Practical Winter Fashion for Men

Fashion – whether it’s men’s or women’s – is often seen as either practical or beautiful; you have to choose just one. In colder seasons like this one, though, you want your style to be both: sharp enough to be noticed, sensible enough to brave the cold outside. This usually means skipping the ‘collections’ of most brands and building up your personal winter arsenal of style.

Booted Bravery
Winter, for most men, means cold days marching around city slush. This might pose a hazard to your delicate loafers and wing tips, which is why now’s a good time to swap them out with boots – yes, the big, chunky Doc Marten variety.

It’s hard to question the sheer practicality and toughness of boots, especially in a season as harsh as winter. Many have linings that keep your feet toastier than any dainty pair you might typically use. They’re also give you loads more traction on a slippery sidewalk, in addition to protecting you from the clumsy, foot-stepping clods on the daily commute. What’s not to like about the tough ol’ boot?

Boots work best with clothes that are as tough and road-ready as they are. That means jeans and a not-so-dainty shirt (preferably one that’s not woodcutter plaid). Now that the boot trend has taken off, more formal black styles are also common. Wear one with your slimmest slacks and coolest necktie, ideally on days when you won’t run into the boss.

Hat Headed
The men’s fashion industry will pay endless attention to the neck ties you wear and the shirts you pair with them, but your head often goes unnoticed. Hats have much to offer in the way of wintertime protection, as long as you look beyond cliché trilbies and fedoras.

Beanies, for example, can go under $10 each, but add a lot of (literal) heat to a winter outfit. Add that to the wide range of colors that they usually have, and you get yourself a go-to cold weather head piece. Trappers – caps with extensions for the ears – are also practical options for daily casual wear. With a very urban outfit, they’d make for a very in-theme complement to tough brown lace-up boots.

Crazy for Cardigans
One of the biggest recurring trends of 2010 was the cardigan. That much was evident in the number of incarnations we saw throughout the year. There was the classic solid, the striped, the double-breasted, the patched, the hooded and the shawl collar styles. If you want a fashion investment this winter, you can’t do better than a timeless cardigan.

It’s tough to hate the cardigan because it’s both practical and versatile. The layering piece is perfect for those chilly days when you need something to add heft, but can also work in warmer weather when you need something that can be slipped off quickly. A cardigan in navy, gray or black acts exactly like a jacket or sport coat of the same color, and would be just as timeless and compatible for mixing and matching.

For something more formal, look no further than the pepper gray shawl collar cardigan. Available from a multitude of brands, the style is a veritable chameleon. Leave it open over a white tee and shorts for lounging around, or use it as a finishing layer over your favorite office shirt and a pop-of-color necktie.

The secret to getting through winter in style is to always be open to mixing and matching new combinations. Whether it’s in layering or pairing different colors, assembling a cohesive yet comfortable outfit is never as difficult as it might seem.

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