Grazing the floors of catwalks internationally this season, the classic greatcoat has taken pride of place in the collections of ladieswear wholesalers, continental fashion houses and wholesale clothing manufacturers alike. A star of the show at New York Fashion Week this year, the season heralded as the return of pure, unadulterated glamour to both the catwalk and the high street was quick to champion the sumptuous greatcoat as its must-have for winter 2011.

A timeless mainstay for style and sophistication in the autumn and winter months, it has been a rare showing this season that hasn't included a flagship coat for the collection. But as the centrepiece of the forties glamour stereotype along with fur (a material as synonymous with luxury and wealth as silver and gold) there was no doubt in anyone's mind that winter 2011 would be a huge season for the greatcoat. Though designers and ladieswear wholesalers have made a refreshing take on the coats, matching them with this season's neutral palette and the inherent luxury of fur the style loses none of its glamorous credentials in the process, and gains a modernised, almost avant-garde edge in the process.

While designers at luxury goods heavyweights Hermes, Rodarte and Giorgio Armani have led ladieswear wholesalers and wholesaler clothing manufacturers alike in producing lean, tailored and high-fashion iterations of the trend, Micheal Kors and others have pushed the style with the simple sophistication of his collection, creating a timeless, accessible look – polished to perfection, but in disregard of fickle fashion trends, these designs are more than referential to the understated elegance of the 40s and 60s, and it certainly shows.

Like almost every other classic style this season, winter 2011 has given the mighty greatcoat its signature twist, with many designers and wholesale clothing manufacturers using fur collars and sleeves to create sumptuous images of luxury. Fur cuffs on wool or suede coats have made multiple appearances on the catwalks of New York Fashion Week, as well as the collections of a variety of wholesale clothing manufacturers and womenswear wholesalers. Equally popular is the use of fur collars on classical, elegant evening dresses, while full-fur or shearling detailing has shined in modern matte black sophistication on avant-garde catwalks.

Winter 2011's signature twist continue throughout the outfit, as many designers and wholesale clothing manufacturers have drawn from this season's expansive palate of tones to create unexpected colour combinations for a refreshing change to the styling.