A STAPLE piece for your autumn/winter look - the perfect coat is a not-to-be-underestimated essential for your wardrobe.

Now is the time to start looking for your perfect winter coat as they hit the shops this month, to ensure you get yours before all the best ones are gone.

While the sun is shining (some days) and it’s not that cold yet, it may seem a tad premature to be stocking up on your winter essentials.

But believe you me you don’t want to be the poor soul scrounging among the rejects in your favourite high street stores, I’ve been there and it’s not pretty.

Think about it; a coat-the most practical thing you own and it is the first thing your friends, family and colleagues will see when you arrive.

It’s an important investment and so it’s important to get it right.

This season the high street hero Marks and Spencer have launched a range of wonderful coats to see you stylishly through the cold season.

They won’t be the cheapest coats you will buy on the high street, with most costing around £100, but then again you’re paying for quality not quantity, and the collection from M&S certainly delivers that.

Off the back of its reputation for all thing luxurious and classic, this season M &S has launched a range of coats in stunning colours. Choose from colours including blue, green, orange and non-traditional yellow, as well as classic black, grey and camel- you won’t be disappointed by the shades available in the M&S Collection recycled wool coat.

Made from a luxurious wool mix, the effortlessly stylish coat costing £120 is the season’s outerwear answer for the fashion forward woman.

A coat with a conscience, the M&S Collection coat is made with recycled fabrics created from returned or damaged garments in line with the philosophy of the revolutionary Shwopping campaign.

The used or unwanted garments are reduced to fibre form, cleaned and spun into new wool which is then woven into a new, luxuriously rich wool mix fabric.

This process has a significantly lower impact on the environment in comparison to the virgin fabric production process which is the biggest contributor to a garment’s carbon footprint.

The campaign aims to put an end to the one billion items currently ending up in landfill every year with the ultimate aim for M&S to collect 350 million items a year – recycling as many clothes as it sells.

All M&S clothing stores now accept used and unwanted items of clothing from any brand, all year round.

So let your conscience be your style guide this season and make a savvy statement with this elegantly ethical winter coat.

Fur lovers can also be ethical this winter and indulge in a faux fur limited-edition coat from the Twiggy collection.

In this shade chic grey the furry coat will ensure you’re the centre of attention while being fabulously warm.

At £99 it’s a definite investment but one which you can wear day-to-night and season after season, due to its classic style.

A personal favourite of the M&S coat collection is the sixties style double breasted belted coat in this seasons stand-out duck egg blue pastel shade. Costing £99, the beauty of this coat is the belted waist which gives a beautifully defined sixties silhouette to add to your look. Part of the Sixties Revival collection it looks great worn with a simple polo neck or a shift dress.

So what are you waiting for? Get shopping!

Available in stores and online at www.marksandspencer.co.uk