As I look out the window seeing a blanket of snow covering the ground, with temperatures dipping into the teens later this week, I think it’s safe to say coat season is officially here!

With that said, now seems like a fitting time to share a little coat comparison featuring my go-to mid-weight coats — the Cardiff from Only Child Clothing and the Lorena from Two Fold Clothing — both of which are made in the U.S. in a small batch production studio. A few readers have reached out to me recently about how these coats are similar and how they differ, so I thought I’d break it down to help y’all out!

Now let’s begin with the most common question I’ve received — How warm is each coat?

Living in the northeast, where temperatures drop to the single digits and negatives in the winter, I would consider both the Cardiff and the Lorena more of a “coatigan” — an outer layer that’s in-between a heavy coat and a cardigan. The benefit to this is that either can be easily worn around the house or office as well as outside (with an extra heavy layer on top as needed). I don’t know about you, but wearing a heavy coat inside, even when it’s freezing, feels a little weird. And for me, having that extra indoor layer is really nice since I work at home and want to keep our heating bill as low as reasonably possible.

I’ll easily keep either coat on all day while I’m working because they’re both incredibly soft and cozy like a sweater, and warm when layered over another long sleeve top. Now, if you live in a warmer climate like Florida or California, you could easily get away with using the Cardiff or Lorena as your “winter coat.”

And as far as the wool itch factor goes … there isn’t one! Both coats are constructed out of a very soft wool, so you can easily wear a short sleeve or long sleeve layer underneath without worrying about that scratchy wool feeling.

In my opinion, the main differences between the Cardiff and the Lorena are style and color — the Cardiff is a kimono silhouette, while the Lorena is a cocoon silhouette, and each coat comes with its own set of colors to choose from.

THE CARDIFF WORK COAT

FIT | Cut in a kimono-style silhouette that’s mid-thigh length, the Cardiff Work Coat features wide, full-length sleeves that easily slip over even the chunkiest of sweaters, and two oversized pockets that can fit everything you could possibly need (within reason, of course). For sizing reference, I’m 5’5” and about 140 lbs., and went with the OS.

MATERIAL | Constructed out of a a soft, medium weight wool.

COLOR | Black, Charcoal, Oatmeal, Smoke

COST | $295

THE LORENA COAT

FIT | Cut in a cocoon-style silhouette that’s lower-thigh length, the Lorena Coat features full-length sleeves that can be rolled up, and oversized pockets to stores your belongings (or keep your hands warm in). For sizing reference, I’m 5’5” and about 140 lbs., and went with the M.

MATERIAL | Constructed out of soft, luxurious worsted wool.

COLOR| Black, Cloud, Camel

COST | $295

OUTFIT DETAILS

Cardiff Work Coat by Only Child Clothing | Lorena Coat by Two Fold Clothing c/o | Liv Tunic c/o and Della Pant by Dallas Daws Designs | Beanie by Bare Knitwear (similar) | Thrifted Rain Boots (similar)

Have you had your eye on one of these coats?

For transparency's sake, this post is not sponsored, nor does it contain affiliate links. It's simply an informational post featuring some of my favorite conscious clothing brands. Cheers!