Warm Winter Dress Coat

If you don't look in vintage or thrift stores, consider someplace like Target. I got my dressy black coat there a few years ago and it's held up fine and been warm enough when I needed it. I've thrown mine in the washer on delicate and hung to dry.

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You could be in luck with a second hand or vinatge store. A good quality wool coat is not in the $50 range, but possible in a thrift store. Otherwise stores like Wamart, Target and the like with have faux wool, meaning synthetic for that price point and although they might answer the "style" question they will not answer the "warmth" one. These are one of those things that you get what you pay for. On the upside if you can add a little more to the pot, great winter coats are on SALE everywhere as stores are beginning to get their Spring deliveries. Check JC Penny, Macy's etc. Good luck.

A. I grew up in a place that had a very cold long winter every year. I decided that a good coat would hide a multitude of clothing gaffs covering everything. So I bought an expensive wool coat that covered me to the knees.
Wool damp sponges off really well. It does not get so dirty as ordinary cloth. I had that coat for more than ten years until I was absolutely sick of wearing it.
So I passed it on to a girlfriend who also had snotty nosed kids who stomped around in the dirt like my kids did.
The other way to get a good coat is to go to Value Village a thrift store which gets high end clothes. I shop a great deal at thrift stores. Good thrift stores do not smell of mold or old clothes.

We have consignment stores around here that have nice quality, gently worn, name brand coats in your price range. Perhaps you have them in your area, too.

A wool coat in a dark color won't show everyday smudges, like car dirt and little hand prints. You can dry clean yourself using those bags you put in the dryer and take it in to the dry cleaners once at the end of the season.

I had a synthetic camel coat that everyone thought was real. But I still had it dry cleaned because it would have lost its shape if washed in water, even carefully by hand.

I've found that you can usually find a wide selection at reasonable prices at Burlington Coat Factory. Really!

I've seen some cute coats at Target, but I live in TX, so I don't know what they carry in your area. I would guess that the Target type stores might have a larger variety of non-dry clean clothing. I hate to dry clean. I would say try on anything in your size that you even kinda like. I ran into someone in the cutest coat and she said that on the hanger it wasn't great, but on her body - very cute. Good luck in your search!

Below are 2 from Macys that I like for under $50. The thing is you are asking for a lot not wanting to dry clean a winter coat. I am assuming that you are looking for a wool dress coat and these can never be put in the wash. Have you tried the dry cleaning products for your dryer? I have had good luck with them. If you REALLY want to dry clean a dress coat look into getting a black puffer coat if you are thin enough to pull it off. They are really in now and can be dressed up or down. I am assuming you can pop them in the wash also.

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=50239...

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=50792...

I've had good luck at Kohls and Old Navy for that price range. My favorite dress coat is a brown "peacoat" from Old Navy. It goes well with nicer outfits, and it's still comfortable enough for every day use.