Sorry, Biker Jackets—Everywhere I Look Chic Dressers Are Wearing This Retro Coat Trend

As soon as the temperature drops and the light, long evenings of summer start to fade into distant memory, there is one thing that instantly springs to mind: coats. Now, if you hear that word and wonder if I’ve gone mad (as it's quite clearly jacket season), I promise I haven’t. There is a shearling-trimmed silhouette perfect for capturing the cool, slightly retro energy that wardrobes always seem to circle back to when cooler weather rolls around—the "Penny Lane" coat.

Now, it must be said: this isn't the first time the style has soared in popularity. Better known as the Afghan coat, it was first popularised in the West during the ‘60s and ‘70s, when travellers returning from the Hippie Trail brought back handmade sheepskin coats from places like Kabul and Kandahar. Cosy, practical and beautifully embroidered with distinctly Central Asian design, the coat quickly became a favourite amongst the legends of the time—think Jane Birkin and John Lennon, Janis Joplin and David Bowie; who were often photographed in this shaggy-trimmed style. And as the silhouette evolved, it became synonymous with the free-spirited, bohemian sensibility of the era, making it a symbol of the artistic and wholly anti-establishment crowd that championed it.

Fast-forward to the 2000s and the style was given a second lease of life, thanks in no small part to Kate Hudson’s portrayal of Penny Lane in Almost Famous. A character (and film) so iconic that she effectively renamed a coat for an entire generation. After all, as the now-infamous line goes: “This is Penny Lane. Show her some respect”. And just like that, the Afghan became the Penny Lane, and cemented itself in fashion folklore.

It girls like Mischa Barton in The O.C., Paris Hilton and Britney Spears would gravitate to the style for its rock ’n’ roll muses and dream girl sensibility. And whether styled with straight-leg jeans, a camo print bag and Moon Boots, or low-waisted tailored trousers and a cropped T-shirt, this gloriously shaggy shearling coat has a slightly undone glamour that just makes sense.

Now in a new era obsessed with nostalgia and personality-driven maximalism, the coats are back in the cultural zeitgeist, and become a talking point all over again. In 2014, Copenhagen-based brand Saks Potts turned the style into a household name, ushering faux-fur trims back into the conversation. And today you can’t think of the Penny Lane coat without thinking of one name—Charlotte Simone. The London-based label has practically made the silhouette its signature, turning shaggy, vintage-inspired outerwear into a must-have for the modern It girl. And for Simone, the inspiration behind this cult favourite is deeply personal.

"The Penny started with a coat I found hanging in my grandma’s wardrobe," notes Simone. "I’d always loved rummaging through her clothes, but this one stopped me in my tracks. It was a true sixties piece, with the most beautiful shape, and you could tell it had been really worn, loved and lived in. I remember thinking that this is what a coat should be, something with a story, and made to last a lifetime... So when it came to designing our first coat, I kept in mind that spirit and silhouette I’d fallen for."

That same sense of nostalgia continues to shape the brand's approach to outerwear and as Simone explains, “I’ve always believed a coat can be the whole outfit, and that idea really came from my grandma.” With everyone from Kate and Lila Moss to Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski counting themselves as fans of the brand, Charlotte's Penny Lane Coats have become something of the uniform of the style-conscious.

With so many styles on the market right now, the Penny Lane coat is only going to continue to grow in popularity as the weather gets cooler. Want to try the trend for yourself? Keep scrolling to see and shop the very best on the market right now.

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