Trending Content
| +82 | Little things you do to look your best | 35 | 4d | |
| +24 | What To Wear Over Face/Head to Avoid Freezing While Not Looking Stupid | 15 | 1d | |
| +20 | Best First Watch to Buy? | 20 | 6d | |
| +18 | Desperate for Haircut Recommendation in NYC | 9 | 2w | |
| +13 | What do Interns Wear? | 3 | 1w | |
| +12 | Upgrading wardrobe for casual wear -- where to shop? | 3 | 1w | |
| +9 | Wearing Suits / Office Attire in IB | 2 | 3w | |
| +8 | SA Office Wear - Women | 13 | 1d | |
| +7 | Female IB Attire | 6 | 3w | |
| +7 | What should I wear for my PE headshot? | 5 | 1w |
Career Resources
How much are you willing to spend? I personally think that coats are one of those things worth investing in as you will be wearing a high quality one for years.
I quite like some of the overcoats suitsupply currently has in stock - especially the pure wool light brown one (looks great with both navy suits and even jeans when paired with some smart looking shoes). The navy ones are obviously more versatile.
If you want to go for something more classic/English, Aquascutum and Crombie have a decent selection and their quality is great.
I personally try to stay away from most designer brands (Zegna, Gucci, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo etc.), but the one thing I have never been able to resist is Burberry coats. I own several and can vouch for their quality, though you can certainly get better quality at a lower price elsewhere. Where they truly differentiate themselves is the more modern fit (especially Burberry Brit) and their designs, which I find to be much more appealing than most other brands I have seen. I really like this classic pea coat: http://us.burberry.com/wool-cashmere-pea-coat-p38732161
And I own this one: http://us.burberry.com/wool-detachable-hood-duffle-jacket-p39111551
I wear it without the hood and it looks great when worn over a suit but also works just fine with a dark pair of jeans and white sneakers or chinos of virtually any color.
It's difficult to give such broad advice though. Which price range did you have in mind and which styles do you generally like?
A solid peacoat is never going to be a bad look. Just a classic, versatile piece.
I also have a few Barbour jackets. They're a solid fall/spring option, especially when it's raining, and if you get the liner (or wear a heavy sweater/vest underneath) can be worn well into winter.
Aren't those too short for wearing over a suit?
The Barbour? The Beaufort is long enough to comfortable cover a suit jacket. I also have a Bedale that I wear when I'm not wearing a suit.
I got a 3/4 length Theory jacket last year that I absolutely love. Can't find the link though, sorry!
Loro Piana, without peer.
If it's a first coat for work and you live in a cold weather climate a longer length overcoat is a staple. I prefer 3/4 length. Dark color, I do black personally. Then go for camel. I like all of the above but for a staple, that works. Spend as much as you can as they can last forever. I've had the same RL Purple label for probably 10 years.
You can go with a cream long winter coat that becomes more ideal.
When i first started working I needed an overcoat asap, went to Macy's and grabbed whatever they had there. 6 years later it is still going strong
Depends on how cold it gets. Used the same three coats from Barbour the last 4-5 years. If hell freezes over, I'm all in on a bulky North Face jacket.
some ideas that wont break the bank
http://www.uniqlo.com/us/product/men-j-wool-flannel-chester-single-coat…|/men/featured/plus-j/outerwear/|
https://factory.jcrew.com/mens-clothing/jackets_outerwear/wool_outerwea…
go to local army/navy store or hit up ebay for an authentic peacoat. should be around $100
(more for outside of work) - Moncler jackets are beautiful and easily the most comfortable winter jacket i've ever owned.
Charles Tyrwhitt has some great office coats for $400 each. Great cut as well. The brits know their coats.
Charles Tyrwhitt has some great office coats for $400 each. Great cut as well. The brits know their coats.
If this is the east coast, and you don't plan on walking very far, fine, I don't disagree with the comments.
For everyone else, though, you should really consider a North Face parka (or Columbia, or Patagonia, or EMS). Great for camping, skiing, ice climbing, and visiting in-laws and fits over a two piece suit just fine. Get the matching fleece and leave it on the back of your chair at work if it's cold there. It keeps you much more comfortable.
There's nothing wrong with the wool jackets, but they are really designed for people to make it from the BMW or Jaguar to the front door, not for walking more than a few blocks in the winter if there's a lot of wind or precipitation involved. I think the North Face jacket just has a lot of versatility. There are going to be times when your friends want to walk 8 blocks somewhere, or you will want to visit Central Park in February and it gets windy, or you want to go skiing. A winter parka is not a classic look, sure, but it keeps you warmer. Wind does not seep through like it would with the wool coat and you stay warm underneath.
If you moved somewhere cold from somewhere warm, get the winter parka and fleece jacket first. Then think about a classic formal wool jacket if you are trying to win style points and it isn't that cold or you don't need to walk that far.
