A Letter From Eleanor · Co-founder of Merlow London
Merlow London · October 2026
Every Autumn, Women Tell Me They Own the Same Coat as Everyone Else. Odette Is the Coat I Chose So You Never Have To.
On the six things I insisted on when we chose the Odette coat, how she compares to the coats already in your wardrobe, and why she is £54.95 during our anniversary.
The Odette coat: one piece, and the whole outfit is done.
I am Eleanor, and in 2011 my sister Sophie and I started Merlow London with one stubborn belief: no woman should ever have to choose between feeling comfortable and looking beautifully dressed.
There is a moment every autumn that I have watched for fifteen years. A woman tries on a new coat, looks in the mirror, and says the same thing: it's nice, but it's exactly the same as the one I already have.
Because the autumn coats made for women our age fall into two piles. The first is safe: plain camel, black or navy, the same coat as every other woman in the queue at the post office. The second is the statement coat, so loud or so trendy that you only dare wear it twice. I never accepted that a woman had to choose between blending in and dressing up in a costume.
Every panel, from the collar to the hem.
The Odette coat is my answer, and she is the coat I have been wearing myself on every crisp morning this October. When Sophie and I were putting together this autumn's collection, I had a list, and I was not going to give up a single point of it. These are the six things I insisted on.
1Patchwork that people stop you for.
Caramel, chocolate brown, black and a touch of cream, laid out in a mosaic of panels that runs from the collar to the hem. It is bold, but the colours are warm and grown-up, so the coat feels special without ever feeling loud.
The panels up close: warm colours, never loud.
"The patchwork is even better in person. I get compliments on this coat nearly every time I wear it."
2Shoulders that give you shape.
Structured, precisely tailored shoulders that frame you neatly and give the whole coat its flattering line. Structured enough to look polished, soft enough that you never feel stiff in it.
Neat on the shoulders, never stiff.
"The shoulders sit beautifully and give the whole coat such a flattering shape without feeling too structured."
3A long line that makes you look taller.
Most autumn coats stop at the hip and cut you in half. Odette runs long, in one unbroken line, so she draws the eye up and down instead of across. Women notice it the first time they see themselves in the mirror.
One long line, front and back.
"Something about the long cut makes me look taller and slimmer. I noticed it the moment I tried it on."
4A soft lining you will not want to take off.
Inside, Odette is fully lined in a smooth, soft lining, so she slips on easily over a knit and feels comfortable from the morning walk until you are home again.
The lining, the part only you will know about.
"The lining is so soft and comfortable. It feels lovely on, even when I have it on for hours."
5Easier to wear than you would think.
Because the colours are the classic autumn ones, brown, black and cream, Odette goes with what you already own: jeans, black trousers, a knitted dress. Classic notched lapels and simple buttons keep her timeless, so the patchwork never feels like a costume.
Classic lapels and simple buttons keep her timeless.
"I wear it with jeans, dresses and black trousers. The colours actually make it much easier to match than I expected."
6A fit you do not have to second-guess.
Odette is true to size, from XS to XL. Order your usual size and there is room for a jumper underneath, without the coat ever looking oversized.
"I'm usually a 14 and ordered my normal size. It fits perfectly, with enough room for a jumper underneath."
Odette, against the coats you have been buying
You can find an autumn coat for around £55 almost anywhere. I know, because I have tried on a great many of them. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
- Plain camel, black or navy, like everyone else's
- Boxy, shapeless shoulders
- Stops at the hip and cuts you in half
- A thin, scratchy lining
- Sized small, no room for a jumper
- Mosaic patchwork in caramel, chocolate, black and cream
- Structured shoulders, a flattering shape
- A long line that makes you look taller
- A soft lining, comfortable for hours
- True to size, room for a knit underneath
I refuse to sell a coat that asks a woman to choose between blending in and standing out in the wrong way. That is the whole reason Odette is in our collection.
Why Odette is £54.95 right now
This year, Merlow London turns 15. Sophie and I talked for a long time about how to celebrate, and we kept coming back to the same answer: with the women who made these fifteen years possible.
So for our 15th Anniversary Sale, the Odette coat is £54.95 instead of £135. And when you choose more than one piece, you save even more, taken off automatically at checkout: 10% extra on 2 pieces, 15% on 3, 20% on 4 and 25% on 5 or more. So Odette with a second piece at the same price comes to £98.91 for both.
The anniversary prices are only here for a limited time. When the celebration ends, so do they.
If fifteen years of Merlow London have taught me anything, it is that a woman who wears Odette once never looks at a plain coat the same way again. That is the quiet bet I am placing in writing you this letter at £54.95.
"I bought this because the patchwork was so different from every other coat I own, and it has quickly become my favourite. The long shape is incredibly flattering and I can throw it over jeans or a dress and instantly feel put together. I've lost count of how many people have asked me where it's from."
Folded, tagged and ready to go out to you.
I am genuinely proud of the Odette coat. She is everything I was looking for all those autumns, and I hope she becomes the coat you reach for every time you want to feel like yourself. Delivery is free across the UK, and you have our 30-day money-back guarantee. If she does not make you feel wonderful, simply send her back.
With love,
Eleanor & Sophie 🤎
Odette · Mosaic Patchwork Coat
- Mosaic patchwork in caramel, chocolate, black and cream
- Structured shoulders and a long, flattering line
- Soft lining, true to size, XS to XL
- Free UK delivery & 30-day money-back guarantee
Choose more and save: 10% extra on 2 pieces, up to 25% on 5+.
See if your size is still availableAbout the writer. Eleanor co-founded Merlow London with her sister Sophie in 2011. Fifteen years on, she still chooses every piece in the collection with one question in mind: would a woman feel both comfortable and beautifully dressed in it?
This is a personal letter from the founders of Merlow London. Anniversary prices are valid for a limited time and while stock lasts.
15th Anniversary Sale