From bomber jackets to topcoats, we take to the streets of New York to try the season’s best outerwear for size.

The city can be a forbidding place in autumn. Glass and steel skyscrapers, which only a few weeks ago glimmered as beacons in the summer sun, now stand lifeless and grey. A breeze that might have brought fresh relief from the sweltering heat now sends a shiver down our spines. As the days darken and the nights lengthen, a dormant hibernation instinct begins to stir. Light a fire, it says. Hunker down. Stay inside.

We don’t listen. Instead, we layer up and gird ourselves against the cold. We go outside because we know that life is too short, and winter too long, to do anything else. Free from summer’s oppressive humidity, we rediscover the joy of crisp mornings, turning leaves and breath hanging in the air. We reacquaint ourselves with the ritual of getting dressed. Properly dressed. And we get to know our coats again.

Whether it’s a leather jacket or a woollen coat, nothing in our wardrobe works harder. Nothing makes us walk taller. Our coat is like a second skin, the one item of clothing with which, for better or worse, we’ll come to be associated over the next few months. For that reason, when choosing a new one, it’s worth exploring all the options and taking the time to get it right.

This autumn, as part of MR PORTER’s mission to make the world a more stylish place, we have picked out a selection of the new season’s best outerwear – from timeless cashmere topcoats to sports-inspired blouson jackets – that reflect the latest trends. A good coat will do more than just keep you warm this winter. Make sure your biggest wardrobe investment is a wise one.

Shop new season coats and jackets here