On a recent trip to London and the UK, I was able to fully appreciate the need for having the right outerwear on hand as temps changed from one day to the next with one beautiful brisk morning walking across Hyde Park with temps at around 5° C. I had a Field Jacket in Reda wool from last year that was a perfect stylish piece for my meetings later that day with ample pockets to accommodate my carrying needs of a cell phone, earbuds case, and a small credit card holder. I bring up the fact that it was from last year to showcase how I am always saying that we design well beyond a season with timeless, stylish pieces that reflect more good taste than trends or fashion. |
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Having the right outerwear at the right time is a key to being well dressed but let’s be honest most American men have a love-hate relationship with it, preferring to do without and face the cold rather than layer up and have the risk of feeling constricted by an outerwear piece. For these clients, we recommend a “Windstopper” option which adds a zip front vest piece to the front closure of a sportscoat, with other curated style components that make it a great travel and commute piece. In Europe, most daily commutes are quite different with the easy use of good public transport with cities designed for bike and pedestrian use. This makes the use of good outerwear a necessity and outerwear has evolved into a downright status symbol with brands building large collections to service these modern, professional guy’s needs. |
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Despite the difficulty of producing so many styles in our outerwear range, we are able to offer many alternatives of custom-made outerwear styles to address the wide variety of needs within the overall market. From Vest styles as an easy layer to transition into fall and beyond we also introduced a puffer (down-filled) version a few seasons ago designed for even colder temps whilst remaining ultralight. Our quilted styles include Shirt Jackets, with pocket and closure options both in Shirt Jacket and Hybrid Blazer styling that offer the warmth of the wadding in our tech fabrics with the quilted designs and are a big favorite with our clients. Shirt Jackets continue to evolve, and we see them more and more as everyday wear and a crossover between outerwear and sportscoats. Available both in suiting qualities and quilted tech they are mostly worn over knit or sweater layers, this season we added the knit layering vest as an added fall layer that works great under sportscoats and shirt jackets alike.
Our reversible raincoat is a rediscovered piece that offers color combinations on both sides and is foldable into a small pouch making it an easy travel piece that every guy should have on hand to pop into his carry-on. Next month we will be adding a wool/tech version which we have been working on to sit alongside some of our more cold-weather outerwear such as our puffer and tailored outerwear pieces in Italian cashmere. The tailored outerwear may not be for everyone but for those looking for a coat style in this premium cloth, there is no better value on the market. We are adding a new Mac style into the cashmere range of fabrics which has a softer less tailored fit and a closed collar for those bitter mornings that those of us in the north know only too well. |
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