Don't be caught in the cold without one of the season's hottest coats.

"The biggest push in outerwear this fall is fur (faux and real)," said Suzanne Bishop, owner of Frankie & Julian's boutique on Frazier Avenue. "The open fur vest, with no buttons or zipper, is particulary popular."

The fur vest is fun, said April Morrison, set execution manager at J.C. Penney, Hamilton Place. "You can dress it down with jeans or dress it up with a skirt, dress pants or dress."

Plaid coats, with a thick belt that ties around the waist, have made a comeback from their heyday in the 1980s, she said.

"Our winter coats, particularly the plaid prints, are selling very well," Ms. Morrison said. "It's a hot trend this season -- a belted, plaid coat with an exaggerated collar. And it can be a short or long length."

Short, midthigh coats and dressier, full-length coats will be big this season, Ms. Bishop agreed. "But it's also the motorcycle jacket, whether knit or leather, that a lot of my younger clients are wanting."

Also look for updated peacoats. "There is a different take on this coat," she said. "You'll see it in colorful knits instead of the traditional navy wool."