After-Christmas sales a good time to invest in outerwear

NEW YORK -- Shoppers know that once the Christmas decorations come down, so do stores' prices, making it an especially good time to invest in a new winter coat.

A quality winter coat is an investment that will likely set you back hundreds of dollars, so the 20- to 50-percent post-holiday markdowns will help ease the pain of buying an investment piece.

What to buy? There are a lot of choices this year, especially for those who like a bright silhouette to battle the winter blues. Crisp, luxe winter whites and wool coats in bright red, green, yellow and orange are more widely available than they've been in years. From the formal coats to sporty outdoor gear, color enthusiasts have a lot to choose from.

Vintage shop lovers have a great opportunity this season to be in fashion. With cuts inspired by every decade since the 1920s showing up on major retailers' racks, you're likely to find a vintage coat that will work perfectly with the modern fashions. Best bets are shawl collars from the 1930s; country club-ready camel coats and tweeds from the 1950s; boxy, mod shapes from the 1960s; and belted cashmere wraps from the 1970s.

Faux fur and fur fans also have reasons to cheer this year. Fuzzy accents adorn endless sweaters, hoods, cuffs, scarves, hats and collars. The "chubby" -- a fluffy short-waisted jacket -- is one of the trendiest items of the season.

With the current '50s influence on fashion bringing back conservative classics, timeless pieces are also widely available this year, such as men's camel hair coats and women's cashmere overcoats and preppy blazers.

"We cannot get or sell enough blazers," Pfeifle says, adding that peacoats and military-inspired canvas outerwear are also popular this year. "People are wearing outerwear in a different ways, like a denim jacket that normally would be worn with jeans would be worn with a velvet skirt."

As in the rest of the fashion world, the line between sporty and formal continues to blur in outerwear.

Quilted nylon jackets with fur- or faux fur-lined hoods give hip-hop chic to any outfit, and thin thermal linings first used for skiers and winter outdoor enthusiasts are being used to line more formal coats. Relatively new fabrics and finishes have revitalized classic choices, with washable suede and washable faux shearling turning the formerly rain-averse fabrics into "outdoor" choices.

"They're wearing sportier styles in a more luxe way and a more luxe style in a more casual way," Pfeifle says. "I totally think that that trend will continue, people will continue to mix it up."

Helen Yarmak, the Russian mathematician-turned-fashion designer who staged her first American runway show this fall, has several pieces that embody this sporty-luxe aesthetic, like a sable coat that zips and unzips into 24 different configurations. It can be worn as a full-length coat or broken down into a jacket, a vest, a wrap, a hat or other pieces that would look at home with a funky club-hopping outfit.

"I like to do elegant shapes but with a smile," Yarmak says. "If you buy sable, it's an investment. You want to get the most out of your money."