. The latter is on the extreme end of the spectrum, but when you have a jacket as effortlessly elegant as this, why wouldn’t you want to show it off?
This thought is precisely the reason why opera coats have become so relevant. To the Marty Supreme star’s point, occasions like watching the ballet and pursuing fine arts are becoming more of a luxury, so why not reclaim this indulgence by wearing the more extravagant pieces you might save for these grand occasions during more ordinary outings? Better still, opera coats are mostly rendered in fine fabrics like sumptuous velvet and glossy silk, meaning they lack superfluous details that make them difficult to style.
As a result, they serve as a proverbial blank canvas that can be paired with anything from stovepipe jeans and loafers to gauzy knitwear and ballet flats. Proving this point perfectly are the self-effacing styles currently available to shop. From gorgeous cotton-blends from Dries Van Noten to a knee-length version from Reformation made with fabric that moves like liquid, scroll through to shop the best opera coats that would even have Maria Callas’ heart fluttering.
Shop the Opera Coat Trend:
Pair this with the lightest denier tights imaginable and you'll find yourself the envy of everyone around you.
Chocolate brown shades are a superb alternative to deeper, black shades.
A colour that would certainly get Timothée's tick of approval.
Mrs. Prada has been pioneering satin coats since the '90s.
Invest now, and you'll have your winter wardrobe sorted.
Proof that chartreuse isn't going anywhere.
Such a sophisticated silhouette.
This high-collar detail adds a polished, albeit unfussy touch.