Not every day calls for a belted trench, and this is the group I would reach for on those days. It is mostly quilted nylon and car coats, with a few puffers, and the shapes are easy: straight, boxy, a little roomy over a sweater.

Start with the car coats, because they are the closest cousin to the trench. Burberry says the Camden is the original Burberry car coat, with a classic fit and raglan sleeves, so the Mid-length Camden Heritage Car Coat is the one I would use as the reference point. The Mid-length Tropical Gabardine Camden Car Coat, the Long Gabardine Ellingham Fit and flare Car Coat, the Long Gabardine Car Coat and the Long Belted Nylon Car Coat give you more ways to wear that straighter shape, with a belt or without one. Raglan sleeves are easy to layer over, so I would test one over a thick knit.

Then the quilted ones. The Quilted Nylon Barn Jacket, the Quilted Nylon Hooded Coat, the Quilted Nylon Rosedale Coat, the Quilted Fernleigh Jacket and the Fernleigh Quilted Thermoregulated Jacket are the pieces I picture over jeans and boots on a damp morning. The Cropped Quilted Nylon Jacket sits shorter and works with high-waisted trousers, and the Packable Quilted Nylon Bramford Jacket is the one I would fold into a tote for a trip.

The puffers come in three lengths here: the Short Nylon Hooded Puffer Coat, the Short Nylon Audley Puffer Coat, the Mid-length Nylon Audley Puffer Coat and the Long Nylon Audley Puffer Coat. Same idea, different hem, so the choice is really about what you wear underneath. A long one over a dress, a short one over trousers.

A quick fitting-room test for any of these: raise both arms. If the sleeve cuffs slide back past your wrist bone and the body lifts, size the coat for your layers, or choose a different length. And check that you can still zip it over the sweater you really wear.

The trench is only one part of the Burberry story, and the jackets in this last group show it. Some are checked, some are hooded, and some are long, soft wool and cashmere that look nothing like a raincoat.

Start with the check. Burberry says the Burberry Check was introduced in the 1920s as a lining for rainwear, and that it is now a registered trademark. That is why I like the Micro Check Stitch Nylon Jacket, which appears twice here, and the Abbeydale Belted Micro Check-Stitch Coat. The check is stitched in rather than printed, so it reads as texture up close and as a plain jacket from across the room. The Check Whitstable Hooded Jacket is the louder cousin.

Then the hooded, easy jackets: the Nylon Hooded Jacket, the Blackpool Hooded Jacket and the Dorset Jacket. These are the ones I would wear for errands, with jeans and sneakers. The Cropped Tropical Gabardine Parka and the Tropical Gabardine Tickhill Jacket bring the gabardine back in a shorter, sportier cut, and I would pair the parka with a slip skirt to keep it from looking too outdoorsy.

For colder days and dressier plans, the Wool Cashmere Gosford Tailored Coat, the Cashmere Wrap Coat and the Long Shearling Linley Coat are the heavy hitters. The Gosford is the one I would wear over tailoring, the wrap coat is for people who like a coat they can simply tie closed, and the shearling is the warm one for long walks.

What I would skip: buying a hooded or quilted jacket for a formal evening, or a wrap coat if you know you hate fussing with ties. I would also skip a very long coat if you mostly walk in flat shoes and hate a hem that grazes the ground. Try the length with your real shoes.

If you want one rule for choosing, it is this: pick the coat by how you actually get around. Commute on foot all winter, and a long trench or a puffer with a hood will do more for you than anything else. Driving, hopping on trains, carrying a bag on your shoulder, and a car coat or a barn jacket is easier.

Here is my test. Put the coat on with your biggest everyday sweater. Check the shoulder seam, raise your arms, sit down on a chair and look at where the hem lands. Then do up the buttons and check that you can still reach into your bag. A coat that survives that routine will get worn more than the one that looks best on a hanger.

If you are buying your first piece, a Burberry trench coat women have worn for decades is still the safest place to start, and a Kensington or Chelsea shape shows you if you lean classic or slim. If you already own a trench, go for something quilted or check-stitched. Whichever you choose, I would keep the rest of the outfit simple and let the coat do the talking. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together The Jacket And Coat Edit and Chanel Jacket Dupe.