Cast your mind back to 2013. Prince George was born, "Blurred Lines" was (unfortunately) always on the radio and The Wolf of Wall Street was released, propelling the fabulous Margot Robbie into our orbit.
But there was another big thing that came into the world that year, and that was the Marks and Spencer pink coat. Call me weird, but I can still recall seeing it for the first time and knowing it was going to be a phenomenon. It was featured in every fashion magazine going, and it sold out everywhere. Thanks to its universally flattering colour, its expensive-looking cut and shape, and the fact that it's on sale for a pretty reasonable £85, dedicated M&S shoppers and fashion insiders alike wanted to get their hands on it.
Fast-forward to 2019—six whole years later—and the high-street stalwart is still creating pink coats. And this year's has a new twist—it's reversible with a burnt-red colour underneath, which is ideal for autumnal weather. We first spotted it on Erica Davies, who looked characteristically great in it. So in order for us to know if this is as fabulous as the coat of 2013, we had to try it on for ourselves. Four of us trialled the coat and discovered that we all—despite our many different tastes—thought that this coat could suit everyone.
Ready to see what I mean? Keep scrolling to see how Erica styled the coat and then see how team Who What Wear looks in the coat. Oh, and then shop it.
Style Notes: Erica turns up the cuffs to reveal the pink underneath, which perfectly matches with her pink top.
Style Notes: The checked blazer really breaks up the overly pink look.
SHOP THE COAT
SEE TEAM WHO WHAT WEAR IN THE COAT
Joy in the pink coat.
Joy in the red side of the coat.
Joy's verdict: "I rarely say no to a new coat (although I'm going to try and keep my purchasing to a minimum this autumn), and when I find a good one, I'll happily live in it for seven months of the year. This M&S offering is a great combination of tailored but not corporate and coloured but still versatile—pretty much everything I look for in a coat. I'm less keen on the rust-red side, but the dusty pink totally won me over, and I can tell it would look so nice with both soft beiges and brighter hues, such as blue and green. The only thing to note is the fit. Everyone on the website said it came up way too big, so I purposefully ordered a size down. However, in my opinion, the coat would look better with a more draped, blanket-like fit."
Hannah in the pink coat.
Hannah in the red side of the coat.
Hannah's verdict: "I love an unlined coat, so this ticked one major box for me. I've never actually bought into any colour coat trends (outside of a range of neutrals), but I was surprised at how flattering the pink was on my skin tone and how it was weirdly easy to pair it with something. The rusty shade will come into its own in the colder months. One thing I'd change? I always prefer a belted or waist-nipping silhouette, but M&S can't start specifically making coats just for me, right?"
Related: We're Obsessed by These 5 Autumn Colour Trends
Alyss in the pink coat.
Alyss in the red side of the coat.
Alyss's verdict: "I don't normally wear pink, but I loved this dusky shade of this M&S one, and it's an added bonus that you can wear it two ways with the rust red, too. I get quite cold during winter, so I'm not sure this would last me past Christmas when the weather really drops, but I'd definitely wear it until then."
Me wearing the pink coat.
Me in the red side of the coat.
My verdict: I'm a big fan of pink, as proven by my choice of socks today, but I don't wear it very often. That said, I could definitely see myself wearing the pink side of this coat throughout autumn, although I'd go up at least one size to make it oversized. I'd then push up the sleeves to style it in a more laid-back way. As for the red? Honestly, that colour isn't for me, but I do like how it comes through when you wear it on the pink side.
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