Something Different: Coats and Boots

As winter draws near, it is said we turn to the familiar and simple for reassurance and comfort; our beaten-up overcoat, a standard pair of stout boots. These are the things we uncovered and de-mothballed in September as the leaves began to fall. We brush them off, steam them through and touch them with the affection of an old friend. We remember the nights which they shared; the harsh winds, snowfall, sneezing fits and icy tumbles and we thank them for it. But then, through the dimness, something glitters; distracted from these ‘old favourites’ we catch sight of something new, something unexpected.

This is the beginning of another new series. Unlike the Old Favourite series, which lauded the familiar and faithful ‘friends’ of the wardrobe, this one focuses on the unexpected, the different; it celebrates the possibility of trying something a little unusual, attempting a more recherché aesthetic.

There could not be anything more ordinary or familiar than an overcoat. While it is true that not all overcoats are alike, or equal, they are often the most mundane aspect of a gentleman’s winter dress; so much so that the dandies of winter feel the need to ‘spice’ them up with a velvet collar or patterned scarf.

I once http://www.mensflair.com/style-advice/aristocratic-overcoat.php wrote on the subject of the fur-collared overcoat, the aristocrat of coats, and was only able to suggest a handful of high-priced designer examples for readers to pursue. This was unfortunately due to the lack of cheaper, high-street chains or outfitters offering anything similar. No mistake in this, one might think, as such a gloriously grand coat is the product of a creator who has envisioned something romantically, with abandon: cost be damned. A mass-produced high street version would hardly be expected.

Indeed, finding any real fur on the high street is near impossible, not only for manufacturing-cost reasons but for public relations; no one wants a group placard-waving of animal-rights protestors clogging the entrance to their emporiums. Zara, ever the engine of exploration and design, have produced their own version with a material politely referred to as ‘fur-effect.’ With a double-breasted design reminiscent of those worn by Napoleonic soldiers’ on their Russian misadventure, this coat is a well-crafted piece of nostalgia; as well as its undoubted military heritage, it also reminded me of the elegant hunting outfits of the early twentieth century, an excellent example of which was worn by Rufus Sewell as the Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary in ‘The Illusionist.’

And there’s no need to stop at overcoats. As a reader of my blog once commented, “boots are one of winter’s rare pleasures.” The unfortunate thing about them is that you are rather limited to two colours. Black boots are as common as muck; brown boots are fairly popular, but when did you see a pair of burgundy Chelsea boots? A deep, berry-stain burgundy that warms the eyes as well as the toes.

I was browsing through ASOS’ vast collection of shoes when I noticed a pair of ASOS own brand ALIBI boots in a rich burgundy; ideal for wearing with mossy green cords for a delicious forest-floor contrast. While certainly not the standard of a shoemaker like Crockett & Jones, they represent excellent value.

There’s More to Gloves than Black

Gloves are an inconvenience in the modern world. Anyone who has felt their touchscreen phone buzzing in their coat pocket as they hurry to work, carrying a latte in one hand, will know the awful feeling of awkwardness as they chew off their gloves in an attempt to answer the call; gloved hands can not an iPhone answer.

However, there is something glorious about a pair of warm gloved hands, something protective and reassuring. For all the irritation they cause when their removal is necessitated, there is simply nothing to beat wandering into the unforgiving chill in a substantial overcoat and soft-lined leather gloves; you feel cosseted but dignified, cosy but elegant.

I used to regard gloves as a utilitarian wardrobe item, something only to be used when the weather is “like…really cold” and contented myself with some black woollen mitts, bought for an insignificant sum in one of the many stores on the high street. Now, I not only view gloves as an essential winter accessory to keep away the cold and the lingering germs on cash machines, handrails and door handles but also as an accessory to be celebrated and collected; the world does not begin and end with black leather gloves.

The grey gloves

Grey is one of the most elegant tones in the spectrum sartorium and grey gloves are an elegant and dandyish alternative to black: grey gloves are the correct colour for formal morning dress and Boldini’s famous portrait of Robert de Montesquiou feature the subject in an elegant pair. Whilst still masculine enough for everyday wear, they are a pleasant contrast to the dark blues, blacks and charcoal, in which the humble black glove so often goes unnoticed.

