A fine coat - What to look for in fall outerwear

Fall is here. Finally. With the changing of the seasons comes a change in fashion. Summer styles are ultra-casual and relaxed. What else can you be when you’re restricted on how many layers you can wear? When the days get darker, fashion trends back towards the direction of formality. While you can get through the cooler seasons with less than a monkey suit, classic style is back with a modern twist. Outerwear is looking sharp right now, but it doesn’t skimp on functionality. You still need to stay warm. With few exceptions, you want high-class outerwear to get you through the fall and into the winter.

Bomber jacket

Bomber jackets are for non-formal, everyday use in the fall and winter. The jacket looks great, and you look put together just for wearing it. It can go with a wide range of outfits, and a good bomber jacket is always comfortable. Plus, you don’t need to ride a motorcycle to wear one. When things get really cold, you’ll trade it in for some of the other jackets on the list. But, when you’re outside in the cool autumn air, it’s hard to imagine a better jacket.

Peacoat

The peacoat is your all-around winner. It can handle temperatures that are starting to get a bit collider. It’s not full-blown formal wear, but it’s definitely on the fancy pants side of the scale. The peacoat always looks good. It’s a timeless piece of style. Everyone is into peacoats, and when you need an extra layer to stay warm, your peacoat will have you looking more put together than you really are.

Raincoat

Let’s hold the obvious jokes this time around. Raincoats are certainly not formal, but they’re not super casual either. A good raincoat serves a function, and that makes it universally stylish in wet weather. Because it comes in so many colors and looks, you’ll sometimes find that your raincoat is the perfect match for your outfit, so having a few different colors in your closet can’t hurt.

Trench coat

A lot of guys misunderstand the real purpose of a trench coat. It’s basically the formal (and longer) version of a windbreaker. That’s a little simplistic. Trench coats can be more substantial than a windbreaker, but they’re designed to be the light formal outerwear coat. Don’t let the reputation of a guy in a trench coat doing questionable things scare you off. Reach for the trench coat when it’s raining and windy. Trust us.

When it’s too cold for a light trench coat, you can swap it for an overcoat. It serves the same purpose but tends to be a little warmer.

Denim jacket

When you need something warm and casual, reach for your denim jacket. It cycles in and out of fashion every few years or so, and right now, denim jackets are back in a big way, whether they’re standard middle-of-the-road blue or out-there acid wash black. When you’re looking for simple fun and easy good times, say, playing skeeball or hanging around a basketball court with your hands in your pockets, this is the jacket.

Parka

Your parka is the big gun. This is what you wear in real winter storms. It can handle the elements, making it as functional as any outerwear in the business. On top of that, parkas look good and work in almost all settings—from NYC city streets to Wisconsin bars. They’re well-made and can be worn over some pretty formal outfits. You can wear them over more casual stuff too. Because they perfectly juxtapose fashion and function, you can always count on your parka. Just make sure to get the correct size. Too large, and you look like a puffy snowman in a garbage bag.

These are the primary coats and jackets of the fall season. You don’t have to cycle through all of them, but when you understand the value of each, you’ll know which are right for where you live and how you like to present yourself. The best part of fall fashion is that it’s a lot easier to look fashionable when you get to cover everything with a nice coat.