Winter coats are given short shrift by those of us who live here in eastern North Carolina’s temperate climate. Sure, you need a winter coat … once or twice a year, at most.

In our area, a coat is a heavy afterthought you grab on the way out the door on a frosty night, not an integral part of your ensemble. So who wants to spend lots of money on something you rarely take out of the entry hall closet?

The closets of many local women probably contain a rarely worn tan trench coat that’s missing its belt, a 12-year-old black topcoat that you pull out on that one chilly night a year when you just have to brave the elements, an ugly puffy parka for a rare snow day or a cold night football game, and an itchy double-breasted navy peacoat you wore in high school.

This winter is the perfect time to update our coat closets.

Let’s take a cue from current style icon Pippa Middleton — the much-watched sister-in-law of Prince William they call P-Middy — and put some real thought into our coat wardrobe. Of course, since we don’t live and work in foggy London town like Pippa does, we won’t need quite as many coats. But we certainly can pay attention to find the right fit and color — and learn to appreciate a coat as the finishing touch for our winter ensembles.

— Jane Hudson