Which Max Mara Coat to Buy: 101801, Manuela, Ludmilla and Teddy

The best Max Mara coat for most women is the 101801, the double-breasted camel coat in wool and cashmere that Anne-Marie Beretta designed in 1981, now sold as the Madame 101801. Choose the Manuela for a softer belted wrap in pure camel hair, the Ludmilla for cashmere, and the Teddy Bear coat for warmth and volume. Prices on Luxury Handbags start at $4,180 for the house icons.

Key facts

• Founded: Max Mara was founded in 1951 by Achille Maramotti in Reggio Emilia, Italy, where the company is still based and still family owned.
• The 101801: designed by Anne-Marie Beretta in 1981, a double-breasted camel coat in wool and cashmere with kimono sleeves. Max Mara lists it today as the Madame 101801 Icon Coat.
• The Manuela: a house classic, a pure camel hair wrap coat with a belt and side pockets.
• The Teddy Bear coat: first shown on the Autumn/Winter 2013 runway, designed by creative director Ian Griffiths from a 1980s archive piece.
• Price ladder on Luxury Shoes : Weekend Max Mara coats from $710, Max Mara Studio from $1,190, main line Max Mara coats from $1,720, Atelier from $5,600.
• Padded coats: Max Mara The Cube is the line for padded and water-repellent outerwear.
• Where to buy in the US: Coveti stocks the full coat range and ships to the US by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority.

Which Max Mara coat should I buy first?

Start with how you dress on an ordinary weekday. If your wardrobe is tailored trousers, knitwear and loafers, the 101801 is the obvious first coat. It is double-breasted, cut big through the body and long enough to cover a skirt, and the camel shade sits over grey, navy, black and cream without any thought. It is also the coat most people mean when they say “a Max Mara coat”, so it holds its place in a wardrobe for years.

If you prefer a softer line, look at the Manuela. It wraps rather than buttons across, ties with a belt and is made in pure camel hair, which has a brushed, slightly fuzzy surface that reads warmer than the smoother 101801. Women who wear dresses, wide trousers and flat boots tend to find it easier than a double-breasted coat.

The Ludmilla is the cashmere choice. It costs roughly twice as much as the Manuela, and you are paying for 100% cashmere double drap and hand stitching. Buy it when you already own a camel coat and want the one you will reach for on special occasions.

The Teddy Bear coat is the one to choose for cold cities. It is oversized, plush and warm, and less formal than the other three, so it pairs best with jeans, knitwear and trainers.

101801 versus Madame: are they the same coat?

Yes. Max Mara now sells the 101801 under the name Madame 101801 Icon Coat, so a search for the Madame coat and a search for the 101801 lead to the same design. The current version is cut from wool and cashmere beaver cloth (90% virgin wool, 10% cashmere) with an oversized fit, turn-up kimono sleeves that adjust to the length of your arm, and an internal matching belt. It comes in camel, sand, black, white, tobacco and ultramarine.

There is also a short version. The Rebus Short 101801 Icon Coat keeps the oversized fit, the lapel collar and the long roll-back sleeves, but stops above the knee. It is the better buy if you are petite, drive a lot, and wear more trousers than skirts.

Max Mara coats compared

Wrap, cocoon, cape and puffer: the other Max Mara coat shapes

Wrap coats. The belted wrap is the house shape Max Mara repeats across every line. Weekend Max Mara’s Pedale is a midi wrap in pure wool drap from $1,460. Max Mara Studio’s Cles adds cashmere and silk to the wool from $1,880, and ‘S Max Mara’s Peonie is a long double wool wrap from $1,990. These are the coats to look at if the Manuela is out of budget. Browse more in wool coats.

Cocoon coats. A cocoon coat curves out from the shoulder and narrows at the hem. Studio’s Nembo is the easy version in virgin wool from $2,100. Max Mara Atelier’s Macina is the couture take, felted pure cashmere with puffed sleeves and a cowl neck, from $7,140.

Capes. MaxMara Accessori makes a full run of capes in the house fabrics, including Teddy capes from $2,120 and cashmere drap capes with hoods and shawl collars. Weekend Max Mara’s Cashmere Turtleneck Cape, from $710, is a knitted layer to wear over a jacket. Our guide to cape coats for women covers how to wear one.

Puffers. Max Mara The Cube makes the padded coats. The Seia is a roomy, water-repellent puffer jacket from $1,400, the Abete is a long diamond-quilted down coat from $2,160, and the Dama is a reversible puffer with pure camel drap on one side and water-repellent taffeta on the other, from $2,380. See more in women’s puffer jackets.

Is a Max Mara coat worth the money?

It depends on how often you will wear it. A coat you put on four days a week from November to March gets roughly 80 wears a winter. Over five winters, a $4,290 Manuela works out at about $11 a wear. The fabrics are the reason the icons last: wool and cashmere beaver cloth, camel hair broadcloth and cashmere double drap all hold their shape far better than cheaper blends.

