Late Autumn Layers
Layering is a wonderful way to make yourself cozy and comfortable… but also one of the biggest joys a menswear passionate could have.
While it's enjoyable to spend hot days outdoors, basking in the sunshine and savoring the summer, dressing properly in such conditions is not so great. Let's be honest, even the nicest summer jacket is uncomfortable to wear when it's scorching hot outside. The general idea then is to minimize layers - usually keeping one (perhaps the lightest possible shirt, just to cover the body), maybe two if you need to look presentable or are determined and willing to compromise comfort for style.
Despite we as family people like that warm time of the year, we always look forward to the autumn and winter, even if only for the sake of our menswear hobby. It's the time when things start to change - when the weather turns bad, you can at least cheer yourself up by dressing well and layering up to shield yourself from the harsh conditions.
Layering allows us to wear different garments for both style and practicality. We ourselves think about sportcoats, overshirts and casual jackets as a focal point there, with various garments layered under and over them - think coats, rollnecks, jumpers, vests, waistcoats, woollen ties, scarves…
For us, it's fun; a reason to start playing around with textures, patterns, and colors. It's much easier to do so when you have not just 1 or 2, but 4 or 5 different elements to mix within one outfit. In our minds, there's always another pairing to be tried, an unusual combination to be pulled off.
A bright knitted rugby with a charcoal suit? Check. A tweed down vest underneath a corduroy overshirt? Sure. A slightly oversized, warm rollneck and a checked sportcoat? It works!
You can find many of such looks in our latest studio lookbook; it’s not a coincidence. That’s just us in winter, the way that we dress to battle the cold in style, with joy. But that’s not all, not a definite set of possible outfits.
Indeed, there's something intriguing about combining two contrasting elements, the juxtaposition of the high/low dressing - how a seemingly casual yet classic overcoat can relax and spice up an ordinary, business-friendly suit and tie ensemble, or how a tailored ulster coat can give shape and sharpen an otherwise slouchy, relaxed look. The more you break away from the rules and conventions, the more possibilities arise.
Of course, there's a slight risk of going overboard, but we still encourage you to experiment. Try combining our layering pieces with the items you already own, not just classics, but also casualwear like sweatshirts, well-worn denim, and sneakers. Personally, I do it and enjoy it even more than my polished, by-the-book, no-risk classic combinations.
Well, perhaps that's something deserving of a separate article - the ways layering can open up countless new opportunities when you stray away further from the stiff elegance. But I think we should leave that topic for later.
Right now, just play around with layering, come up with creative ideas, even make some mistakes - and you'll eventually find something that you truly enjoy, trust me!
