Choosing a coat is rarely trivial. It is a piece you wear for months of the year, see every morning when you open your wardrobe, and which says something about you before you've even spoken. Worth choosing well.

Here is what Atelier MAUDÉ has learned — sometimes the hard way — working for several years with the Suzhou ateliers on the composition, cut and durability of its coats.

Composition: the first thing to look at

A 100% cachemire coat promises extraordinary softness. But pure cachemire lacks structure: it slumps at the shoulders, loses shape over time, and loses its form after a few seasons. 100% wool, on the other hand, is sturdy but less pleasant against the skin.

Atelier MAUDÉ chose 50% laine, 50% cachemire from Inner Mongolia. Not by chance — but out of conviction that this is the balance that truly holds over time. Wool structures, cachemire softens. The result is a coat that keeps its shape after five winters.

Worth knowing: in France, a garment can legally be called "cashmere" with as little as 3% cachemire in its composition. The label alone is not enough. Always ask for precise percentages — and if the origin of the fibres is stated, that is generally a good sign.

The hand never lies

Before the cut, before the colour — your hands. A good cachemire is immediately recognisable: soft without being artificial, slightly dense, with a surface that catches the fingertips ever so slightly. If the fabric is too smooth and too uniform, it often signals a chemical treatment masking a mediocre fibre. If it pills at the first rub between your palms, it will pill from the very first outings.

Good cachemire holds its own. It is as robust as it is soft — the two are not mutually exclusive.

Pocket detail, brown cachemire — Atelier MAUDÉ

The cut: a question of use as much as taste

The belted short coat

Mid-thigh, removable belt — this is the most versatile cut. It moves from the office to the weekend effortlessly, can be tied in two seconds to define the silhouette, or worn open for a more relaxed look. The Yūn Court was born of this logic: a piece that adapts, not a piece you coddle.

The long oversize coat

A different philosophy. It envelops, protects, creates a natural presence without accessories. The Huā Long in camel embodies what the house calls "the garment as elegant shield" — a phrase that may sound grandiose until the first deep cold of November.

The long belted coat

Both combined: the protection of length, with the ability to sculpt the silhouette. The Yūn Long is worn open for a fluid look, or tied tightly for something more assertive. It is the same piece, two ways of inhabiting it.

« A good cachemire coat is an investment measured in years, not seasons. »

Length: a few guidelines

A simple piece of advice: think about actual use. A coat worn every day by bike or on public transport is more practical short. For travel, dinners, occasions where you walk slowly — the long coat comes into its own.

Colour: investing in what stands the test of time

For a first investment, black, camel, navy or heathered grey. These shades do not date, go with everything, and require no effort to coordinate. Black is the most universal. Camel brings a warmth that few colours can match in winter. Navy is the less expected alternative, equally classic.

For a second or third coat, you can allow yourself more — terracotta, burgundy, charcoal grey. But the first one, make it unshakeable.

Price: what the numbers conceal

Below £200, the composition is almost always disappointing — little real cachemire, limited lifespan. Between £200 and £400, you enter what Atelier MAUDÉ calls honest luxury: a clearly stated composition, serious craftsmanship, a price that does not fund global advertising campaigns. Beyond £800, you are largely paying for the name on the label.

A useful calculation for perspective: £350 divided by eight winters of use is £44 per year. Less than an £80 coat replaced every autumn because it did not hold up. That is what a considered investment looks like.