Things a man should own

In life there are lots of things us men want and than there are things we must have, same with clothes, i didn't need my bright blue Paul Smith suede brogues (but i love them!) or leather pants (what?) however some items i do need, they are the corner stone of a good wardrobe, today's must have is the Topcoat.

Topcoats, Overcoats, Trench's, whatever you wanna call them, are a must for all men, a good top coat will last forever, they never go out of style and although seasons dictate different styles and lengths a good topcoat is truly a multi-season item. In the midst of winter leaving the House becomes a very cold prospect and warm apparel becomes a must but rather than donning some grubby beanie or 3 jumpers a topcoat will keep a man warm and still look sharp, the question is than, what topcoat should i get? well here's my guide to finding a top coat:



1. take a jacket with you when buying, a good topcoat should fit over your suit

2. ensure the shoulders fit, they should be snug but not tight, fitting a topcoat is very similar to fitting a suit except it fits over your suit, got it?

3. Remember you should be able to wear your topcoat over your suit, but not over 2, a little room is OK a lot of room is not

4. the jacket should finish just above the knee, some might say between 2 to 6 inches above the knee, that's a little to mathematical for my liking, plus styles change, of late brands like Burberry Prorsum, Lanvin, Ann Demeulemeester, etc. have increased the length of coats so don't be afraid to go a bit longer just remember that the look might not last forever...

5. Areas of importance ranked from most to least important: Shoulders, Chest, Length, Waist, Arm length

6. What colour do you get? Black is always a good choice, it's a colour that never goes out and matches everything, charcoal and navy also make very good business-ready choices, Camel has made a comeback in recent years and is a colour which will remain stylish for years to come, anything else is more of a gamble and probably won't be as cool in a few years...






*Military style adds some edge to the wardrobe
















*Let James show you the way, snug and
well fitted, this is how a topcoat should look




















*Lanvin in a slightly longer style















* Dior showing how it's done

* Luis Vuitton with a classic double breasted
black topcoat that can last till you're 60, or if
you're already 60, till death

























And please try to steer clear of hideous 'bad-ass' or matrix style overcoats they're just not nice EVER!



* Never buy anything like this, don't even buy
from the same store, hell just to be safe avoid
the entire suburb...