This winter sees two fairly challenging coat trends thrust at us by the fashion gods. Stay calm men, both have much to recommend them, neither involve feathers or bleached denim.
First, there’s the super-long puffer jacket- a relative of the sleeping bag but with arms, a nod to the former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, and his touchline, sheath of quilt.
These burst onto the catwalks and now they’re on the rails in the actual shops. No one’s saying there isn’t something excessive about just how low these puffers go. We’re talking mid-thigh right down to brushing a badly repaired manhole.
Warm and beautifully practical – where the traditional puffer left the lower body to fend for itself, these have got your back and most of your legs. This look is partially that NYC, snow-day commuter struggling to get to the office and refusing to let nature block him from his bagels and shouting at yellow cabs. But we think it’s also a bit sci-fi, a little Hannibal Chew – the guy in the first Blade Runner who worked in a giant fridge – it’s a futuristic attempt to shut out the apocalypse.
Either way, they can pair with pretty much anything you own, sitting as comfortably over a suit as they do over casual wear. We say embrace the duvet coat, it’s one of those rare occasions where super-on-trend look meets warmth and comfort.
The other trend, and in its way equally challenging, is the leather trench coat. This is a 90s sci-fi, gothy piece re-imagined for nowadays. The leather trench comes laden with connotations - it has a cold, imposing military look to it that might not work for you if you’re already prone to coming across like a baddie in an old Bruce Willis action-adventure.
The big reference, of course, is Morpheus from The Matrix, also not someone people invite to parties in the hope they’ll get the dancing going. The other issue with leather is it can cost more than a three-bedroom house in Leeds. There are ways around this but good leather, in trench-coat quantities is going to involve hundreds and potentially thousands.
Having said all that, if you have the courage and the bonus scheme paid out, you too could face winter looking like someone waging a futuristic war with advanced robot overlords.
Leather trench coats
Zara, leather trench coat, £239.00. A very imposing garment and a really good price for genuine leather.
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/leather-trench-coat-p00706901.html?v1=26053106&v2=1282731
Raf Simon, oversized, ring embellished leather coat £7,090. Obviously we all have two each here at The Sportsman but realise this is a little steep. Worth a look, just to see how the other half live: a proper object of desire – almost a film costume.
River Island, smart, western black faux leather trench coat, £100. A neat way to dodge the expense of leather and a very credible cut to this one.
Supersized puffer jackets
H&M, long, hooded down jacket, £149.99. Not strictly long enough for the trend purist but a very tempting compromise and great value.
Balenciaga, long puffer coat, £2,650.00. This really is very long, totally nails the look but a very Balenciaga price tag.
Rains, long, waterproof, thermal puffer coat £375. Rains are a superb brand. They’ve made waterproof their own and created genuinely exciting ideas from a single-minded focus. This coat is great value.