Loro Piana is nice for something sleek, but if you need a really warm coat, this one is amazing:
http://www.woolrich.com/woolrich/details/men-s-arctic-down-parka/_/R-16…
It might not be what you are looking for with work clothes, but guys wear them in NY, at least on weekends or when dressing down. My coats are not enough for the cold so I am going to get one of these this year.
Thanks guys, I will look into all your recommendations once I am less busy at work. This is for London btw, so it won't be as freezing cold as in NYC.
I should begin with a caveat that I rarely get cold unless it's absolutely freezing (as in -5 to -10c, obviously with a coat but I don't need a very heavy thing until that point) but when I lived in London I got away with a 3/4 length rain/trench coat with a liner. Something like this: http://www.brooksbrothers.com/Trench-Coat/ML00241_____DKBR_44___SH__,de… and just had scarves and gloves. London's not terribly cold at all so you'd never need a parka or something designed for really cold US northern winters (Chicago, Boston) and since it's a more formal city, especially if you're a City worker, stay more formal with a coat like I've posted above or I'd go for a simple, dark, long wool overcoat. The rain coat worked well in London because it always seemed that it was about to rain every day in the winter (although it didn't that often). And unless you're in tech or advertising, I'd stick with formal. London's one of the last of the really formal cities. It sounds like this is your first professional world coat so stick to a relatively basic design and add another one next year, or at some point in the future. In addition, the Brits always loved scarves-that's where you can kick it up and add some personality.
Regarding parka's in general for business attire (suit and tie to work), I'd advise against it except for the coldest of days. It's a personal preference and probably due to my business in particular (I've always been in PE, in big cities, in formal offices, and in investor, client or portfolio company facing roles so I often don't just stay at the office all day) and I'm just not a fan of the suit and parka. I will admit that there were a few days when I lived in Boston when the temp, pre-wind chill, was -10f and I threw on the parka and practically my ski pants, but in general I'm not for it. No offense meant to those who do. Different strokes.
Actually had a conversation with a friend about this yesterday. Sorry, don't want to hijack this thread, but would you consider this parka too casual to wear into the office? @"IlliniProgrammer" or anyone else.
I got the black one and removed the adjustable hoodie. I wear a suit semi-regularly and would lose the inner lining.
http://www.rei.com/product/871416/patagonia-tres-3-in-1-parka-mens
I don't see any huge problems with going to work in it, but I worked in trading not IBD, so things may be a little too formal for parkas there. Also a puffy down liner looks a little overkill if you wear it inside the office while a lot of people wear fleece jackets.
Actually I really don't like the down liner here. The shell/parka is fine, but down loses its insulation if you get it wet. I would not go skiing or winter camping or ice climbing in this. Replace the down liner with a Patagonia fleece that can zip in and you're good.
Either Patagonia knows something about the waterproofing that I don't (probably the case), or they screwed up on this jacket- because I don't remember down handling water gracefully. Make sure you investigate this a lot more before you plan on spending several hours outdoors away from warm buildings or cars.
Edit: http://m.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/insulated-outerwear.html
If you plan on going skiing, think about a fleece or synthetic liner instead. Patagonia parkas are pretty good but they aren't perfect and it's easy to get your liner wet if you're going to spend a full day out in the cold, especially if you're moving quickly (EG on skis) and there is a lot of snow on the ground.
This could work instead, but you will need to buy the fleece separately. Also I don't necessarily endorse any Ebay sellers. You can occasionally buy counterfeits on both Ebay and Amazon and it's caveat emptor. If you're willing to be seriously thrifty, you can probably get your best deals used and also suffer less of a counterfeit risk.
North Face is sort of the gold standard of cold weather gear. Watch collectors might compare them to a Patek or something. I have a 12 year old jacket that still looks new and they come with a lifetime warranty. Just make sure you buy a real one.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/181575941752?nav=SEARCH
I never noticed the Paypal credit thing before... now even ebay purchases can be done like the QVC channel at 28 a month for 6 months.
in the south, fratagonia is a staple. I've only owned nf and patagonia stuff, never arcteryx, mountain hardware, any of that, but I've found that patagonia quality is a notch above north face, if a tad pricier. REI has sales after every christmas, you can usually scoop up a jacket for 30% off retail. where I am there's rarely snow so fit, weight, and windproofing are more of a concern, and patagonia wins there I think.
regarding the formal stuff, a trenchcoat with removable lining is crucial. I wear mine when I visit the city in winter and during hurricane season (sans liner) at home. timeless look and oh so functional
I work in consulting. I was planning on just wearing the shell over my shirts/suit jacket (when I wear one), not the down. Thanks for your opinion.
Hugo Boss are nice. $800-$1600
Burberry or Moncler if you wanna be trendy.
jcrew overcoat. Can't believe they expect people to wear it over a suit. I suppose if you have tooth pick arms, but even the it's a stretch.
burberry cashmere/wool topcoat if you wear a suit, moncler for fun.
