We call it the Eline. It is a comfortable coat with a classic stand-up collar, a row of decorative buttons and a relaxed cut, and Mom has worn the dark green one almost every day since the mornings turned cold.

She liked the comfort first. The fabric is soft with a touch of wool, the lining is soft too, and the relaxed cut and length leave her room to move. It never feels like the stiff coat she used to save for special occasions.

Then the look. The high collar and the buttons give it a neat, elegant finish, but it never feels too formal. She wears it with jeans and ankle boots on a Saturday and over a dress when we go out to dinner.

And the pockets. They are practical, so her phone, her keys and her reading glasses are always within easy reach.

When the last shipment arrived, Mom opened the box on the front porch instead of waiting to carry it inside. She does that with the pieces she cares about.

Dark green, black, beige, gray and red, folded side by side. She lifted the green one first, ran her fingers along the collar and said what she always says about a good coat: "You can tell by the collar."

I have learned to trust that. The collar is the first thing people see, right next to your face, so it has to sit right. On this coat it does, and it makes even jeans and a sweater look put-together.

That Saturday she wore the green one into the city with straight-leg jeans, her ankle boots and a cream turtleneck underneath. No scarf, no hat, and no second coat in the car "just in case."

It was one of those crisp November mornings when the last leaves are still hanging on in the Village. We walked for hours, browsed a few shops and stopped twice for coffee.

Halfway down Bleecker Street, a woman waiting at the crosswalk asked her where she got her coat. Mom smiled and told her about a little boutique she knows very well. For someone whose nice coat used to stay in the closet, that was the part she talked about all the way home.

A few days later she met two of her oldest friends for lunch at the little café near the shop. They sat outside under the heaters, because Mom refuses to give up the patio until December.

Normally she would have shown up in the parka and spent half of lunch apologizing for it. This time she kept the green coat on and looked like she had dressed up without trying.

Before the pie was gone, her friend Linda asked if she could try it on. It is the same thing I have watched happen in the boutique for years: one woman wears something she loves, and her friends want to know where it came from.

If you asked me which color to pick, I would tell you what I told Mom: start with the Dark Green.

It is deep and rich without being loud, and on a gray morning it looks warm instead of serious. The Black goes with everything you own, the Beige is soft and light for brighter days, the Gray is the easy everyday one, and the Red is a deep wine red that was made for the holidays.

Same collar, same buttons, same comfortable fit. One coat for errands, walks and lunch in the city, in the color that makes you smile.

The Eline is part of Mom's Clearance Sale, and that whole collection is marked down while I take over the boutique.

I would rather see the pieces she chose herself go to women who will wear them than sit in a stockroom while the shop changes hands.

If you have been looking for one coat that is comfortable enough for every day and nice enough for lunch out, this is the one I would start with.

She has worn hers more this season than anything else in her closet. I can't tell you it will suit everyone. I can only tell you what I see when she walks out the door: she looks comfortable, put-together and like herself.

The Eline is $74.95 right now, down from $249.95. These are Clearance Sale prices for this season, and colors and sizes come and go as the collection sells. If one of them is calling to you, I wouldn't wait too long to look.