Upgrade Your Down Jacket

When a wool or even cashmere topcoat won’t suffice against the biting cold, it may be time to pull out the strongest weapon in your arsenal—the down puffer jacket. While a puffer jacket can neither match the refinement nor the tailored look of an overcoat, it provides the best protection against almost all of nature’s most cruel manifestations.

To some, the puffer jacket is an abominable and ridiculous article of clothing that should only be worn by mountain climbers and young school children. A few years ago, they would have been quite justified in their conviction. People were faced with either an incarnation of the Michelin Man costume or some heinous, oversized coat that absolutely could not be worn if one needed to be taken seriously.

Luckily, winter wear pioneers like Moncler provide an alternative that has literally given a new shape and perspective on men’s down jackets, transforming them into stylish and luxurious items that both look and feel great. Known especially for their shiny body and opulently soft material, they are the gold standard when it comes to heavy-duty winter jackets.

This Moncler jacket is great for a variety of reasons. First off, it’s cut close to the body meaning that you won’t look like the Pillsbury doughboy. It also incorporates one of the biggest crossover trends for men and women this season, which is the patent leather-look the shiny veneer gives off. Slipping on a Moncler jacket is like the intensified feeling of comfort you have when you first wake up in the morning and would give anything to stay in bed. The material is so plush and luxurious that you’ll wish it were winter longer.

If you aren’t interested in spending nearly a month’s rent for the real deal, you can buy a similar looking substitute from North Face ($249). While it doesn’t have the same attention to style and detail, North Face is known for their high-quality insulation, meaning it will serve its primary purpose: keeping you warm well into the negative digits.

This jacket from Lacoste ($295) is a little wide across, but its glossy finish, which mimics the Moncler look, adds redeeming style value. One important feature it has though is the cinch cord at the bottom hem of the coat that allows for a more fitted appearance.

For the best equilibrium buy between price and quality and if you live in New York City, check out Uniqlo in SoHo, which has a good selection of puffer jackets for around $130.

The best way to look stylish while wearing a down jacket anywhere besides the ski slope is to embrace the inherent bulkiness and offset it by wearing a long scarf that comes down through the bottom of the coat to elongate your body. Wearing a great pair of boots will also add flair to an outfit otherwise muted by the weather.

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One Thing: L.L.Bean Canvas Totes

As many of you know, I have written a fair amount about men’s bags. To me, there really is no issue about it anymore; guys need some kind of bag to hold all their stuff – wallets, Blackberry, mobile phone, notebooks, etc.

I also have a lifelong appreciation for designs that respect or pay homage to a product’s utilitarian roots. Classic and traditional styles have always done that. The hallmark of true preppy-ness is the re-purposing of utilitarian items for everyday life; foul weather gear is now a fashion statement, prep school ties and jackets appearing in the office, and the steamer trunk great uncle Dan’s used at Yale is now a snazzy coffee table at the beach house. You get the idea.

A classic example of this approach to life – utilitarian yet stylish – is the canvas tote bag. The most famous version of this functional workhorse is made by L.L. Bean. In fact, L.L. Bean literally invented the canvas tote bag category. The original version of the bag was created as an ice carrier (back in the day when block ice was used to keep foods fresh in the ice box).

From these humble beginnings, the bag quickly became recognized for its simple yet elegant functionality. L.L. Bean started to offer the canvas tote in a smaller version and called it the “boat & tote.” It was perfect for lugging around sailing and boating items and the more abuse it suffered the better it looked. So began the preppy affinity for this multipurpose wonder.

As The Official Preppy Handbook pointed out, every New England family probably has several of these lying around the house. In some ways, these canvas totes are a sort of status symbol. The fact that you really need to know what these bags represent – where to get them, the history, even the perceived lifestyle they imply – makes them recognized and desirable.

The L.L. Bean canvas tote bag has been liberally copied by many competitors. The general design of the bag has even been reinterpreted by suppliers to some Manhattan brokerage houses and white shoe law firms. Their logoed bags, given as employee gifts or awards, have become New York chic collector items. Go figure.

It is not uncommon to see these bags on the Metro commuting to work with their owners. They are neutrally appealing and bring a bit of the outdoors to the office without being at all kitschy. The midsized L.L. Bean version is perfectly proportioned to hold everyday stuff along with lunch or a morning bagel, leaving your fancy Gucci or Hermes brief bag to deal with file folders and the New York Times.

