How many coats should you have? The answer to this question depends entirely on where you live. You might live in a country where the weather is mild – in which case a lightweight trench is all you’ll need. Or, you might live in a city that has a cold, wet winter, which means you’ll need more than just a casual cover-up.

If you live in a country with a real winter season, consider a basic 3-coat complement for your wardrobe:

1. Lightweight trench coat – for transitional seasonal weather, dressed either up or down
2. Smart coat – for work, going out, date-night and occasions
3. Casual parka – for walks, playgrounds, going to the movies and running errands

Once you have these versatile options in your wardrobe, you can flirt with other styles that tickle your fancy. Coats for me are like shoes are for most women – I never feel that I have enough of them. Luckily I can justify my indulgences with the cold and wet climate of the American Pacific Northwest.

It’s important for the largest part of your wardrobe and seasonal fashion budget to reflect the dominant seasons where you live.

Examples from the three corners of the USA: 

• Hot Florida – Spring/Summer collections will dominate
• Cool Seattle – Autumn/Winter collections will dominate
• Extreme New York – you’ll spread your budget equally over both collections since it can get as hot as it can cold.

This year I made the mistake of going overboard on the great sleeveless styles that were so popular in the summer collections. Living in cool Seattle, I ended up wearing them once or twice before they were banished to the back of my wardrobe. And if you live in a predominantly warm climate – an assortment of coats is futile despite how much you love to wear them.

Of course, if you are a frequent traveler this will also affect your budget allocation. Do a quick assessment of your wardrobe – does it reflect your climatic demands? Are you allocating your budget effectively?

The answer to this question depends entirely on your lifestyle and your preferences. Can you wear jeans to work? Do you like to wear jeans? Do you wear jeans every day?

• If you wear jeans every day you’ll need at least four pairs. Five if you don’t do laundry often. You can vary the lengths and washes as you wish, but ensure that you have options for flats, heels and smart casual dressing.
• If you can’t wear jeans to work but like to wear them outside of work, you’ll need to have at least two pairs. Both pairs preferably dark blue (for maximum versatility, the slimming effect and the fact that they will fade anyway), and at different lengths – one for flats and one for heels.
• If you seldom wear jeans you should invest in a single pair in a dark wash. Commit to either flats or heels and then buy them at the appropriate length.

If you have more than five pairs of jeans hanging in your closet – make sure that you actually wear all of them. If you don’t, ask yourself why not, and either have them altered or pass them along to somebody who will wear them.