Winter's upon us, and let us enjoy it. Except for the snow. Only children are allowed to enjoy the snow, because they've not got anything important to do with their lives. And they're stupid.
But I digress... Finally, we can move on from the pains of dressing in summer: trying to cover yourself up enough to avoid sunburn without being so well-covered that you sweat profusely. Tricky business for my pigmentally challenged brethren.
Fall allows a colour palate more to my tastes - olives, rusts, burgundies to pair with naturals - and more self-expression with the ability to layer. Almost anything can be layered and I'll deal with that in a blog post soon!
I thought I'd follow on from my 5 essentials for summer post and post five items every man should have during the colder months, with a full outfit recommendation coming soon.
1 - Uni-Qlo jumper.
This jumper's perfect; it's thin, so it's not for wearing on its own this season, but because of how nice the fit is it's so delightfully versatile and layers very well; can be worn with a polo, shirts or on its own and with jeans or trousers.
My recommendation? Over a shirt, under a blazer. Try it.
See four more essentials after the jump.
2 - Duffle Coat
The perfect winter coat needs to warm and wearable. It should look just as good with a pair of denim jeans and a polo as it would with a shirt and tie.
The duffle is perfect because of its timelessness. After all, a coat can't be worn all through the year, so do the sensible thing and buy a coat which won't go out of fashion within the next 12 months.
Sometimes it's hard to justify an expensive item, but a quality coat is worth it - as long as its in the right colour: navy or camel if it's your main coat, since they go with pretty much everything. A personal favourite is the "Classic" from the British heritage firm Gloverall, who make their coats in London and sell this particular style in ten different colours on their website.
3 - Jeans
I know, I know... In the summer, I was ranting and raving about chinos and how they've made my jeans redundant, but on some cold and wet or icy winter days it's better to have a pair of jeans which can take repeated abuse better than a pair of trousers (especially if you're prone to falling over in the snow).
This particular pair by Levi's as part of their monochrome collection are the only pair of jeans I've bought for over a year and I'll admit to only buying them because of their colour.
My advice: steer clear of bleach washed/ripped jeans. Please. I'm begging you.
4 - Gloves
I won't lie, I've got the knowledge, so I'll just lay it on the table right away. The human body has evolved to divert blood away from the extremities and to the core of the body in cold weather to protect the vitals. I appreciate this is supposed to aid survival, but my fingers feel much better with some warm blood going through them, so it's one hell of an inconvenience.
The best way to preserve hand warmth (since putting your hand down your trousers in public is generally frowned upon, for some reason) is obviously a pair of gloves; a good pair made from leather should last as long as you do with minimal care, so pick a dark brown or black, which go with just about everything.
Sermoneta have a reputation for being one of the best glove-makers around and their cashmere-lined kid leather gloves are the best for the money.
5 - Boots
The last piece of the winter-time survival jigsaw would be a good pair of sturdy boots and the only place to go is Timberland.
I purchased the Earthkeepers, which are lighter and smarter than the classic boots; their shallower sole isn't quite as snow-friendly, but they still do a great job and served me very well last year.
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