The Excited & Compelling Spirit Of Fall/Winter Attire

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This is a blog post inspired by the latest podcast episode. You can listen to the episode below before or after you read. That’s because I tend to expand on topics from the pod as well as straight-up write about things that we did not discuss. The choice is yours in how you want to proceed!

  • Into the Full Fall Season 12:42
  • Color Palette 26:50
  • Attitude/Mood 38:50
  • Following Convention and Archetypes 49:04
  • Friendsgiving 2025 1:13:27 
Fall/Winter is the best season for dressing. It’s just so dynamic, so exciting. How could you not act on this Inspiration?
I guess on some level, it’s a season where full tailoring can truly feel “casual”…relatively speaking.
But it really is just about Full Sending a bundled up, intricate look that simply exudes what Dressing in Menswear is all about. I wanna be these dudes!

If Early Fall serves nature’s invitation to rest, then True Fall/Winter is when it kicks us out on our ass and encourages us to get out and play.  

When it gets cold, the leaves begin to fall (yes, this happens in LA), the rains rear their head, and the sky turns orange (and later, grey), we know that it’s time to really start dressing. It’s more than just a temperature change– this season is an entire vibe shift. Fall/Winter is incredibly dynamic. It’s cozy, brisk, colorful, and austere, all over the course of a few months. It can even feel fleeting (especially in LA, where we also get random hot days scattered throughout just to fuck with us), but that only makes this season extra special— and certainly makes the outfits we wear within it all the more special.

Dressing in Fall/Winter is all about Excitement. I don’t mean just for the holidays; I mean the whole damn season because in LA, Fall and Winter are basically the same thing. Anyway, this time of the year is our opportunity to delve deep into what you truly love about Menswear and ultimately wear that love on your sleeve (or sleeves in the case of layers) without abandon–  unless you really prefer to wear open shirts and shorts all the time. 

To be clear, I do love dressing in Warm Weather, but it’s a different beast with a different attitude. Even if my favorite pieces, like gaucho pants, aloha shirts, and my iconic white suits, make Spring/Summer outfits fun and interesting, it can still sometimes feel like I’m just “making do” with the heat. This is never the case with Fall/Winter. Everything about it– the vibrance of nature as well as the social and cultural vibe– is a constant source of Inspiration.  It doesn’t help that most of my saved inspo leans heavily into the F/W vibe. This season is incredibly compelling, which makes the name of the game about the attempt to wear all the outfits that pop in my head, like the “soft repeats” and not-yet-worn combinations, all before the return of LA’s warmth.  I find it quite nice to embrace that little bit of rest in Early Fall, but when I feel that it’s finally cold consistently, it’s time to fuckin’ play!

Honestly, I never thought I’d write a blog post about this topic. Fall/Winter dressing, especially in the realm of classic and vintage menswear, always seemed like a no-brainer; we all have seen the coat inspo and have the templates/rigs that call to us. In that way, making fits for the F/W season has always come naturally to me. Even if I was smart enough not to go all in on flannels and tweed as an Angelino, I knew that it was always more interesting to have a handful of decidedly-F/W pieces; it just made the Season all the more fun! This is likely why it took me a while to get comfortable with making Warm Weather fits that I was proud of! And let’s be honest, some of those fits are quite F/W coded, at least in terms of palette. I can’t hide my Excitement for the daker and colder seasons.

And so, after writing that piece Spring/Summer and getting to explore the nuance and interlude of Early Fall, it was only appropriate that I take the time to toast my favorite season with its own piece and introspect on why this season excites me so much— and how I express that excitement through my Fall/Winter attire.

Also, it goes without saying that this is being written by a guy from Los Angeles. My Fall/Winter is likely to be much different from yours. I think that the words that I’ve written and the inspo are still applicable, but YMMV on how you employ them. This blog post is primarily about my salute to the F/W season and how my friends and I like to dress for it!

Embrace Seasonality Through Fall/Winter-Specific Garments

Seasonal Clothes aren’t something you can wear year-round, which makes them all the more special when you do get to put them on.
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It can be as simple as having a flannel jacket…
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Bonus points if it’s in a decidedly Fall/Winter palette and pattern.
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A good coat (or two) is even better!
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They can be quite normal, like a camel jacket, or novel, like corduroy senior pants.
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Let’s not forget yellow lambswool sweaters and chunky derbies! These specialized garments all make the Season, and our outfits, quite special.

One of the major reasons that I look forward to True Fall/Winter is that it allows me to wear the garments that I just don’t get to wear during any other time of year. These are the decidedly seasonal garments– the pieces that just “make sense” in Fall/Winter, be it in terms of vibe (through details or colorway) and, of course, utility (as they serve to keep me warm).   The mindset is quite similar to my approach to Warm Weather Dressing, where it was all about having garments that are cool and also keep you cool. Obviously, it’s much easier to find F/W clothes that inherently excite us— a Menswear Guy has no shortage of favored cold-weather pieces. 

