If you only buy one jacket this winter, make it a shearling one; the biggest trend on the autumn/winter 2015 runways, one of these will keep you feeling warm and looking cool IRL.

It’s by no means a sure thing though. With so many designers and styles to choose from, go in cold to your prospective purchase and you’ll be like a lamb to the slaughter – not least because shearling can be seriously expensive.

But no need to fear the 1970s overtones: allow us to be your style shepherd and you’ll be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, instead of mutton dressed as ram.

On The Runway

“Shearling is everywhere for autumn/winter 2015, as part of the 1970s aesthetic that’s reemerging,” confirms Damien Paul, head of menswear at MatchesFashion.com. The sheer number of designers on board is too many to count. But one label really driving the shearling bandwagon is American brand Coach, the department store stalwart previously known for accessories, and now with Brit designer Stuart Vevers at the helm as creative director.

The label’s first-ever ready-to-wear men’s collection, unveiled at London Collections: Men in January, was a soft, woolly touchpoint. Shearling really was everywhere, from full-length retro coats to shorter pilot and biker jackets. Vevers even added it to the hoods of parkas and a varsity jacket, not to mention the matching shearling and leather trainers. One step at a time though…

Key Style: Seventies

Full-length shearling was present at all the major men’s fashion weeks, from Neil Barrett to Topman Design via John Varvatos. But be warned: it’s full-on. “The classic double-breasted tan shearling coat is slightly try-hard for my liking,” says Phillip Green, personal client executive at Farfetch.com.

Only those with serious, Johnny Depp-inflected swagger and a heightened tolerance for John Motson jokes need apply.