Men's coats: Let it snow
MUNICH In the winter chill of this Bavarian city, among the crowds at the Christmas market, for strolling past the hefty bronze statues in Promenadeplatz or striding to work, every man needs a proper winter coat.
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The traditional loden coat - thick, sturdy and weather proof - may have its birthplace in southern Germany, and the modernized version in pliable, less felted fabrics is still in evidence on city streets. But even in Munich, the concept of buttoning up an overcoat has been challenged by sportswear.
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The formal styles that were once in every man's closet have been superseded by husky alternatives, from the ergonomic microfiber jacket to the luxurious quilted leather parka. The typical cover-up for an office suit could double as weekend wear. And who now would button up your overcoat when the fastenings are press studs and zipper?
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But just when you thought the only executives still wearing a tailored coat were ripe for retirement, the style is back - with the more buttons the better.
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"I suddenly feel for the tailored coat again. We've had enough of the casual, sporty looks," says Giorgio Armani, who opened a store last week on Munich's Theatinerstrasse, where designer boutiques flank the street with its parchment-yellow towers.
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In the store, with its flowers, books and café, a tailored herringbone coat hangs among the casual Emporio styles that include sporty pieces and bulky parkas. "But formal coats are hard to sell," says Armani. "Men are so used to easy shapes and not having to worry about fit."
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If you decide to invest in a new fitted coat, the choices are surprisingly wide, from the short tailored coat, favored by Helmut Lang and Prada, that revives the mod spirit of the 1960's, to the double-breasted long coat with a touch of the military. That style was done with panache by Gucci's Tom Ford and Gianfranco Ferré, as well as Armani.
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Wider lapels or funnel necklines update the classic army style. To make these swashbuckling outfits seem even more glamorous, the favored color is white, although the only pale coats on the Munich streets are traditional beige shearlings and raincoats lined in fleece or plaid.
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The other coat shape is the trench, updated with subtle changes such as deeper armholes, raglan sleeves and sash belts. The message here is that the waist is in focus after a decade of square-cut parkas.
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There is something appealing about the concept of a smart coat with a defined shape that makes the wearer look streamlined and sharp. But there is a big difference between old and new century great coats: the weight.
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If a loden coat seems heavy, some of the old army styles would weigh down the strongest shoulders.
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But with new fashion technology, the fabric treatments, laser cutting and fused seams can make what was once a hefty garment into a bantam weight. Inevitably, the more expensive the purchase, the finer the materials so that alpaca, 100 percent cashmere or even glove-soft shearling can be shaped more easily than thick woolen cloth.
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Leather has also been lightened up, introducing the concept of the fitted coat in materials that have traditionally produced bulky outerwear. This is especially true of fur. Once the preserve of central casting's evil impresario or the polar-bear look, sheared beaver or mink is tailored to produce a slim line.
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And as the first flakes of snow fall in Europe, fur collars, cuffs and linings bring winter coats out of the closet and into their own.
I just think it is ever so much more masculine to see a guy in a fitted coat that accentuates his figure, rather than in some sporty windbreaker or square-cut parka.
