Short Coats for the Winter

With the winter’s wind and dropping temperatures marching across most of the northern hemisphere, it’s time to open up the closet and pull out a good coat. While there are many options – from ski parkas to quilted jean jackets – if you’re heading off to work it should be something a little dressier.

When it comes to men’s coats, there are a number of perfectly respectable options. Chesterfields, polo coats, camel hair, and coverts; and each have its place. But for something a little more modern and portable, try a short coat.

Short coats tend to end somewhere between the waist and mid-thigh area. As with their longer brethren, short coats can be put to use in formal and casual environments but they possess the additional benefit of comfort and variety.

Short coats have less fabric floating around and can be more comfortable for people who commute via public transportation. They also have a less formal feel about them even though many varieties are designed to the same level of detail as longer coats.

As a general category, Car Coats are classic and have a lightly formal design that can be worn over a suit or whenever you want to present a simple professional look. The clean lines, often with slash or patch pockets, make the traditional car coat versatile and useful.

Another classic option is the traditional Navy Pea Coat. This season, I have seen all sorts of takes on this truly timeless short coat. From leather to cashmere, a pea coat’s innate style translates well. And as long as you don’t choose some funky patterned version, it’s almost guaranteed never to go out of style.

Duffel or Toggle Coats are perfect for cold, windy days and those times when you look to project a casual and preppy sense of style. The coat’s toggle latches, patch pockets and cozy personality are a great way to inject some fun into your day.

The Barbour Jacket is an iconic choice that pretty much looks great on everyone. Barbour jackets speak of country houses, wealthy relatives, shooting weekends and galloping your favorite mount across the estate. In addition, they are a practical investment and one of those things that looks better the more it is abused. With its liner zipped in, you have a warm and waterproof outer layer that looks at home in the field or the concrete jungle.

Foul weather gear and technical jackets are a fun and functional alternative to “traditional” business oriented outerwear. As I mentioned in an earlier column, when done well, I am a fan of technical parkas worn over dress clothes. When wearing casual or weekend clothes, these jackets hit just the right note. They provide protection, are usually very comfortable and have an unmistakably rugged style.

As you can see, this is one of those subjects can literally fill a book. Cold weather coats come in myriad styles and sizes – bomber jackets, mackintoshes, raglan sleeved overcoats and wool lined barn coats. The list is endless. Try on different styles that appeal to you and go for what feels right.

Icons of Classic Style: Martin Luther King Jr.

Monday of this week was Martin Luther King Day, a holiday filled with both pragmatic and intangible significance. Dr. King is without a doubt one of the most revered figures in modern American history. More than most public figures of the 20th Century, King is so intertwined with the times in which he lived that he has transcended his own personality. He has become a legend, but a very human one.

I chose Dr. King as an icon of classic style because more than anyone else I admire, the way in which he chose to present himself every day quite literally changed the world. When I think of Martin Luther King, Jr., I see a man who possessed incredible inner strength and a drive to make a tangible mark on the world. I see a man who forced others to see who he really was by sheer force of personality. And when I think of how he looked – I see him in a suit.

It was usually a simple but elegant suit; dark, sober and professional. It was a Sunday suit; fitting of course as he was a preacher. But it was also his armor during a time in my country’s history when bigotry was literally the law. Black citizens had little protection or recourse and even the most heinous act of murder was seen in a different legal light. The presumption was usually that the victim deserved it and all white juries usually concurred.

I bring up these rather depressing images because it is important to put King in the right context. As with his contemporary, Bobby Kennedy, King has become a somewhat remote and perfected image. But the dangers faced by Dr. King and those around him were very real and very personal. Every day he had to get up and accept that his work could – and probably would – lead to his death.

In addition to his landmark non-violent protests, King led another type of war. It was the war of perception. Dr. King presented black America in a way that tore down the flimsy veil of prejudice. Step by step his actions reshaped the image of what made someone an American and a human.

King understood the role of media and of perception. He made a point to always be well turned out, eloquent, knowledgeable and gentlemanly. He was daily fighting the ignorant and small-minded stereotypes that unfortunately persist to this day. By presenting a glaring counter argument in the form of an accomplished and elegant African American leader, King opened a new front in the war for equality.

By being perpetually well dressed King’s image, as well as his words, presented an unassailable message of strength, confidence, leadership and intelligence.

He was not the first in civil rights leader to harness the power of dress. Malcolm X, a fellow civil rights activist and leading figure in the Nation of Islam, lead legions of followers impeccably turned out in suits and bow ties.

While clothing does not in and of itself change the world, part of Dr. King’s legacy will always be the image of a polished leader and brilliant orator. King’s choice of clothing extended his reach and defined a leader.

