Hottest Coats As Weather Cools

With autumn right around the corner, it's time to get into a fall mindset -- with wardrobes tops on the list.

On The Early Show Monday, InStyle magazine National Correspondent Katrina Szish took a look at some of the hottest looks in coats for the upcoming season.

"Coats are a must-have item for fall," Szish says. "It's one item people will see you in all the time. Some of the trends we are seeing are plaids in cloth, wool, cashmeres, lots of leather, mostly short, and we're seeing lots of metallic."

Is there one coat that's a must-have for this fall's scene?

"You want a solid-colored coat that you can wear with or without a belt," Szish says. "We're seeing lots of rich gem tones, autumnal colors such as eggplant, marigold and emerald green."

Szish also observed that, "If you're shopping for a coat, a coat is something that you want to invest a little more money in; you want it to last several seasons. You want to look for something that's good quality; you don't want to skimp on a coat."

The looks Szish pointed to (DETAILS ARE BENEATH ALL THER DESCRIPTIONS THAT FOLLOW):

WORK, WEEKENDS, NIGHTS OUT; HIT JUST AT WAIST LEVEL
Tweed: Wool Boucle in midnight blue. It's a woven wool, cropped boxy Chanel style jacket. It's classic and embellished with ornamentations around the neckline. It can be worn again with a skirt or cardigan under the jacket. Price range: $450.00

WORK, CASUAL; HITS AT THE HIP WITH BELT
Color is key. Fall colors, like a coat in wool cashmere in a solid like marigold (yellowish burnt orange), are good for work. Pair with gray flannel trousers or a pencil skirt or a classic sheath dress. Price range: $575.00

CASUAL, WEEKEND; HITS JUST ABOVE THE KNEE
Chunky knits are in for fall, and a belted metallic sweater can be worn as a substitute for coat during those transitional month. It provides the comfort of a sweater and comfort of a coat. It's great for day with jeans, or evening with gown/cocktail dress. Price range is $150.00

WEEKEND CASUAL; HITS AT THE WAIST
Keep it sexy and sassy on the weekend. It speaks to Rocker Chic trend; think of singer Rhianna. Think skinny jean, an over-sized bag, and a patterned scarf for extra flair. For the older woman, something with a more classic silhouette might be better. Price range: approximately $600.00

DRESSY COAT; HITS JUST BELOW THE KNEE
Ruffles/Romantic -- again, speaking to a big trend for the season. Try a pastel pink coat. Ruffle details is a big trend across the board, adding sweetness and flirt to a look. Price: varies

WORK, EVENING; HITS ABOVE THE KNEE
Then we have Artsy Prints. Prints are big in clothes and coats. This look can go from day to night. You can dress it up with a pair of sexy heels. This one doesn't have a belt. It's can work on women of different heights. Price range: $725.00

WEEKEND TRAVEL, WEEKEND GETAWAY
Sporty look in sapphire blue for a weekend getaways. It's lightweight nylon blend, so it's great for layering. You can fold it up; it comes with its own travel bag you can carry -- great for early fall and rainy days. Price range: $285.00

WEEKEND CHIC, WORK CHIC; HITS JUST BELOW THE WAIST
Cape -- speaks to plaid/country trend -- it's simple. Unless you're Gwen Stefani, you probably don't want to mix your patterns, so stay with one color palette. A lot of the time, people wonder what to wear with capes. You can wear jeans on the weekend or, again, a sheath dress or pencil skirt. Price range: $578.00

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DETAILS ON THE ITEMS SHOWN:

Cape-Weekend Chic:
Cape, Charles Nolan, $578; at Saks Fifth Avenue
Turtleneck, Charles Nolan
Skirt, Charles Nolan
Belt, Linea Pelle
Bangles, Lia Sophia
Bag, Linea Pelle
Booties, Stuart Weitzman

Artsy Print-Night/Dressy:
Jacket, Diane von Furstenberg, $725; shopbop.com
Dress, Maggy London
Hat, Eugenia Kim
Heels, Stuart Weitzman

Leather-Weekend Casual:
Jacket, Mike & Chris, $627; shopbop.com
Top, Splendid
Jeans, Hurley
Scarf, Leigh & Luca
Cuff, Linea Pelle
Bag, Cole Haan
Booties, Te Casan

Autumn Hues-Work Casual:
Jacket, Elijah, $575; www.elijahfemme.com
Turtleneck, Vince
Pants, Vince
Belt, Linea Pelle
Sunglasses, Versus

Evening, Ruffle:
Coat, Milly, $675; intermixonline.com
Dress, Maggy London
Necklace, Linea Pelle

Sporty, Nylon:
Jacket, Mackage, $285
T-shirt, LNA
Pants, Buffalo
Belt, Linea Pelle

Tweed, Work to Weekend:
Jacket, Rebecca Taylor, $450; 770-433-2989
Cardigan, Vince
Pencil skirt, Rebecca & Drew

Sweater, Casual:
Sweater Coat, Eryn Brinie, $150
Dress, Eryn Brinie
Belt, Linea Pelle