Starting note : I finally updated the hoodie guide by adding photos of the famous Monoprix cashmere hoodie. With this cold I've been wearing it almost every day for a month and a half... and it's still like new. If there is one item to buy there: this is it.
Why wear a coat?
Let's get back to our sheep (merino): layering is a bit like cooking. We try to cram everything we can where we can (a very elegant formulation), and especially during the holidays. But whatever it is, you always need a final layer that stands out a little from the rest. And it is not this skillful cook, a fine gourmet if ever there was one, who has crammed five different birds into a pig who will tell you the opposite ->
a bird in a bird in a bird in a bird in a PIG
Now let's get to the heart of the matter: this final layer, in winter , is often the coat (preferably wool or cashmere). It is a basic in its own right: and as such it is essential. It has a huge influence on your look and it will enhance (or not) everything else in your wardrobe.
I talk in more detail about the process of buying a coat in the coat buying guide : I do this not because I'm a huge lazy person but rather so that you can take the time to consider in this article the different options available before you start.
This article will, as usual, show you the outfits and layering that can be achieved. In winter, the purpose of these layers for me is, in addition to enriching your outfit, to avoid wearing a down jacket (or worse, those famous parkas that are too big, "dear" to Benoît) and to allow yourself to wear coats in minimally elegant wool (even if slightly less warm without layering).
Too often I see people pulling out their warmest winter coat straight away as soon as the temperature drops at the beginning of October. But they could simply keep their mid-season trench coat and add an extra layer: for example a cardigan... it's more coherent, more comfortable and healthier.
Because yes! Those who go out like heavy artillery at the start of winter (if not autumn) are the first to get sick.
-> Adding layers isn't just there to look pretty: it allows you to gradually adapt to the cold and have a calibrated outfit.
Long coats
"I'm not 2.10 meters tall, long coats are not for me, I'll move on."
Not so fast! Anyone can wear a long coat.
So-called common sense would dictate that long coats require a minimum size to be worn. I don't agree and I think it's more about proportions than anything else . If you are short (and skinny to boot: I am too, I know what it's like)... then you simply have to make sure that the coat reaches your mid-thighs or at worst your knees. It must also be fitted and above all the shoulders must be impeccable. Otherwise you will actually look like a child in an adult's coat...
Only one difficulty: few coats meet these requirements from traditional brands. But we will see how to solve this in the buying guide.
Now that this objection is removed, here are some images:
To illustrate my point about length: I think that a coat that reaches the knees is really the maximum. Beyond that it becomes risky and very detrimental for the silhouette.
Not much more to say except that a double-breasted coat with this kind of collar, even if it's a little old-fashioned for my taste, is perfect over a suit. These open and slightly wide collars are for me the best complements to shirt collars ->
The cardigan shirt overlay is for me geometrically ideal to accompany these coats ->
We can also take a look at shawl collar coats... which for me are not really basic coats and require you to already have a somewhat extensive wardrobe ->
Nor are the collars that best protect against the cold: wear them either like here with a turtleneck (which drastically limits the possibilities for layering) or with an oversized scarf... or without anything (nothing for protect the neck, not shirtless, eh ;))
Be careful with oversized scarves: you'll quickly get one that's too thick and look ridiculous in it. Pay particular attention to the width ->
We finally have the high collars. These are often very elaborate among Korean designers. And it is not uncommon to notice collar tabs. I wouldn't do an overlay analysis on it because when you have this kind of detail, the only thing to keep in mind is "less is more" : they do enough work, so there is no point in overloading too much detail through your other clothing.
On some coats, these details are very visible ->
On others, the tab is hidden when the coat is open, and visible when it is closed ->
The colors are good in this photo and the sweater/shirt layering looks good. Only the collar of the shirt (here a 3 button) would have benefited from being more ordinary.
These details make these coats very versatile: they have become the specialty of Korean designer Woo Young Mi , which we will talk about in our buying guide.
The duffle coat: I have often seen it in the street worn over a suit but for me it is much more appropriate for a casual context ->
If I had to illustrate the word casual: I would have taken this outfit without hesitation. The colors are impeccable: the bright red of the sweater is well attenuated by the coat and the shirt. This one is worn casually and is just the right length to be worn out of the pants, leaving it hanging over the sweater. The sleeves are also the right length: they stick out just a few centimeters.
It's these kinds of details that are a priori insignificant, but which make a superposition successful or not.
In short, a nice, relaxed enough mess to go get your bread on a Sunday morning... and walk in 15 cm of snow. But dosed much more intelligently than one would believe .
Other long coats...
To finish on long coats, other slightly original examples:
Very elaborate coats, so obviously a very simple outfit next to it . I chose gray coats as an example: if you are wearing such elaborate pieces, there is no point in putting even more obstacles in the way by choosing eccentric colors (you see yourself wearing the perfecto closure coat in purple or in fluorescent yellow ?). Gray on the other hand really goes with everything, much more easily than black. It also has the merit of highlighting the details more.
And a few short coats to finish in style:
Now let's move on to short coats : yes: I'm only going to show you pea coats.
Several advantages for me: they give less presence and therefore allow for more relaxed layering (without there being too harmful a contrast in style).
You can also wear boots or high-top sneakers without risking too much compression of the silhouette.
The typical example of a colorful layering, whose strong piece (the red cardigan) is well attenuated by the pea coat and the shirt: I think it would have looked less well with a long coat ->
The round neck/shirt layering also goes particularly well with the pea coat, especially with a soft shirt collar.
It can give a slightly old-fashioned style, so you have to be careful about the cuts and colors ->
To finish, two outfits that appealed to me.
This is due to the beauty of the garments taken one by one: the combination of the buttoning and the shawl collar of the cardigan works perfectly. I've also rarely seen a completely buttoned shirt look so natural.
Desert boots fulfill their role perfectly: they bring a touch of color and relaxation to an outfit that would otherwise be a little dull, despite the subtlety of the colors ->
This one is really the all-purpose outfit . But the colors are relevant: the blue is attenuated by the different layers of gray ->
This kind of outfit makes you think: putting aside the hat and gloves, the essentials of the outfit are limited to a pea coat, a sweater and a scarf. So really nothing exceptional : it's basically what the average man wears in a casual setting. Yet here, it still gives off much more than the outfit you see in the street.
For me, it's partly due to the mastery of colors but mainly to the guy wearing the outfit, who looks as rootsy and unkempt as her and therefore gives off a sense of coherence .
Think about it and, as you read this guide, try to get a general idea of what kind of outfit would best reflect you.
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