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One Thing: Incotex Pants

For the next item on my “One Thing” list, I’m going to the perfect complement for the aforementioned cashmere crewneck sweater – Incotex pants. Mine are a wonderful, lightweight medium grey wool pair and are by far my favorites. I purchased them in Venice about two years ago and can’t imagine not having them. When in need of grey dress pants, they are my first and often only choice.

Incotex is part of the Slowear group, an Italian company dedicated to producing exception clothes that are always in style. Everything about the company clearly shows that it finds the idea of “fashion” very unfashionable. Slowear, and its companies, make clothes that last and will always be at the front of your wardrobe.

Slowear actually began its life as Carlo Compagno Confezioni in 1951, manufacturing trousers and uniforms. In the 1970s, the company shifted gears, began focusing exclusively on pants and was renamed Incotex. Over the next several years, strategic acquisitions brought into the fold coat company Motedoro, wool producer Maglifico Zanone, and luxury shirt maker Glanshirt. Earlier this year, the umbrella company was renamed Slowear.

Each brand within Slowear operates independently but now benefits from a unified parent brand and a common operations platform. Nonetheless, the main focus of each unit is to carefully design and produce clothes that exist far above and beyond those churned out by name brand designers season after season. Though located in the city, Slowear even located its offices far from the hubbub of Milan’s fashion district.

Incotex in particular is the master of precision cut trousers. They are exceptional in both quality and construction. I would go so far as to say I have never owned a pair of pants that were so instantly comfortable yet incredibly stylish. They were by no means inexpensive and it’s safe to say that my being on vacation was part of the “oh, what the heck” attitude that led to the purchase. But I am so very glad I did get them. If forced to single out only one article of clothing in my wardrobe to take on a yearlong trip, it would be these pants. No contest.

My Incotex trousers will be with me for a long time. I hope that you take a little of you time and learn about the brand and about Slowear as well. The company’s philosophy is inspiring and that they put it into action every day, with each of their brands, makes me very happy to have supported them.

For an excellent story on Slowear, pick up the November issue of Monocle.

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My Sartorial Gifts Wish List

So what would I like for Christmas? You know you are hurtling towards old age when you have to ask yourself that question, and you feel even older when people have to ask you. When you were a child, you were easy to cater for; the latest toy, gadget, computer game and mountain bike seemed to do the trick. You only had to follow the current wave, or even ask what other parents were buying their children and thus, ubiquity prevailed; everyone clambers to get their tot the same blasted thing.

Being an adult is rather different. Clothing bought for me at Christmas as a teenager was timidly conservative; accessories such as socks and underwear and basic items such as plain sweatshirts and white t-shirts may have been boring surprises on Christmas morn, but they were extremely practical and sensible; I have never taken underwear back to the shop for an exchange or refund.

As I got older, and my clothing tastes became wildly unpredictable, my parents decided to focus on other areas of need and want; computers, sporting goods, books and items for around the home. Now, I feel I have settled into an absurdly predictable mould, it should be dashed simple to choose clothing for WJP Chesterfield.
However, just in case I am wrong, and it proves to be as hard as Arctic ice to pick out suitable sartorial items for yours truly, here’s a guide to my Christmas list.

1) Polka-dot lightweight dressing gown from Woods of Shropshire

Silk dressing gowns are fabulous and luxurious, but are not coffee-friendly and certainly not practical in a house with little bits sticking out of wood and doors, ready to snag the smooth dense material. This dressing gown is perfect. It’s more elegant than a towelling gown and it has that 1940s film noir appeal; I half expect it to come with a Mauser. It’s manufactured by legendary, yet little known nightwear producers Lloyd, Attree and Smith. It’s light weight and 100% cotton and a steal at £31.50. Elegance is affordable after all.

2) The ‘modern’ white shirt

I have plenty of city-collar, cutaway white shirts. In fact, I have a couple of tatty ones that I hold dear; perhaps I should throw away. What I really would like is the modern take on the white shirt. Very Dior Homme: a small collar, with a smidgeon of black detail (black buttons on the cuffs). Appropriate for going out, wearing with or without a tie. Zara make a fantastic one, and at a fraction of the Dior price. The cotton is very high quality too.

3) A paisley pocket square from Massimo Dutti

One of the things many people might not notice about Massimo Dutti is their stock of affordable and lovely accessories. While many might scream that the style of the store is a Ralph Lauren rip-off, the pocket squares are fine silk and excellent value. They also come in lovely combinations; purple, forest green, gold and grey. The selection is not huge, but there are usually at least three or four to choose from in shops.