Even though it’s not the best move for an Angelino, or hell, anyone with limited closet space (and limited spending money), I am a bit proponent of having seasonally specific garments, especially for F/W. There is something so alluring about pieces that are inherently specialized.  By virtue of their pointed details, these garments excuse a specific expressiveness, leading to a particular use that is practical and thematic. Yes, it may be a bit limiting, but that’s entirely the point. The expression, as well as the limited window of use (especially in LA), provides direction, one that compels Inspiration and certainly makes me excited, not just to dress in general, but in a way that honors the Spirit of pieces and of the Season itself. 

That’s why I’m not simply talking about a brown or khaki suit, two garments that are indeed quite F/W friendly, but if you consider my overall style, are rather season agnostic. They only become autumnally (or winterly) pointed because of the other pieces I wear with it. Garments like my navy and grey cotton crewnecks or my leather jacket are a bit closer, but I’d consider them on the “light” and agnostic end (to a certain extent).  No, I’m talking about the real shit: the turtlenecks, my brown jackets cut from plush corduroy and spongey tweed, the collection of wool ties, my thrifted overcoats and belted Cohérence trench, and of course, my menagerie of solid and patterned sweaters and sweater vests, which I try to wear in as many F/W outfits as I can.  It’s not about having things that are simply weather-appropriate, but have aesthetic conviction

To be clear, I don’t actually have that much “true cold-weather attire”; most of my wardrobe is perfectly four-season and firmly appropriate to be worn in warm weather. That being said, I have also spent time assembling a throng of decidedly cold-weather F/W pieces, much to the chagrin of my closet, wallet, and status as an Angelino. The good thing is that all of these pieces have come rather affordably, being mainly thrifts or second-hand pieces. I would never spend retail, or anything over a few hundred for a tweed coat; even I have limits! 

But this aspect of scarcity, combined with their specialized nature, makes these Real Shit pieces quite special indeed, which adds an extra layer of excitement when I get to wear them. They’re like a birthday cake or a steak; the fact that you don’t get to eat them often, or rather, you shouldn’t, makes you love them even more. The fact that a lot of these F/W items have been in my wardrobe for multiple years at this point adds to their beloved status.  So when the cold weather comes, it just means that I get to be reunited with my old friends! But now that I think about it, some of the items that I wear often during this season are actually a tad less specialized, but still feel quite Fall/Winter. 

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Not everything is warm-wearing! A plaid poplin shirt, gold tie, green cotton suit, and suede shoes are all quite Fall/Winter-coded (and LA appropriate).
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The orange sweater is cotton, and the jacket is linen-wool. Perfect for keeping the Fall/Winter mood, even in Los Angeles.
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A checked tie, a tapestry print pocket square, and a felt hat (with a strong POV) are all you need to turn a grey suit and blue shirt into a F/W fit.

My F/W arsenal is also inclusive of garments that express the seasonal spirit but aren’t exactly warm-wearing.  I’m talking about critter ties and perhaps a tapestry print scarf, but I’m also referring to my caramel odd trousers, a singular orange cotton sweater, and my vintage point collar in a dark red and green plaid. These items still excite me and help me dress in the Spirit of F/W without being running too hot or making something that is too “casual”; the latter is what Early Fall is for. 

Each of them just feels F/W coded. It could be their inherent colorway, which does play a big part, as F/W is full of iconic colors. Oranges, dark reds, yellows, and browns (either as solids or mixed into some pattern) don’t really work in the warmer and brighter seasons, where my color priorities lie elsewhere. Other details like certain crests and or motifs (like critter ties) just feel more pointed to Fall/Winter. To me, a tie with game animals wears best when the leaves are orange, and you’re wearing tweed and not linen. I’ve also come to the same conclusion with my fedoras, which, despite their largely agnostic history, I increasingly find more suited for my F/W looks (and wear them quite often with them).  Again, this is completely arbitrary and self-imposed, but I believe that active curation is one of the components of personal taste

For example, I find my concise smacking of brown suede shoes to be quite F/W coded. Unlike fisherman sandals, suede footwear isn’t inherently autumnal/wintery, especially because plenty of menswear guys love wearing them in summer (particularly with white pants). However, I personally prefer to relegate them to the F/W season. I like sending up their history as a sporty shoe, with many an Apparel Arts illustration showing them worn in F/W country outfits. 

