Move over, maxi coats. For warding off winter chills without skimping on style, celebrities on both sides of the pond are going sans sleeves in an assortment of capes.

Gwen Stefani kick started the trend on a recent trip to London, selecting a black Holmes & Yang cape with her black-and-white windowpane-check Michael Kors ensemble. In typical Gwen style, she added some tomboy flair with a slightly askew captain’s cap, lending the look a Modish feel.

Stateside, Lucy Liu took flight in a double-breasted feather-print trompe l’oeil Roberto Cavalli Fall 2012 cape. With so much to engage the eye, Lucy was right to slip on Roland Mouret’s understated black column gown underneath.

Back in London, Anne Hathaway channeled her inner diva, appearing positively operatic in a sapphire silk Burberry Prorsum Spring 2013 cape at the ‘Les Miserables’ after-party last week. With its prim collared closure, this epauletted version demurely revealed Anne’s Altuzarra dress.

Farther north, Nicole Scherzinger covered up in Jan Ghandour’s cardinal-red style cape for an X-Factor press conference in Manchester. Thierry Mugler-esque, croc-embossed sculpted shoulders added edge to the luxuriant drape of the cape’s cashmere body; Gareth Pugh leather leggings, metal-toe Carvela heels, and a sleek ponytail underscored Nicole’s Bladerunner sensibility here.

Hollywood’s outerwear du jour resurfaced in Gotham on Tuesday, first on Jessica Biel caught running errands with her gold and green-trimmed Fendi crossbody bag, then seen again on Anne Hathaway—this time a Gucci buckled and flouncy cape—over a glittery Nina Ricci number for the Museum Of Moving Image salutes Hugh Jackman event.

When bundling up, there’s no question that a quick fastening at the neck is far more convenient than trying to stuff one’s arms into narrow coat sleeves, but who here best embodied this bicoastal trend?

Credit: Courtesy of Burberry, FameFlynet, PacificCoastNews & Getty