Best Teddy Coats for Women: Fabrics, Lengths and Max Mara Picks

A teddy coat is an oversized coat made from a curly pile fabric that feels like a soft toy. The best teddy coats for women use natural fibres such as alpaca, camel hair and cashmere on a woven base. Max Mara made the shape famous with its Teddy Bear coat, first shown on the Autumn/Winter 2013 runway, and the Max Mara collection at Coveti carries teddy coats from $1,490.

Key facts

• What it is: a coat cut from a looped, high pile fabric, usually oversized, with a wide lapel and deep pockets.
• The original: the Max Mara Teddy Bear coat, first shown on the Autumn/Winter 2013 runway and designed by creative director Ian Griffiths after an archive piece from the 1980s.
• Traditional fabric: alpaca and wool pile on a silk base. Max Mara also makes the coat in camel hair on silk and in cashmere on silk.
• Lengths: long (below the knee), midi and short (at the hip, above the knee).
• Price at Coveti: Weekend Max Mara teddy coats from $1,490; Max Mara Teddy Bear Icon coats from $4,180.
• Care: brush gently, hang on a broad hanger and leave cleaning to a specialist.

What is a teddy coat?

The name describes the texture. A teddy coat is made from a pile fabric with a short, dense, curly surface, so the whole coat reads as one soft mass. Most are cut generously: dropped shoulders, wide sleeves, a big notched lapel and patch pockets you can bury your hands in. They are warm because the pile traps air, and they are light because the best versions use fine animal fibres instead of heavy wool cloth.

The teddy coat as women know it today owes a great deal to Max Mara. The house showed the Teddy Bear coat on its Autumn/Winter 2013 runway. Ian Griffiths, who joined Max Mara in 1987 and is now creative director, based it on an archive piece from the 1980s. The coat became the reference point for the whole category, and much of the market now follows its oversized outline. If you want the full story of that one coat, read our Max Mara Teddy Bear coat review.

Teddy coat fabrics compared

The fibre decides how a teddy coat feels, how warm it is and how it ages. Here is what the coats on Coveti are actually made of, taken from the composition labels.

The silk base matters. It is the backing the pile is knitted onto, and it keeps a large coat light enough to wear all day. Blends with a little polyamide, like the Weekend Max Mara coats, trade some softness for a fabric that copes better with daily wear.

Long teddy coat, midi and short: which length?

A long teddy coat is the warmest choice and the most dramatic. It covers a dress to mid calf and works over wide trousers, but it needs a flat shoe and some height to carry the volume. The Max Mara Tedgirl Teddy Bear Icon Coat and the Weekend Max Mara Bronte Long Teddy Coat are long.

A short teddy coat stops around the hip and suits petite frames, drivers and anyone who wears jeans most days. The Olga Short Teddy Bear Icon Coat and the Dramma Short Teddy Bear Icon Coat keep the oversized shape in a trimmer length.

A midi sits just below the knee and is the easiest to wear with everything. If you only buy one, this is the length most stylists would point you to. For a broader view of shapes, see our guide to types of coats.

How to choose a women’s teddy coat

Start with the fibre. Alpaca gives the classic bounce. Camel hair is warmer and has a natural colour that suits camel and brown wardrobes. Cashmere is the lightest and softest, and the most expensive. Blends with mohair and polyamide hold up better to daily commuting.

Then check the cut. A good women’s teddy coat is oversized on purpose, so do not size down to make it neat. Look for dropped, low set sleeves, which leave room for a chunky knit, and for horn buttons and deep welt pockets. Max Mara uses Italian sizing: IT 40 equals UK 8 and US 4, IT 42 equals UK 10 and US 6, and IT 44 equals UK 12 and US 8. Our Max Mara size guide covers the full chart.

Finally, think about colour. Camel and sand are the classic teddy shades and go with almost anything. White and cream show wear sooner but look striking in winter light. Black and dark brown hide marks and suit a city wardrobe. Grey teddy is the quiet option that pairs well with navy tailoring.

How to care for a teddy coat

Pile fabrics need a little attention to stay plush. Hang the coat on a broad, shaped hanger so the shoulders keep their line, and give it space in the wardrobe so the pile is not crushed. Brush it gently with a soft clothes brush in the direction of the pile after wear. Friction is the main cause of matting, so avoid crossbody straps and backpacks that rub the same spot every day; carry a top handle bag instead. If the coat gets wet, let it dry naturally at room temperature, away from a radiator. For cleaning, follow the care label and use a specialist cleaner who handles pile and camel hair.