Canada Goose for me, but then again, my job doesn't require such finesse as some of these coats here imply
Canada Goose FTW. Completely fine to wear to the office if you're in Canada or NE USA
Winter Coat? (Originally Posted: 10/17/2009)
As winter is approaching, I'm looking to buy a warm jacket to wear over a suit. Any brand suggestions that are warm and look good? I know for suits you want 2 button, navy or charcoal, etc. Any similar fashion rules for topcoats? Do people get coats tailored as well? Looking for one in the $200-$300 range on sale (no Zegna or Hermes).
Something like this: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=386355&CategoryID=1…
I have been thinking about this as well, I would love some suggestions.
www.styleforum.net
Definitely make sure it isn't too baggy in the middle. You don't want to have an overcoat tailored because it's more expensive than a standard jacket. The shoulders have to be perfect on them too because you can't really change that while you could get the middle tailored if necessary. I would personally rock the 100% cashmere, but that isn't in that price range. If you are a size 42 I have a calvin klein just like that I dont wear haha.
Also, I'm assuming you aren't older if you are asking this, but older guys tend to wear the full length topcoats that go down. It's a younger look to have a 3/4 length overcoat instead that falls midway between your wait and your knee.
For something to go with a suit, though, I'd go with a full-length coat, regardless of age. And for more casual wear (a coat for when you go out, for example) 3/4 is a good bet.
If you're in the city, check out century 21 or the sale racks at bergdorfs/saks, I've seen great 100% cashmere topcoats for
i got this one and love it... and now it even appears to be on sale! http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=386361&CategoryID=1…
[quote=dew2229]i got this one and love it... and now it even appears to be on sale! http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=386361&CategoryID=1…]
That's a raincoat bro. Not a winter topcoat.
Jos A Bank has nice wool full-length topcoats for $200 right now with free shipping because of a sale. http://www.josbank.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SubCategory_11001_1005…
Also, Cianni on Amazon.com sells $99 topcoats that look just as good. http://www.Amazon.com/Single-Breasted-Luxury-Charcoal-Topcoat/dp/B001K77EXI/ref=pd_sbs_a_3
Anyone find any good holiday deals on a topcoat?
What do you guys think about this coat? Looks nice to me and good deal IMO.
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=393396&CategoryID=4…
[quote=GoldenEagle9]What do you guys think about this coat? Looks nice to me and good deal IMO.
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=393396&CategoryID=4…]
Looks like a pretty good deal if you can find your size. Though you should check the material if it's soft and warm. If you can get it with free shipping then you can always return it for a full refund if it's no good.
Yeah they had a whole bunch of sizes before, but they most of sold out of a lot of them.
what color do you guys recommend? 3/4 length or full?
goldeneagle, i'd be weary of geoffry beane - i've bought some crappy stuff by them.
I'd recommend 3/4 length for anyone under the age of 40. Full makes you look like a little boy in your dad's coat.... or those columbine kids... Either way, not a good look.
I highly recommend checking out Century 21 for coats in that price range. I got a 3/4 length black jacket, Kenneth Cole that I am very happy with for like $219 I think (marked down from $495). Most of their stuff is either overstock or last years model, but honestly who cares. At least if you are looking for coats for 200-300 you probably aren't concerned what year it is. They have coats from $100 to $2000, Polo, Burberry, etc.
Recommended coat/ jacket at Dakota (Originally Posted: 11/21/2013)
Hi
I am going to an engagement in South Dakota in December. The temperature might be only around 10-25 F. Is pea coat warm enough? Any suggestion?
Definitely not warm enough. Down is better than wool/cashmere, especially if it's windy. Head over to REI & pick up something from NorthFace.
shearling would be your best bet assuming you want something to layer over dress clothes
Winter Topcoat - Bonobos (Originally Posted: 12/10/2013)
I love the look of this jacket...but has anybody had something close to this? I want to know if this is warm enough for 20 degrees in Chicago.
http://www.bonobos.com/black-topcoat-for-men
Not liking the collar on that. Check your local TJ Max, I got a wool Ralph Lauren coat similar to that for 89.99 =)
Voluptatem necessitatibus vel ratione maiores ullam tenetur doloribus aut. Quia quia placeat dolore sit et dolorem vitae.
Vel quia neque beatae cum voluptate. Eaque esse consectetur neque magnam magni. Labore cum consequuntur nisi consequatur illum.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Eius voluptatibus amet est consequatur inventore. Dolores omnis ea sed explicabo iure soluta suscipit. Aut facilis explicabo distinctio adipisci ducimus consequuntur inventore repellendus. Modi eum aut quae dicta.
Rerum libero animi inventore nulla. Officiis eos tempore porro odit. Earum officia unde recusandae molestias officiis et. Velit sed quam delectus doloribus magni nemo.