Teach Your Children about Dressing Appropriately

One of the things I love most about working in Washington, D.C., is seeing all the people who come here from across the world. For some, it is a life’s goal to just once stand in front of the White House and take in its iconic message of hope and opportunity – regardless of who happens to live there at the time.

For others, it’s a chance to explore the many remarkable public places that span the city; from viewing the Declaration of Independence to wandering through the endless museums, which by the way are free.

Though we are now in the chilly clutches of winter, tourists and school groups still descend upon the Capitol City with regularity. And as they do I still wonder at how often I see many of these children – and adults – dressed like they are going to wash the family car.

School groups in particular are unfortunate examples of what happens when those in positions of responsibility choose to abdicate roles of authority. In a nutshell, too many visitors to my city dress like slobs. It’s embarrassing.

While I love to see wide eyed kids gazing upon the Capitol dome for the first time, many of them, with seeming parental approval, express a total lack of decorum. During the summer in particular I regularly witness clumps of high schoolers marching off to visit their senator or congressman in baggy shorts, oversized tee shirts and flip flops! Girls sport the equivalent of beachwear and guys look like they just rolled out of bed and into last week’s laundry.

Now, I’m no stuffed shirt and am all for freedom of personal expression, etc.; but I firmly believe there are times and places for showing sartorial respect. I actually find it offensive that America’s schools and their D.C.-bound chaperones can’t even muster up enough backbone to require a decent clothes when walking though the Capitol rotunda, the hallowed ground where presidents and luminaries have lain in state.

What happened? I know that my parents would have ground me into the floor if they learned I showed up for a White House tour looking like I was heading out to mow the grass. Speaking of the White House, last year it was compelled to enforce a strict dress code for all visitors regardless. No jeans, no shorts, and no flip flops. This had to be enforced, seriously? Do parents even teach basic manners anymore?

As an American, I am frustrated to no end when I see this total lack of respect for others and for the dignity of our most significant public spaces. Dressing well to go out in public is a show of reverence to others and to the places you visit. It is a nonverbal acceptance that you are not the center of the universe and at times it is appropriate to convey a message that supports the idea of community.

Do we really have to require that people not wear halter tops or have underwear hanging out when they visit the Smithsonian? Apparently. I readily admit that in my personal experience, most often the well-dressed visitors I see wandering around this city are from other countries.

Parents, and everyone else, this is my plea: show your Capital City, your fellow Americans and everyone else, some respect.

Dressing For Success

After discussing the fashion issues surrounding running for president of the United States, I thought it might be a little more useful to address sartorial issues on the plate of the rest of us. How best to dress for moving up in your career.

While there are many kinds of offices, shops and other workplace venues, the general office environment is one that has universal resonance. So many of us head off to a traditional office day after day and finding something interesting yet appropriate to wear can at times be a frustrating exercise.

Cleaning out the Underperformers

I just went through an end-of-year purge and was able to dislodge a lot of clothes that had been busy taking up space in my closet. It turns out that I had been holding on to a whole bunch of shirts and sweaters – for years in some cases – hoping that someday I would rotate them back into service. Once I bothered to try them on and make an honest assessment, it was clear that they either no longer fit or were simply out of style. They had to go, and so they did.

Whatever your position, when you want to move your career forward it is important to do just that: look at your wardrobe with a new and very critical eye. Don’t be sentimental; be practical and honest with yourself.

Setting a New Tone

The Wall Street Journal ran an article recently about dressing to be CEO. It has a number of practical observations that can help most men get with the program and start looking like someone who at least deserves the opportunity to prove himself. Make a point to skim through it when you have a chance.

In fact, that right there is a good starting point. You first need to decide that you are in the market to be promoted, to move on, or to strike out on your won. However you want to look at it, this is the act of deciding that you want to be, and be seen as, a leader.

Before we go any further, and I can’t stress this enough, get over the “my clothes shouldn’t matter” argument. They do and people will pass judgment on you based on what you wear. Just accept it and move on to crafting your professional image.

Defining Your Message

Generally speaking, the executive look is fairly universal. It is polished, clean, well-fitting, color coordinated, simple and of a high quality. Its overall effect conveys an impression of authority. And this is true across any industry.

Sir Richard Branson, for example, may be a maverick billionaire who plays by his own rules, but his apparently casual style is well thought out and by no means slapdash. He has cultivated a trademark look – breezy and laid back – but it is executed in a very particular way.  It is in fact his CEO uniform, and no one would call him sloppy.

For most of us, the kinds of sartorial changes needed to develop a profession and polished look are not monumental. You don’t need to run out and buy a bunch of custom suits to start getting noticed. Many offices today are at least partially business casual, which means the focus should be a notch or two down from regular business dress.

Making it Work

In place of a suit, coordinating separates provide both flexibility and polish. Wear dress trousers with an ironed open collar shirt and sport coat or blazer. This combination can yield many variations in style, pattern and color yet you are really only dealing with three pieces.

