Joe Browns 20th Anniversary Collection Review

I'm sure you're all aware by now that I am huge fan of the brand Joe Browns.

They recently celebrated their 20 year anniversary by re-releasing some of their past bestsellers that everybody wanted them to bring back!

They very kindly sent me over one of those items to review for you guys. 

But before I get stuck in showing you this STUNNING coat allow me to tell you a little more about the brand that started 20 years ago and how you can win a 3 night trip to Wales!

So Joe Browns was started in 1998 by founder Simon Brown.

It was inspired whilst watching a group of friends enjoying some alcoholic beverages at a beach bar in North Wales after a day of surfing. They were just so happy and carefree and that was the overall vibe that struck inspiration for the Joe Browns brand.

Joe Browns specialise in creating unique clothing with quirky designs that you won't find in your typical high street stores, they have a very statement style to offer us and I love picking up very one-off pieces from this fabulous store. 

To get in with the chance of winning a 3 night trip to Wales you can click here and all you have to do is answer one question! 
You are able to take 5 people of your choice, and the prize includes a luxury cabin in Snowdonia, prosecco and chocolates on arrival, a £200 Joe Browns voucher EACH, £500 towards food and drink and £500 towards activities and excursions. Entries are open until the 8th of November. Go enter, you never know you might win! 

I was very kindly gifted the Ultimate Coat from their Autumn / Winter 2011 collection in the colour red which is one of the twenty pieces they released for their anniversary.

I initially chose this item as I thought with Christmas coming up this would make a great seasonal piece.

Once I received my item I was a little nervous to open it because I'm typically a size 6 but Joe Browns cater for sizes 8 - 18. Coats tend to be a little over sized anyway so I just presumed that this would probably be a tad too large for me but I want to gain weight so I saw it as an incentive to fit into it.

To my surprise it actually fits like a glove AND it's adjustable so will snugly fit a size 8 but can cater for smaller sizes too!! Not a problem for us petite ladies!

My first thoughts were that it was a lot heavier and thicker than I thought it was going to be.

The perfect winter coat! 

It just feels like the BEST quality. It feels expensive. It's definitely my fanciest coat.

The next thing I noticed was the detail. Absolutely insane detail. The mismatched buttons, the beautiful corsage, the pattern, the material, the fit, the asymmetric shaping. It was just truly, truly beautiful.

It's not padded all over but it has a bit of padding in the shoulders which I like because it adds to the militant styling of the coat. But even though it's not padded as such, the material is so thick that it's incredibly warm. Very cosy, fitting and comforting in cold weather.

The corsage is actually removable. I really love the corsage but I think that particular piece makes all the difference to the vibe of the coat. I feel like this is the coat I would wear to meet the queen, but if you take the corsage off it's more wearable for everyday life. I still would probably save it for fancier occasions such as Christmas events and possibly for a winter wedding.

The corsage adds that very classy, extravagant, royal sort of look to it and without it seems a lot calmer, yet still so statement. 

You could even take the corsage off (I personally love it on the coat) and use it on other items. I have a red beret I'm tempted to style it on.You could add it to a handbag, or on another more basic coat to add a bit of pizzazz. 

The buttons are all different designs and metallic shades. I think this is so awesome and makes the detail stand out even more, definitely a conversation starter. The only negative is that they are a little stiff to open and close at first, however I'm pretty certain they will ease after use and not be so rigid.

There are also some lovely buttons on the cuffs off the jacket too.

I am a huge fan of the added effect of the pattern on this coat too. It's very classy. I didn't know if it would be a bit busy at first but I feel like if you're going to wear this coat you can really tone it down with basic clothing underneath. With this coat you don't really need a statement outfit underneath as well. Let the coat do the talking!

One of my favourite features is that it's adjustable at the back...so you can have it looser fitting which still fits me nicely, or you can choose to tighten it giving the hem a more 1950's feel taking it from a military style coat to a more vintage piece.

For such a loud colour, it's actually really versatile. There are so many ways you can wear this coat thanks to the adjust-ability but also the collar. The collar is probably what stands out the most.

Wearing it down makes it a little less military and a lot more feminine. I think with the collar down and the drawstrings pulled in, it looks like a little petticoat is underneath and I love that.

With the collar up it's very modern and business like? I feel like it looks more designer and expensive and classy. Please excuse the creasing at the bottom. The garment does come with advice that you should hang it to prevent creasing and guess who didn't?

With the collar completely closed, it's definitely a military look. This style is very in fashion and it's one of those trends that always reoccurs making this a life long item for your wardrobe. It's more of an investment piece than something you throw away after so long. I'll keep this forever. 

I chose to style it today with some plain black trousers and a black top. I think heels looked really really lovely with it however on Friday night, this girl decided to go out and casually stroll in at 8am and so my feet weren't really feeling up to heels, two days later. 

This coat is limited edition so if you do want to get your hands on it or any of the other pieces from the 20th anniversary collection, all the womens pictured below, then head over to the website here and have a little browse and check out the mens too whilst there! The ultimate coat also comes in black if you want to go for a more Gothic approach!

This coat retails at £79.95. This is actually a really good price for a Joe Browns coat, especially when it's so thick and great quality. You're getting a really long lasting piece.

I recommend signing up for the catalogue too so it arrives straight at your door. Every time I see it in my mailbox I get really excited to have a flick through and depress myself about all the pieces I can't afford right now :')

I also highly recommend checking out the shoe section! They've really upped their game lately even though it was on point anyway. I want them ALL!! 

I have actually featured a pair of their stunning ankle boots previously which you can read here if you are interested.

If you like tweed and velvet then trust me you will love Joe Browns over autumn / winter. 

Check them out and show them some love! 

Thank you to my friend Chloe for helping me out last minute with the photos!

And a huge thank you to Joe Browns for their generosity! This is a piece I will really treasure. Congratulations on your anniversary and here's to the next 20 years! 

Cheers!

Disclaimer: This is a brand collaboration with Joe Browns. I was sent this item complimentary to promote. I was not paid for this collaboration. I use skimlinks. All photos are my own unless stated otherwise. All words and opinions are my own and my 100% honest opinion. 

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