“Cold enough for ya?”
It’s an odd expression that I loathe simply because it is cold enough. February is often the harshest, snowiest month around Harrisburg. When my meteorologist friends get geeked out by negative wind chills, I become frustrated with every alternative term to “the white stuff” during the wall-to-wall flurry coverage. It’s easy to ditch fashion for comfort—er, survival during this time of year. But we can try to make facing the bitter cold look hot.
Who didn’t have a Starter jacket in the ‘90s? Besides that lame Cowboys fan (emoticon winky face), everyone I knew had either had a Kelly green Eagles or a red Phillies pullover half-zip Starter jacket growing up. Just about every girl had a purple-and-teal Charlotte Hornets Starter jacket.
But, fellas—have you ever noticed that our female companions have a dozen different jackets hanging up in their closet? (Or slung over every dining room chair in my experience.) Women have moved on from athletic franchise billboards—shouldn’t we? Perhaps this could be a wise Valentine’s Day gift. Follow me.
It should be no surprise that many current men’s winter coats have a military background. The government-issued weather-beaters have kept many fighters alive in battle since the 17th century. Still, today, there are slight differences between function and fashion.
Overcoats became popular after Napoleon’s military charge in frigid Russia. This type of outerwear extends below the knee and is usually constructed of a heftier fabric—wool, tweed or cashmere. Personally, I think Napoleon just wanted to appear taller. Not a bad trick if you have a similar complex.
Topcoats are the military’s dressier warm gear. Topcoats usually fall above the knee and are made of slightly lighter fabric. The topcoat’s cousin is called a covert coat, distinguished by a velvet collar—nice detail. These are great for your workweek. Go with black, navy or charcoal for a slimmer appearance ($55 Dobell.com). Go bold. English designers have perfected the topcoat in recent decades. This London-style twist offers glen plaids, windowpanes and herringbone textures in unique shades like camel-and-cranberry ($115 Samuel-Windsor.com). Many of these coats also feature an outer breast pocket for, say, a pocket square!
Another military-style staple is the tried-and-true, Navy-style pea coat that extends just below the waist. This double-breasted jacket worn by salty sailors will never have you looking like a boob. Keep it classic—navy or black. For a slight variation, I have one with a shawl collar ($79 Macys.com).
World War I was all about trench warfare, hence the invention of the trench coat. These extend nearly to your toe. Unless you want to look like Neo from the Matrix, I vouch for a shorter coat and tall socks to keep your calves warm instead.
Lastly, there’s the bomber jacket. This Maverick-must has roots in the Air Force. Leather and lamb’s wool acted as a good windbreaker in the open-air cockpit. They have an elastic band at the waist to keep Jack Frost from creeping up your back. To look like an ace aviator and not a “Top Gun” fanatic, there are slimmer, fleece-lined flight jackets that’ll keep you toasty and flying style high ($99 PXclothing.com).
While coat collars do their best to keep your neck warm, you’d better invest in a scarf. If you have two or three different colors, you can switch up the look in an inexpensive way while wearing the same coat. If you have a solid dark coat, go with a regal purple check scarf. If you went big on your coat, perhaps a dark solid scarf to balance out your boldness.
Bonus: Retailers say that this may be the best time of the year to buy new outwear. Most stores are trying to dump inventory to make room for happier spring things. Plus, warmer temps earlier this winter means there’s a lot of unbought jackets needing a back, which is why you could see major discounts.
Once you gifted yourself, it is time to offer your fancy new layer to your Valentine’s date while walking downtown. Perhaps, fashion and chivalry will not make you shiver alone on these cold February nights (emoticon winky face).
As a twist on the usual gentleman’s cocktail (which has become a tradition in this column), I want to pass along an adult V-Day dessert that’ll make your date melt.
AFFOGATO:
- Two scoops of ice cream (try Urban Churn’s chocolate)
- One shot of espresso (Made in a Moka pot, $9 Home Goods)
- 1 ounce of Avion Espresso Liqueur
Use a ground coffee of choice and make the Moka pot stovetop coffee. Pour the coffee and Avion over the ice cream and eat immediately—one spoon per couple (emoticon winky face).
Our Sharp Press Man, Dave Marcheskie, is a reporter and anchor for abc27 News. If you’d like to ask Dave a fashion question, please email it to info@theburgnews.com. He may use it in a future column.
