Men's Coats: Let It Snow

[ignitioned32]

Men's coats: Let it snow

MUNICH In the winter chill of this Bavarian city, among the crowds at the Christmas market, for strolling past the hefty bronze statues in Promenadeplatz or striding to work, every man needs a proper winter coat.
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The traditional loden coat - thick, sturdy and weather proof - may have its birthplace in southern Germany, and the modernized version in pliable, less felted fabrics is still in evidence on city streets. But even in Munich, the concept of buttoning up an overcoat has been challenged by sportswear.
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The formal styles that were once in every man's closet have been superseded by husky alternatives, from the ergonomic microfiber jacket to the luxurious quilted leather parka. The typical cover-up for an office suit could double as weekend wear. And who now would button up your overcoat when the fastenings are press studs and zipper?
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But just when you thought the only executives still wearing a tailored coat were ripe for retirement, the style is back - with the more buttons the better.
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"I suddenly feel for the tailored coat again. We've had enough of the casual, sporty looks," says Giorgio Armani, who opened a store last week on Munich's Theatinerstrasse, where designer boutiques flank the street with its parchment-yellow towers.
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In the store, with its flowers, books and café, a tailored herringbone coat hangs among the casual Emporio styles that include sporty pieces and bulky parkas. "But formal coats are hard to sell," says Armani. "Men are so used to easy shapes and not having to worry about fit."
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If you decide to invest in a new fitted coat, the choices are surprisingly wide, from the short tailored coat, favored by Helmut Lang and Prada, that revives the mod spirit of the 1960's, to the double-breasted long coat with a touch of the military. That style was done with panache by Gucci's Tom Ford and Gianfranco Ferré, as well as Armani.
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Wider lapels or funnel necklines update the classic army style. To make these swashbuckling outfits seem even more glamorous, the favored color is white, although the only pale coats on the Munich streets are traditional beige shearlings and raincoats lined in fleece or plaid.
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The other coat shape is the trench, updated with subtle changes such as deeper armholes, raglan sleeves and sash belts. The message here is that the waist is in focus after a decade of square-cut parkas.
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There is something appealing about the concept of a smart coat with a defined shape that makes the wearer look streamlined and sharp. But there is a big difference between old and new century great coats: the weight.
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If a loden coat seems heavy, some of the old army styles would weigh down the strongest shoulders.
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But with new fashion technology, the fabric treatments, laser cutting and fused seams can make what was once a hefty garment into a bantam weight. Inevitably, the more expensive the purchase, the finer the materials so that alpaca, 100 percent cashmere or even glove-soft shearling can be shaped more easily than thick woolen cloth.
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Leather has also been lightened up, introducing the concept of the fitted coat in materials that have traditionally produced bulky outerwear. This is especially true of fur. Once the preserve of central casting's evil impresario or the polar-bear look, sheared beaver or mink is tailored to produce a slim line.
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And as the first flakes of snow fall in Europe, fur collars, cuffs and linings bring winter coats out of the closet and into their own.

 

[PrinceOfCats]

I've never worn anything but formal coats...I hate parkas etc...

This week I'm having some belt loops and a blue satin belt put onto my Dior Monsieur overcoat to make it look like Dior Homme...

 

[xcoldricex]

PrinceOfCats, could you post before and after pictures? i'd love to do something similiar. poor man's dior homme

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Sorry no dig cam


I can tell you it worked pretty well though. I had five 2.5" belt loops sewn on and I made a belt out of an old karate belt I died electric blue and then dipped in some liquid latex (I had to buy it from a fetish shop!). The belt comes off for when I want to look more classic too! B)

 

[utopia]

If you decide to invest in a new fitted coat, the choices are surprisingly wide, from the short tailored coat, favored by Helmut Lang and Prada, that revives the mod spirit of the 1960's, to the double-breasted long coat with a touch of the military. That style was done with panache by Gucci's Tom Ford and Gianfranco Ferré, as well as Armani.

The other coat shape is the trench, updated with subtle changes such as deeper armholes, raglan sleeves and sash belts. The message here is that the waist is in focus after a decade of square-cut parkas.

I'm so glad to see these are coming back into focus...though I know many men never stopped wearing them. I love nothing more than a man in a properly fitting dress coat. quite a few guys I know at uni wear them on a daily basis. my brother always wears a small black fitted coat as well, and it looks really nice. if only I could convince my bf to go for a traditional dress coat... I just think it is ever so much more masculine to see a guy in a fitted coat that accentuates his figure, rather than in some sporty windbreaker or square-cut parka.

btw your coat sounds brilliant, prince.

 

[xcoldricex]

what kind of overcoat is it? a long coat?

liquid latex, interesting. did you get it clear or did you get a blue to dull out the electric blue?

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Exactly knee-length, double-breasted, notch-lapels, very square shoulders, nipped in waist and single back-vent.

I just used clear latex, it dulls the coulour slightly anyway.

 

[AlexN]

Does the liquid latex do the "rubberized" kind of thing that Helmut Lang and Dior Homme and D&G are doing? If so, I'm gonna get some...

 

[purechris]

POC--I'm also curious about the liquid latex. I "painted" an artist friend with it for a performance piece, but only on skin. How does it wear on fabric?

 

[PrinceOfCats]

I only painted the belt but it doesn't seem to have cracked, peeled or gone hard at all - must have had strong plasticizers in it. This wasn't special fabric stuff it was just like 'Foxy Hot Dog Sex Mistress Second Skin' or something equally awful...

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Yes, to Alex but, as with a lot of things, it doesn't look as good as when the pros do it.

 

[purechris]

ahhh yes, I know the stuff.....and I'm sure your's looks just as lovely as their's.

 

[xcoldricex]

yeah i would expect it to peel off after a few wears... let us know how it wears and distresses.

 

[shade]

pictures pleaseee

 

[David.P]

yeah...i've got my own vision but it's the same as real one B)