When choosing a dress shirt that you plan to wear without a tie, make sure to avoid longer collar points. They tend to look as though you forgot a tie. English spread collars are a good fit with this look.  Also, you’ll want to choose shirts with a high second button stance. This will give it a fitted and finished appearance, again avoiding the “you forgot your tie” comments.

Presidential candidate Barak Obama made style news with his ability to carry off this casual yet professional no-tie look.

In place of a sport coat, you can also layer a sweater over the shirt. Polo collared sweaters are particularly nice with this look. Stick with more neutral colors like grey, blue, brown and taupe; let the shirt underneath provide the color or pattern.

For casual days, avoid the temptation of letting everything go to pot and acting like you’re back in college. It is in situations like these that your true sense of style and professionalism show through.

CEOs and senior executives, at least the good ones, know that how you dress is only part of the overall package.

Polishing you image is just the first step to success, however you choose to define it. You also should make an investment in yourself: study up on business and social etiquette, current affairs, politics and issues that affect your industry.

Because when it comes down to brass tacks, if you look good but have nothing to say, you might as well have stayed home.

So, You Want to Be the President?

Here in the States, there is a big job interview going on right now. It’s for a particularly high profile position; the pay is alright but nothing stellar. Lots of travel required and an unusually large amount of stress because it’s one of those 24/7 jobs; you just can’t seem to escape the office. That being said, the perks are pretty good: a fleet of aircraft, including two jumbo jets, at your disposal; your own executive mansion and mountain retreat; an army of highly trained body guards; the kind of power that most eight year-olds only dream about; and you don’t have to wait for red lights.

Did I mention the private staff and world class tailors fighting over whom get to dress you head to toe?

While that sounds attractive, and though I have a real love of politics, you couldn’t pay me enough to be president of the United States. The interview process alone would kill most of us – or at the least hasten along coronary heart disease or something equally unpleasant.

On top of the grueling multiyear campaigning, required glad handing, backslapping, baby kissing, money raising and stump speeching, there is the never ending scrutiny. Everything from the shoes on your feet to your choice in ties is picked apart every day by thousands of journalists across the world.

I mean, what exactly does one wear when standing on a hay bale in Iowa? Should the shirt sleeves be rolled or unrolled? More than that, what kind of shirt should you wear? Should it be a dress shirt to show that bit of the executive-down-in-the-ditches thing? Maybe a flannel work shirt, appropriately worn-in by a devoted staffer so it doesn’t look like it just came out of the shopping bag (which it did) to indicate that you are a man of the earth?

Most importantly, you need to constantly maintain your image-consultant-defined “presidential persona.” So much to remember about yourself; so, who are we today?

• Tough on Defense Guy (Usually found speaking at some type of veteran’s gathering: dark suit/white shirt/primary color tie for inside speech or leather flight jacket and work boots if outside)
• Mr. Education (Often located in a sea of mildly interested children: blue blazer/open collared shirt/friendly earth tones)
• Dr. Health Care (Two words for you – nursing home: CEO look with dark or medium grey suit/blue tie/cufflinks)
• Captain Environment (usually shown outside in a national park or near an endangered lake: hiking boots/ jeans /pale blue work shirt/field coat)

And you think you have a hard time getting dressed in the morning. I’m not even getting into the stuff you have to deal with if actually elected president. Think about it. The president – and I’m talking about a man here, though it’s likely we’ll have a female one any minute – pretty much just wears a suit. That means any derivation from that uniform is noticed and analyzed.

The difficulty is that in The United States we want two things at once. Our president can never take on the trappings of a king but should always look “presidential.” That is, he should always be dressed better than the average CEO, but not too much better. At the same time, he cannot have airs. Citizens always want to feel that on some level the president is just like us.

The candidates know all this and constantly fight for the right balance. Democratic candidate John Edwards is a good example of this duality. He always wears a Timex Ironman wrist watch. It’s inexpensive, not particularly attractive but very functional. Every chance he gets, that watch is visible and obvious. From Jeans and a too-new looking work coat to a hand tailored presidential debate suit, it’s always there.

Why is that, you might ask? The man is a multimillionaire with a custom built sprawling low country estate. He gets $400 haircuts. You really think when this former senator gets dressed each day there is no Rolex or Cartier patiently waiting its turn in the dresser drawer? I’d bet money on it.

He prominently displays his Timex Ironman because he wants us to understand that he’s a man of the people; just a guy fighting the system on our behalf. This is the watch of Middle America, it says; of the working guy, and don’t you forget it.

That Edwards’ entire campaign can be represented in a watch shows the power of perception and the importance of detail. Every candidate no matter the party or even country focuses on these things because they matter. We say they don’t but when it comes time to pull that lever, someone, somewhere is thinking about John Edward’s watch.