My favorite season, quite easily, is winter. There’s nothing better than bundling up, hitting the town with friends and spending hours picking out the perfect Christmas gift for friends and family. If the night ends with a mug of hot chocolate (with the possible addition of a nice whiskey) sitting in front of the fire and reading a good book, I will have considered it a day well spent.
In an ideal world, this outfit would be the one to come out of the closet for those blustery, midwinter days that are so common in west Michigan. However, this isn’t the outfit to wear for extended periods outside. This outfit is designed for the city walkers. Those people that walk outside for maybe 15 minutes total, and spend the other time picking through stores in downtown Chicago.
It’s meant for museums, boutiques and upscale bars. It’s a comfortable option for those who find themselves needing to brave the elements for a short amount of time, and it’s all about the details. As I’ll explain below, the marks of sophistication are often found in the background details, making the pieces stand out to people who know the history of the brands, not just those that worship a label or a brand icon.
Class and elegance is so often portrayed as being showy, flashy and gaudy within popular media. However, the truest marks of class are the ones that are less visible to the eye. Common Projects was founded in 2004 by Prathan Poopat, an American-based art director, and Flavio Girolami, an Italian creative consultant with the goal of creating shoes that exude class without relying on gaudy or eye-catching detail.
From the quilted detail in the elastic siding of the boot to the rubber-crepe sole and to the gold embossed detailing along the outside heel, these boots are designed to make a statement without being showy or extravagant. Not to mention that they’re hand made in Italy out of a lovely, even-wearing suede.
In short, they’re the perfect addition to a classy, sophisticated look for late fall and early winter, and they’re the only shoe I’ll consider for an outfit like this.
It should be common knowledge at this point that I am deeply, deeply in love with ripped jeans. They’re not always the most professional pants to pick out of a closet, but for those days that professionalism isn’t quite a top priority, these jeans will hit the mark dead on.
Monfrere make their jeans out of Japanese denim (a phrase that should clue you in to the quality of the construction immediately), and this particular pair features all the standout details that people have come to associate with the company.
This particular pair is 67% cotton with the remaining 33% being composed of polyester, which helps add stretch. This makes these jeans much more comfortable and allows them to retain their shape after repeated uses/washes.
The first- and only – legitimate color present in this outfit is brought forward by this offering from Saturdays NYC. The brand (according to Racked.com) was founded by three friends who all had links to the #mensfashion wave that so was incredibly popular in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s. What makes this brand special – aside from the near-metioric rise to popularity a mere four years after it’s initial founding – is their constant commitment to evolution.
Originally starting as a “Saturdays Surf NYC”, this brand has since evolved and changed, now offering men’s casual wear that has captured the attentions of men around the world.
This piece (I’m still trying to decide if it’s a shirt, a sweater or some hybrid of the two) crosses the boarder between casual and business with surprising ease. It’s made of 100% cotton which means that during the summer it will keep you cool while in in the winter it will provide the much-needed heat retention that anyone in the Midwest will appreciate.
Chelsea boots have a tradition. Denim has a tradition. Even the pink shirt above has a history and a story behind it (i.e. tradition). This coat is the same.
Greatcoats/overcoats/topcoats have been a staple of cold-weather climates since the dawn of time, and I don’t foresee that ending anytime soon. They’re the perfect combination of elegance and function, crossing those boarders easily without overdoing things. However, there is a major detail featured in this coat that makes it stand out more than the other options on the market (or in the closet).
This jacket features fill. Whereas a lot of insulated coats will have a down fill (duck or goose tend to be the most common), this one features Primoloft Gold insulation, meaning that it’s spun out of polyester. This synthetic insulation has benefits of keeping the wearer warm while allowing for easy ventilation. Most greatcoats I’ve owned haven’t featured this feature, meaning that the wearer will have to layer extra clothing to achieve a similar effect.
The final piece is one of the most overlooked and essential pieces in a well-dressed man’s winter wardrobe.
Gloves are often overlooked when it comes to pulling an outfit together, and these fit the requirements of class and elegance set by the coat and the setting. Made of elk leather and lined with cashmere, it ties in nicely with the material of the coat. The cashmere provides a small amount of insulation for those short periods outside, while the leather will remain soft and unblemished for a long time (provided that the wearer takes proper care).
Again, thank you so much for reading! If you have any other questions, thoughts, comments or concerns please feel free to leave a response at the bottom of the blog or reach out through email!
Rewriting Masculinity 
Leave a Reply