Menswear’s top ten winter items

The Winter Capsule: If you only own ten things this Winter, this is what they should be. Mix and match for ultimate style.

New Trouser Options

From Penfield to Polo Ralph Lauren, get your legs in shape this winter with the new trouser options

First came the chino, then the cuffed trouser. Cords, moleskins, cargos and wool trousers have followed on and suddenly we chaps have a whole range of genuinely viable legwear options to choose from – many of which have been ushered in by the country look.

A great example is the Penfield wool trouser, which has the heritage detailing you would expect from the Massachusetts brand (just check out the split waistband, which is cut for braces, Ivy League style) and comes in a tweed herringbone but retains the tapered cut of the most modern trousers, making them perfect to team with simple sweats see more

Gilet time

the new winter item you need from Burberry Brit, Belstaff and more

The gilet is one of the most efficient ways to keep warm without overheating. Fact. They’re all about outdoor warmth and are useful pretty much all year round (particularly if you live somewhere with an unpredictable climate). Over a T-shirt and chino combo they do the summer job of keeping off the chill without inducing a sweat, while in slightly icier times they are perfect worn over rugby tops for touchline mornings, knits for bracing walks or even over denim jackets for ultimate protection (thank you for the style tip Marty McFly). The good news is that a raft of our favourite brands have injected their finest design see more

Wonder wool

Few items in menswear have as distinguished a history as the wool coat. With a genealogy that can be traced back through many centuries of style it has made cameo appearances in the courts and regal wardrobes of Europe as far back as the Seventeenth Century (in recognisable form, that is – wool adorned even the very earliest monarchs in some form or other). But it has been in battle that the wool coat (and its junior relative, the trench coat) really cut its teeth.

In fact it was at sea that the woollen coat shrugged of its elitist appeal as the pea and duffle coats became icons of the British navy. The pea coat is a classic of naval construction, a cropped double breasted navy wool coat that has been adopted by a new generation of tastemakers see more

Soft Focus:

Get cuddled in luxe yarns from D&G, Burberry Brit, YMC, Joseph and more

If ever there was a time to get warm and fuzzy, it’s this autumn. The knit, after all is the big-hitting item of the season, performing a multiplicity of sartorial roles, from chunky coat replacement to the fine gauged substitute for a shirt.

However you deploy yours, don’t neglect its handle (that’s fashion speak for what it feels like) because in a season when all style conscious men will be multiplying their knit count, the surefire way to set yours apart is to go for the sort of quality that feels as good as it looks.

Here’s five of our favourites, definitely not to be used see more

Velvet Underground

caddish evening options from Paul Smith, Moschino, Marc by Marc Jacobs and more

One of the season’s stealthiest trends is velvet. Its rakish credentials make it the perfect fabric for a dashing blazer and as the party season sneaks up on us that’s exactly what we need. Coming in a bejewelled midnight spectrum of black, deep blue, mauve, lustrous grey and rich bordeaux, there is a ramped up palette to pick from this season, and that means not only white but black shirts are ideal partners. With plenty of variety, there’s ample opportunity to emulate the caddish sartorial spark of the popular ne’er-do-well velvet clad forms like David Niven, Francis Dashwood and Russell Brand. Result. see more

Outdoor winter

how to handle standing in the cold? Get Paul Smith, D&G and Polo Ralph Lauren to style you up

Come Autumn, the likes of Halloween and Bonfire Night demand some outdoor hours, no matter what the weather. Good news then, that this season’s menswear is well prepped for the cold. So whether you’re tramping door to door on the kids’ Halloween trail or lingering in the park while the local Rotary Club struggles to get the bonfire stoked, you can dress the part.

Assuming you’ve dodged the Halloween fancy dress bullet, go for sturdy boots, preferably something with a hint of the army about them – after all this will be like a route march. Team them with hard see more

Off-duty autumn

the casual choices for a stylish weekend from Polo Ralph Lauren, Fred Perry Laurel Wreath and more

Leather icons

the traditional fabric of menswear gets an overhaul courtesy of D&G, Burberry Brit, Barbour and more...

With heritage and performance fabrics making great leaps for menswear, a more traditional one is getting a new lease of life. And why not, it has heaps of heritage and has always performed. We’re talking leather, it’s the go-to for Hollywood heroes, bikers and airmen and is inspiring designers from Joseph and Jofama to Barbour, Burberry Brit and D&G.

But rather than just reproducing classic jackets in the tent-like proportions of their original forms, designers have carefully reinterpreted them for discerning twenty-first century men in a series of silhouettes respectful of their origins yet leaner and more fitted. The key examples? see more

The Modern Dandy

subtle style touches to set menswear apart, from 3.1 Phillip Lim, Vivienne Westwood, Penfield and more

Whatever you think of X-Factor, if your window to pop culture is left even a little ajar, then you will have noticed that new judge Gary Barlow has become pretty darn popular. And is looking good too. He’s our cue for looking at modern dandyism. Because, without dressing up like a foppish flaneur of yesteryear, he has set himself apart by simply donning one or two special pieces – like the tweed attached waistcoat blazer from Vivienne Westwood – to add a gentle touch of flair. see more