Coat tales: the best winter cover-ups

Dark mornings, a perennial wet mist and coughs and sneezes as your daily soundtrack: as we crunch through autumn there's a shift afoot. Despite laments that we’re in a grey slide toward December, it's this time of year that sees me skipping around like Buddy the Elf, and not because of festive cheer.

What the change of season means for men’s wardrobes is that the flimsy fabrics and pallid legs of summer (what my grandmother would have called 'peely wally') are gone, replaced by clothes with more substance. Top of the list is the ceremonial debut of The Big Coat. Autumn/winter is when fashion brands get to do what they do best: create clothes with longevity and solidity. This column has long been anti-trend - I've yet to meet a man who longs for next season’s embroidered hoodies - but there are some tropes for autumn that will set you in good stead for the coming month. You don’t need me to tell you that a good coat is a long term investment, but which one to opt for is cause for debate.

First up, the camel coat. Long before Richard Gere donned a softly belted Giorgio Armani number in American Gigolo, it’s been a winter baseline. Eschew any belted misadventures and opt instead for a crisp, sharp silhouette in a mid-weight wool; too heavy and you’ll lose that precision. And it’s as on-point with a suit as it is with off-duty jeans (but please, no hoodie pairings a la Kanye).

In some sort of unholy union between athleisure and hipster attire, there’s a new focus on heavy duty, serious performancewear - swamping puffas, padded, hoods and toggles as if you’re about to summit K2 - which is all well and fine if you’re trekking through the Andes; less convincing as you try and deflate yourself onto the Central Line. Don’t be seduced by fashion or high street brands that are playing dress up with this type of coat and instead go straight to the functional outfitters who do it best. At least you’ll be prepared for winter walks.

While “heritage” is a tricky banner term that encompasses plaids, herringbones and houndstooth wools, it’s somehow appropriate in the tweeness that a jaunty tartan number can evoke.

I’m the first one to shout about the brilliance of Britain’s traditional mills, but fabrics that ape a certain ‘Monarch of the Glen’ aesthetic can run the risk of looking like a costume. Instead keep it discreet with a micro puppy dog tooth check or grey-on-grey herringbone.

Similarly, the duffle coat has experienced a resurgence recently but instead of Paddington it’s nostalgia for 90s Brit Pop that’s acted as a catalyst. While it comes with a noble military backstory, perhaps its sibling, the coated rain mac, is an easier choice; sleek, lightweight and with a satisfying crinkling sound that will drown out plague-like wheezing as you make your way through winter.