4) Brown leather boots

For certain looks, only boots will finish an outfit. Some of my trousers have a slightly looser and more casual edge and call for a more rugged and less metropolitan shoe. A slip on boot, in brown, would complement some of the layered looks very well. Layering has a tendency to make people appear top-heavy, and I praise the look for its richness, but the shoes I regularly wear have seemed, well, too petite and dainty to carry it off.

5) Le Dandy from D’Orsay Parfums

A fragrance that is so frequently out of stock, I wonder if it gets delayed going through a special initiating ‘blessing’ pageant before hitting the shelves, because, it really is that good. Though the name suggests it’ll smell of Oscar Wilde’s pillow case, Le Dandy is actually fairly masculine in base notes; wood and balsam are used. The middle notes are spicy and gingery, and the lovely top notes are tobacco flower and whiskey. Though it is most certainly a male fragrance, it has a confectionary quality that would put musky-men off; Brut it ain’t.

6) Dior Homme Patent lace up shoes

One last request, just in case St Nick is feeling especially generous is a pair of Dior Homme shoes. The style of them is quite retro and definitely quirky; pointed toes and all, but they update classic looks like nothing else. They’re not cheap, but then they’re not cheaply made. They have a singularly beautiful construction usually seen on Berlutis or Lobbs. Thankfully, they’re not quite in that stratospheric price range, but they do qualify as being the ‘guilty luxury’ wish on this list.

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COS Stores: Style and Quality Finally Affordable

I am very wary of making predictions. Dining on my own words has always put me off soothsaying and I am unpleasant when humbled. However, there is one thing I am confident in claiming, something I am almost certain will be proved to be correct. And that is that COS, the stylish little-sister company to Swedish behemoth H&M, is the future of style for the man on the street.

I am famous for my unswerving loyalty to Zara, and for good reason; Zara is a breathtaking success in terms of fashion. When I first experienced the London store those 4 or 5 years ago, I was stunned. Now, unsurprisingly, I am used to it. Also, in that period, Zara has, unhappily, let me down on a number of occasions. In its bid to capitalise on the tastes of all men, the menswear department’s audacity has gone. It still offers excellent design, but with a rather depressing familiarity to the clothing. While the women’s department still offers some of the best and most innovative designs I have seen for the high street, the menswear designers seem keen to give us rehashed, and to be frank, rather ordinary versions of items that are available in countless other stores.

COS on the other hand is a revelation. And why, you may ask, am I not concerned that COS will turn the way of Zara? Why will it not bend to fashion and to the collective taste of the average man on the street?

To answer the latter question first, COS does not seek to clothe the average man on the street. COS seeks to appeal to the disenchanted man of style, the dandy without a tailor. The man who seeks style and form rather than cheap slogans and throwaway fashion is at home in COS. Suits are well made; the cut is simply superb, and by far and away, they are the best suits on the high street for form. Colours are seasonal, but subtle; do not expect the rainbow of colours on offer at H&M, COS is about sleek clothing. Black, white and grey prevail. There are country colours on offer too; khaki, browns, dark greens and blues, but there is a COS mission to provide excellent quality basics at affordable prices. In other words, don’t come here for pink braces.

To answer the former question, I refer to the comments of Michael Kristensen, head of COS menswear design and flag-carrier of this new movement in providing style and form rather than fads and frippery. When asked what character the current collection at COS evoked, Michael replied the collection calls to mind “…a modern man with a big city mindset. He understands and definitely appreciates good style and great quality.” He was also asked to name the strongest defining characteristics of the collection and, though this was specific to Autumn/Winter 2007, they could easily be applied to all collections available in store as I believe this quote defines COS as a store; “Upgraded qualities and clean, modern silhouettes.”

With a captain like that at the helm, there seems to be no worry that COS will start downgrading for popular appeal. H&M doesn’t need COS to be a flyaway success with bright young things throwing clothing away like empty packets of Marlboro Lights. It needs it for what it already is and what it currently stands for. My only wish is that they open more stores around Europe, and eventually, the world, so more men of my leaning can appreciate the spectacular sensation of COS for themselves.

If you are German, you are very fortunate; there are six stores. Apart from London, Brussels, Antwerp, The Hague and Copenhagen are the only other cities to have a COS store. Depending on how successful COS is in the next sixth months or so, I would imagine more stores would open, including perhaps one or two in Stockholm. I doubt it will hit the United States for another 12-18 months, which makes it a very long wait, but in my opinion, it is definitely worth it.

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