TOP: A shearling bomber jacket from Giorgio Armani.
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BEING COLD IN WINTER shouldn’t be an option. And although these runway looks are pricey ($5,000 ish for an updated shearling jacket?), you’ll likely find less expensive — and acceptable looks — elsewhere.
If you’ve been nice, or naughty in the best way, you may want to add these to your wish list or wardrobe. For good measure, we’ve included what the best-dressed man is wearing underneath, too.
The shearling (sheepskin) jacket, a classic piece of winter outerwear, is back and big. Wearing sheepskin for protection actually dates to the Stone Age, so it’s somewhat amazing that the look still makes fashion headlines some 2.5 million years later. The more modern look surfaced during World War II, when sheepskin bomber jackets were part of the standard uniform for U.S. Air Force pilots.
Today the classic has been re-interpreted and presented on runways in leather, denim, suede and as a bomber. One of the best this season — a $3,300 mix of brown suede and leather — comes from Giorgio Armani. Balenciaga’s version is a $5,038 black sheepskin jacket with a graffiti shearling collar. If that crushes your budget, ZARA offers a range of heavy-duty faux shearling jackets (in the $114 range on its U.S. website) that look good enough for the runway.
Calvin Klein X Raf Simons
Belgian designer Raf Simons, in his first season at Calvin Klein, uses his collection to comment on America. His outerwear line ($2,500 per piece and up) features firefighter coats, boots and gloves along with silver foil jackets and boots that evoke memories of 1960s intergalactic styles. See and buy online HERE.
Simons contributes to the Calvin Klein underwear collection by staying in step with its iconic, gender-neutral style of briefs for men and women. The collection ($42 per pair and up) has the 205W39NYC logo styling and is available on the CALVIN KLEIN website.
Tom Ford
Tom Ford brings hyper-masculinity and a bit of eroticism to briefs, trunks, short boxers and classic boxers ($65-$185). Each is available in cotton stretch jersey, cotton and silk. Get a less expensive option ($32 and up) in classic cotton jersey from Les Boys.
Pinstripes
The Alexander McQueen collection explores British masculinity. It starts with elegant tailored pieces and proceeds to subvert the classic British wardrobe. He’s done woolen pinstripes in a classic tuxedo worn with jogging pants, for example, that retails for more than $2,700.
Hiking boots
If you’re making one worthwhile investment this winter, go with high-quality hiking boots that will keep your toes toasty and last a lifetime.
Gucci and Prada have given the outdoor classic a cosmopolitan polish using high-quality materials and catwalk-ready details. Their look is a function-meets-fashion hybrid that costs about $1,250. For an equivalent yet affordable boot, check out Timberland’s offerings, which begin at about $130.