The tan gloves

Tan is not exactly the first colour associated with winter; peanut-buttery clothing is not precipitation friendly. However, the camel coat has no better partner than a pair of tan gloves. Black gloves look rather too stark and flipper-ish poking from a camel sleeve. They also look rather striking with navy blue, light and dark grey. Pair with brown or tan shoes.

The yellow gloves

Yellow leather is unusual thing; yellow leather gloves are even more peculiar. However, for all those that do not think of washing and cleaning in the kitchen, yellow gloves can add a floral punch to a dull winter outfit. They are unexpected, eyecatching and act as a point of interest. There is not much that they ‘match’ with -  yellow overcoats belong to the cartoons of Dick Tracy – but they contrast splendidly with coats of any description.

Favourite Colour Combinations

One of the questions I am constantly asked: What is my favourite colour combination.

When I sit down to contemplate it, I am unable to reach a well defined conclusion. My mind simply runs wild with possibility; my eyes glance upwards, my eyebrows dance and I shake my head in defeat. I can’t possibly choose. I start with the assertion that contrasts are my favourite thing, but then I wade into the beauties of palette and I start to think that a burgundy tie and a pink shirt is the most beautiful pairing in all Christendom.

My answer to those who ask, therefore, is an apologetic shrug and the feeble words; “I don’t even have a favourite colour.”

However, I have often received enquiries for advice regarding colour, from those keen to shed their monochrome daily wardrobe and skip through the kaleidoscope, and so I have collected thoughts on appealing combinations that, while unusual and often eye-catching, are not too riotous as to cause consternation or the passing of the smelling salts.

Green and lilac

There is something mysterious and alluring about green and lilac combinations. On its own, lilac can be a difficult colour; ethereal and bewildering. However, it reduces to a natural aesthetic when green is thrown into the blender. Perhaps it is the iconic thistle flower that influences the mind, but when they are together there is a misty richness to the combination; a mossy earthiness and a luxurious, velveteen pairing, the union of nature’s verdant canvas and one of its floral stars.

I like it when combined with greys and navy blues, but particularly with the stone-like colouring of a light-grey Prince of Wales check suit.

Brown and grey

One of the more unusual combinations among my favourites, brown and grey is often a descriptor of all that is dull and lifeless. However, such presumptions do a disservice to the subtle beauty created by the marriage of these tones. Pairing rusty brown trousers with a steely grey jacket sounds like a mismatch but in actual fact, the colours complement and flatter the other extremely well. The brown makes the grey seem even cleaner and stonier and the brown, instead of appearing dreary, is rich and warm.

I like it when combined with mid-blues, deep greens and berry reds to add a little floral colour to the earthiness of the tones.

Orange and azure

These two colours are very strong and need a sombre, desaturated backdrop for their startling fusion. Orange and azure call to mind the flower-filled terraces on the Amalfi coast, the contrast between a cool sea and a bloom bouncing in the breeze.

Though obviously a wonderful combination for the warmer months, I have used these two colours with brown autumn suits; pairing an azure cardigan with an orange pocket square, using a navy tie to avoid overfizzing it, and adding tan shoes to accentuate the influence of orange.

Mode Rage: Sewn in Pocket Square

I don’t watch much television. I find a lot of the ‘entertainment’ that is transmitted through the box to be banal, idiotic and depressing. ‘Reality’ television, which has eaten up much of the schedule, is particularly disagreeable to me, although there are a few notable exceptions in this category that appeal to me, chief amongst them the splendid Dragon’s Den on BBC2.

For those unfamiliar with the program, Dragon’s Den is effectively run in a gameshow format; ‘dragons’ – successful businessmen and women – sit in judgment on pitches from entrepreneurs and decide whether to provide them with the capital they are asking for in return for a stake in their business. The presentations are often rather poor, the entrepreneurs insufficiently informed and the dragons are entertainingly ruthless and unpleasant. There are however some aspects of the show which I do not like, one of which is a truly awful aspect of Peter Jones’ attire.