How to wear a teddy coat

Keep the rest of the outfit lean, since the coat brings the volume. A fine roll neck, straight trousers and loafers is the simplest formula. Over a slip dress with boots, a long teddy coat looks polished for evening. With jeans and trainers, a short teddy coat is a weekend uniform. Teddy accessories from the same fabric, such as mittens and earmuffs, are best worn with a smooth coat so the look does not tip into costume. For more ideas, read Max Mara outfits and our guide on how to style a camel coat.

The best teddy coats for women at Coveti

1. Max Mara Teddy Bear Icon Coat in Camel

The house original in camel hair on a silk base, oversized and double breasted with horn buttons. If you want the coat that started the trend, this is it. From $5,280.

2. Tedgirl Alpaca and Wool Teddy Bear Icon Coat in Sand

The Teddy Bear Icon in the alpaca and wool pile that matches the 2013 original, in a soft sand. Also in black, white and dark brown. From $4,950.

3. Ladyted Cashmere Teddy Bear Icon Coat in Sand

The same signature shape in cashmere on silk. It is the lightest and softest teddy coat Max Mara makes. From $10,000.

4. Olga Short Teddy Bear Icon Coat in White

A short teddy coat in alpaca and wool with trimmer proportions, easy over trousers and jeans. From $4,180.

5. Dramma Short Teddy Bear Icon Coat in Camel

Above the knee in camel teddy on silk, with the wide lapel of the long coat. A good choice for petite frames. From $4,400.

6. Wool and Alpaca Teddy Bear Icon Coat in Dark Grey

A firmer wool and alpaca pile in a grey that works with navy and black tailoring. From $4,950.

7. Bravo Camel Teddy Hooded Coat in Camel

A short, hooded parka shape with a front zip, in pure camel teddy. The most casual teddy coat in the collection. From $4,840.

8. Weekend Max Mara Tempera Teddy Coat in Camel

A long wrap teddy coat with kimono sleeves and a tie belt instead of buttons. Also in sand, navy and dark grey. From $1,670.

9. Weekend Max Mara Bronte Long Teddy Coat in Black

Straight, single breasted and long, with a matching belt. The most accessible teddy coat in the edit. Also in marron glace. From $1,490.

10. Alpaca and Wool Teddy Cape in Beige

A short, enveloping teddy cape with kimono sleeves and a two in one collar, for anyone who prefers a cape to a coat. From $2,450.

Prefer something plainer? Our guides to the best camel coats for women, women’s wool coats and cape coats for women cover smooth cloth styles. You can also browse every women’s coat, the wool coat edit and teddy gloves and mittens.

Where can I buy a Max Mara teddy coat in the US?

Coveti stocks Max Mara teddy coats and ships them to the US by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority, insured and signed for on delivery. Prices are shown in US dollars, and import duties are usually payable on arrival. Shop the full Max Mara at Coveti range, which also ships to the UK, Canada, Australia and the UAE.

More Max Mara guides

• Max Mara Teddy Bear coat
• Max Mara coats guide
• Weekend Max Mara coats
• camel hair vs wool coats
• is Max Mara worth it
• Max Mara size guide
• best camel coats for women

Frequently asked questions

What is a teddy coat made of?

A teddy coat is made from a curly pile fabric. The best versions use natural fibres: Max Mara uses alpaca and wool, camel hair and cashmere, each set on a silk base that keeps the coat light. Weekend Max Mara teddy coats use a hard wearing blend of wool, alpaca, mohair and polyamide.

Who made the first teddy coat?

Max Mara made the teddy coat famous. Its Teddy Bear coat was first shown on the Autumn/Winter 2013 runway, designed by creative director Ian Griffiths and inspired by an archive piece from the 1980s. Most teddy coats sold today follow its oversized outline.

Is a Max Mara teddy coat warm?

Yes. The deep pile traps air close to the body, which makes a teddy coat very warm for its weight. Camel hair and cashmere versions are the warmest. Wear a fine knit underneath and the coat handles cold winter days in New York, London and Toronto comfortably.

Should I size down in a Max Mara Teddy Bear coat?

Most women take their usual Italian size, because the Teddy Bear coat is designed to be oversized. Sizing down narrows the shoulders and spoils the line. Petite women who want less volume often choose a short version such as the Olga and Dramma coats instead.

How much is a Max Mara teddy coat?

At Coveti, Weekend Max Mara teddy coats start from $1,490 and Max Mara Teddy Bear Icon coats start from $4,180 for a short style. The cashmere Ladyted is from $10,000. Prices are in US dollars, and duties are usually payable on import.

Does a teddy coat pill?

Any pile fabric can mat where it rubs. Brush the coat gently after wear, avoid bag straps that sit on the same spot, and let it rest between wears. Natural fibres such as alpaca and camel hair recover well with this kind of care.

Find every teddy style in the Max Mara collection, then compare it with the Max Mara coats guide and our women’s puffer jackets edit before you choose your winter coat.