If you will only wear a coat for evenings and weekends, the maths changes. Weekend Max Mara gives you the same proportions in pure wool for about a third of the price. We cover the full value question in is Max Mara worth it.

Which colour should my first Max Mara coat be?

Camel. It is the colour the house is known for, it works with every neutral, and it looks better as it softens with wear. Black is the practical second coat. Sand and white are beautiful but need more care. Ultramarine, offered this season in the 101801 and the Manuela, is the choice for someone who already owns the classics. For outfit ideas, read how to style a camel coat.

Where can I buy Max Mara coats in the US?

Luxury Handbags stocks Max Mara coats across Max Mara, Weekend Max Mara, ‘S Max Mara, Max Mara Studio, Max Mara Atelier and Max Mara The Cube, and ships to the US by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority. Orders ship Delivered Duty Unpaid, so import duties are usually payable on arrival. Shop the full edit on the Max Mara hub and in women’s coats.

The Max Mara coats to buy now

1. Madame 101801 Icon Coat in Camel

The original double-breasted camel coat in wool and cashmere, with kimono sleeves you can turn back. The safest first Max Mara coat. From $5,170.

2. Manuela Icon Coat in Camel

Pure camel hair, a straight wrap line and a matching belt. Softer and easier over dresses than the 101801. From $4,290.

3. Ludmilla Icon Coat in Camel

Hand-stitched double cashmere drap with kimono sleeves at the front and raglan sleeves at the back. The cashmere investment. From $8,470.

4. Teddy Bear Icon Coat in Camel

Camel hair pile on a silk base, cut oversized with a lapel collar and low-set sleeves. The warmest of the icons. From $5,280.

5. Rebus Short 101801 Icon Coat in Camel

The 101801 stopped above the knee, in the same wool and cashmere beaver cloth. Ideal over trousers and for petite frames. From $3,620.

6. Resina Double-Breasted Wool Coat in Camel

Weekend Max Mara’s long, wide camel coat in pure wool drap, with kimono sleeves and a tie belt. The 101801 look at a lower price. From $1,580.

7. Cles Wool, Cashmere and Silk Wrap Coat in Camel

Max Mara Studio’s long robe coat with a lapel collar, kimono sleeves and a matching belt. A smart alternative to the Manuela. From $1,880.

8. Macina Cashmere Cocoon Coat in Bordeaux

Atelier couture shaping in felted pure cashmere, with puffed sleeves and a soft cowl neck. For the woman who owns the classics already. From $7,140.

9. Popoli Cashmere Drap Hooded Cape in Beige

A single-breasted cape in cashmere double-face drap with a shawl collar and a hood. Wear it over a blazer in autumn. From $3,970.

10. Abete Long Quilted Water-Repellent Puffer in Midnight Blue

Max Mara The Cube’s long goose-down coat, diamond-quilted in water-repellent fabric. The answer for snow and sleet. From $2,160.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous Max Mara coat?

The 101801. Anne-Marie Beretta designed it in 1981 as a double-breasted camel coat in wool and cashmere with kimono sleeves, and Max Mara still makes it today as the Madame 101801 Icon Coat. The Teddy Bear coat, first shown in 2013, is the most famous of the newer designs.

What is the difference between the Max Mara 101801 and the Manuela?

The 101801 is double-breasted, oversized and made in wool and cashmere, with kimono sleeves that turn back. The Manuela is a straight wrap coat in pure camel hair that closes with a belt. The 101801 looks more tailored, while the Manuela is softer and easier over dresses.

Is the Max Mara Madame coat the same as the 101801?

Yes. Max Mara sells the 101801 under the name Madame 101801 Icon Coat. It is the same double-breasted wool and cashmere design, offered in camel, sand, black, white, tobacco and ultramarine. A shorter version, the Rebus Short 101801, stops above the knee.

How much does a Max Mara coat cost?

On Luxury Shoes , Weekend Max Mara coats start at $710, Max Mara Studio coats at $1,190 and main line Max Mara coats at $1,720. The icons sit higher: the Manuela from $4,290, the Teddy Bear from $4,950 in its long version, the Madame 101801 from $5,170 and the Ludmilla from $8,470.

Which Max Mara coat is the warmest?

The Teddy Bear coat, because its deep pile of camel, alpaca and wool fibre on a silk base traps air close to the body. For wet weather, a Max Mara The Cube down puffer such as the long Abete is the more practical choice, since it is water-repellent.

Can I buy Max Mara coats in the US?

Yes. Luxury Handbags stocks Max Mara coats and ships to the US by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority. Orders are sent Delivered Duty Unpaid, so import duties are usually payable when the parcel arrives. You can shop every line on the Max Mara hub.

Should I size down in a Max Mara coat?

Usually not. The icon coats are cut generously on purpose, and the volume is part of the design. Take your usual Italian size unless you are between sizes and want a closer fit. Our Max Mara size guide has the full conversion chart.

Shop the full range on the Max Mara hub, read our Max Mara Teddy Bear coat review, and check fit first with the Max Mara size guide.