Jones is one of the most amusing ‘dragons’, and certainly one of the most astute but he has a curious taste in suits not commensurate with someone of his wealth and apparent discernment. He clearly has a liking for suiting and colour-matching, but seems to have fallen for a rather common and artless flavouring; the sewn-in pocket square.

The sewn in pocket square is not actually a square at all. It is not a stuffed-in, decorative handkerchief but a tiny slip of silk or other material that is sewn in to the top of the pocket, obviating the need for a separate accessory. In other words, it is an aesthetic fake; the clip-on bow of the pocket square world. However, it is not a very good fake. With every movement of the jacket, there is no change in the position of the ‘square’; it is but a lifeless border.

I have no idea what else necessitates such an inflexible, inadaptable, unattractive and lifeless addition to a suit except laziness. However, the convenience of the accessory is entirely wiped out by the expense of it. Jones wears his sewn-in-square suits with matching ties, often in bright colours. This means he must have a sewn-in square suit for every tie he owns; although he can certainly afford it, this is hardly a wardrobe blueprint for a man on an average income, or a sensible act of economy from a supposedly shrewd businessman. It is far wiser to adapt accessories to suits, and not the other way around.

Disappointingly, these suits have started to appear in shops on the high street (how could you, Zara?), often on mannequins with matching ties, no doubt to encourage the latest armchair-aesthete to avoid all the ‘hassle’ of choosing squares and ties (god forbid there should be colour variety in this world) and simply purchase a manufactured, Lego-man armour for the wash & go generation.

The worst thing is, in the spirit of the Den, I actually have a better idea for the lazy-but-economical: pocket-square cards (as made by Umo Lorenzo). Simply attached a ‘card clip’ – which receives the card – to the top pocket, and click in your selected ‘card’ of the day (with a strip of silk attached to each). “Sewn-in-security, but with variety.” Absolutely awful.

My Two Scents: Autumn and Winter Scents

I love Sunday evenings on my little street. The sky, which often roars with Heathrow-bound air traffic, is relatively quiet, the sirens are few and far between and my neighbour fills his fire with oak logs which, in turn, fills the air with the aroma which Diptyque refer to as ‘Feu de Bois.’ One whiff and you are transported to the countryside, to a fireside idyll in the woods with crunchy leaves underfoot. After beatific smiles and exhalations of satisfaction, I wanted to bottle the smell and lather it on me. It was the definitive autumn smell.

I like smells that define the season. Cypress for the spring, oranges, grapefruit and lemon in the summer; in my opinion, fragrance is about more than selecting a year-round scent. When you wear your light linen and espadrilles to a soiree at the yacht club on a warm evening, you should add something that complements your clothing, the season and the occasion; a deep, woody number with spice notes would be a mistake. Here are some season-friendly suggestions for the remainder of 2011.

The Autumn Scent

Comme des Garcons ‘2 Man’ smells like church pews, old ships and forest fires. It is mossy and woody and has conspicuously intense notes that smell like incense. In the splendid words of one admirer, David Hunter; “…it is intoxicating and a masterpiece. Strike a match and light a waxed saddle on fire, throw in a tumble weed, cedar, sandalwood, frankincense, and what the hell, add a gallon of gasoline. Then grab a Single Malt Scotch and get drunk on the smoke. By the time you pass out, you’ll find yourself inside of a Byzantine Mosque. Believe me.” The rusticity of the scent and distinct smell of incineration make this the ideal scent for the autumn season; team with a peanut-butter coloured cord jacket, paisley tie, dark denim and brown brogues.

The Winter Scent

Admittedly this scent isn’t an all-winter scent, but it is perfect for the festive season. In the cold of December, when the snow covers the ground, and you mush through the naked trees in your favourite overcoat with your gloved hands shoved deep in your pockets, you catch a whiff of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine from a nearby stall; that is the effect of Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘The One Gentleman’. The original scent, ‘The One’, was pleasant with base notes of tobacco and ambergris and sweet top notes of grapefruit and basil but it was more of an all-rounder; ‘The One Gentleman’ is spicier and more oriental with pepper, cardamom and patchouli. It smells like Christmas should smell; that warm glow in the darkness. Team with a burgundy velvet jacket, tartan tie, black trousers and patent shoes for the party season.