Must-have winter coats you can bet on to keep you looking suave

Judging by the cold front experienced this week, it’s going to be a long and dreary winter. But gents, that shouldn’t stop you from looking phly. It’s time to bulk up by switching out the lightweight jacket and shirt combination with a better-suited substitute for the season. Not sure where to start? We got you.

By keeping our pulse on the latest runway trends and style streets, we have compiled a simple playbook to the five must-have winter coats that you can bet on to keep you looking suave and style-ready. Steer clear of winter’s bland beige and elevate your wardrobe with these hottest style codes:

Seeing double 

Coats are synonymous with creating the perfect tailored look by cleverly creating strong lines which translates to strong shoulders and an elongated slimmer physique – creating the look of a chiselled gym body in minutes.

The classic Milton and trench coats do this task with ease. They are easy to spot thanks to their double buttoning on either side of the coat and their knee-to-floor length offerings. Styling a coat is as simple as finishing off any look.

It is seen on the runway shows of Louis Vuitton where models walked the ramp in matching three-in-one coordinating looks of suiting underneath a trench coat in a striking lime and checker pattern.

Should you opt for something discreet, take inspiration from the Gucci show that paired a floor-sweeping navy overcoat with golden button details and flowy cream trousers, topped off with a beanie. The key takeaway about coats is the longer the coat the more polished you will appear.     

Plush textures  

What do cardigans, ponchos, shearling jackets and fine-textured fur coats have in common? They are all soft to the touch. Cozy knitwear and outerwear in plush textures have been a prominent feature on men’s runways with variations of the trend touching on playful kid-like graphics and animated portraiture.

With a collection deeply rooted in a mod culture infused with Japanese influence, the Kenzo men’s runway featured fleece kimonos that were paired over dress shirt and trousers. On the Fendi runway, scarf jackets and floor-length ponchos were paired with a clean and modern dress code.

To ease into this trend, introduce soft and fluffy textures into any look with accessories. Once you feel braver, go for the plunge and make the coat the statement piece.     

Leather Lovin’

The most sought-after trend for both ladies and gents, the leather coat is the hot ticket item of the season. Hailed for their versatile and non-binary appeal, leather coats remain a classic wardrobe staple.

Thanks to the recent Parisian runway, the love of leather has been re-ignited. Daring to re-interpret traditional womenswear into menswear, the Saint Laurent runway featured floor-length leather overcoats paired with sheer blouses and high-waisted trousers.

On the Hermès runway, classic tailoring stole the spotlight and the luxe leather coat was uplifted in nude and grey mélange colour-ways.

Puffed up  

Puffer jackets are the superheroes of cold and draughty winter days insulating the body against the harsh and unpredictable cold season. With their incredible ability to fit into and take on any trend, puffer jackets' staying power will be felt for a long time to come.

Seen on the Louis Vuitton runway, metallic-coloured puffers were paired as part of a monochromatic look with matching shirts and trousers as new spin on workwear. On the Hermès runway inspired by the urgency to inject the spirit of dressing up for evening-wear into daytime, a creamy white puffer jacket was paired with a layered jumper and skinny polo neck top half and completing the look with skinny trousers and ankle boots.      

Bomber jackets

Known as the pilot jacket, this outerwear jacket is denoted for its oversized bodice that cinches at the waist and cuffs. If you are in search of the hybrid between sporty outdoor with athleisure spunk, this trend is the best of both. 

Seen in the runways of the Milan men's fashion week, Dolce & Gabbana sent models down the runway in leather bomber jackets that had billowing sleeves and cinched at the waist.

Whereas the house of Gucci made a sparkling splash with a tight-cuffed metallic silver bomber paired down with flowy denim. To style this look, try styling it as you would a blazer – over a shirt, tie and dress trousers.