My suede shoes are primarily all lace-ups, which are intrinsically more “closed-up” and chunkier than the loafers I typically wear– a quality that only adds to their F/W Spirit. Of course, there is also their faded patina and soft texture that just calls them (in my mind) to be worn with plush flannel and hearty tweed rather than breezy linen. It’s not that suede can’t be worn in summer, but when the sun is out, I just prefer to do it in white nubuck.

When your goal is to dress in a way that is pointed and excited about the season that you’re in t helps to have items that have that “Full Send” attitude on their own– even if it’s based on your own understanding of their aesthetic conviction. 

Invoking Geometries With Layering 

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I like taking advantage of the cold weather to make layered outfits. It’s warm and interesting! There’s so much slouch expressed in this one: the beret, the raglan coat, and the low-knotted scarf.
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Some days, I want to invoke a series of straight lines: the peak lapels, the bow tie, the cardigan, and the hint of a cardigan.
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It’s even fun to do it with just a jacket and a sweater! It’s more dynamic than Spring/Summer.
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What about getting all trussed up with a double rider? Can’t do that when it’s warm!
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It doesn’t even have to be with trad suiting. There’s just so much fun to be had in Fall/Winter!

Of course, it’s not enough to simply own pieces that are “aesthetically excited” about Fall/Winter. It’s only natural that your outfits exude that same sentiment. And one component of making an intentional and fun F/W outfit is layering. 

I am not simply referring to layering based on warmth; that will naturally happen when you simply wear F/W pieces. Instead, I’m talking about leveraging the cold weather and the ability to use layers to make something intricate. It’s not that you can’t make interesting and creative outfits when it’s warm. I do like big, shapeless fits in warm weather, but I usually end up fairly streamlined and minimal if I do wear a layer; at most, it’s just a tailored jacket over a shirt and tie. The opportunity that F/W gives you is a different beast. The colder weather simply affords you the ability to work with more pieces— and that’s the only invitation I need to go Full Send. 

One of my favorite things to do is to create the Sea of Triangles that arises from wearing an overcoat on top of a sport coat, on top of a sweater vest, on top of a button-up shirt. The stratified effect is just so pleasing to me! You could also go “softer” by wearing a chunky crewneck, which replaces the angular trifecta with a solid “blob”; this could be emphasized with a baggier coat, like a big balmacaan or a duffle, or you could intercut the roundness with the sharp peaks of a polo coat or perhaps close up the negative space with something belted.  Maybe you want to keep everything all trussed up and sporty by having your layers contained by a shorter jacket, like a Mackinaw or a leather jacket, and allow your wide legs room to move, unhindered by the tails of a long coat. 

There’s always the choice of neckwear, as the necktie, bowtie, or jaunty scarf, all add their own lines to the geometric mix; a jaunty scarf over a necktie (that is held in place by a sweater) is also an intricate move, especially if you decided to knot it or simply let it drape and “soften” the negative v-shape between your coat’s lapels. Headwear is done in a similar approach. Do you want to keep things nice and tight with a knit cap (or a beret if you want to add a little slouch)? Or do you prefer the sharp angles of a fedora or Tyrolean (the latter of which is shorter and has a different effect)? If you can’t decide, you can always split the difference with a worn bucket hat

Obviously, the amount of layering you are afforded depends on that day’s particular weather. I personally prefer to take every opportunity to exercise dynamism, even if it means only wearing the coat in the evening when you go out (I work from home anyway). Living in LA, you can always just wear a jacket, but I find that it’s more interesting and certainly more exciting to do a little bit more.  It’s okay if you aren’t always able to wear a big coat or don a sweater under the tweed. Because even if you don’t go all out with your physical geometries, you can always have fun with your visual geometries. 

I’m talking about Pattern Mixing. 

The Intricacies of Patterns on Patterns 

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Pattern Mixing goes hard in Fall/Winter. It just makes sense to have your combos be as intricate as your layering.
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If anything, the colder weather simply allows you to wear more items, which contribute to the intricate possibilities. I’d call this one rather tame…
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….when compared to this! But you know what? It works!

While I certainly employ pattern mixing year-round, I’ve become aware that my approach is different in the warmer months. The warm sun leads me to make an outfit that emphasizes a singular item, such as a bold, abstract tie or a vibrant aloha, both tempered by the use of a solid suit. There might be some additional patterns present, like a checked jacket or a striped shirt (in the case of the tie, obviously), but I try to make it clear that the aloha or printed tie is meant to be the focal point. Again, it helps that the locus item features a big pattern that’s hard to miss. 

When it’s Early Fall, I notice that I tend to use patterns sparingly: I like the hint of a checked shirt or the focus being a plaid jacket or the print of a jaunty scarf, all worn with solids. But once the preamble is over and the days get darker and the climate actually gets cold and even a bit windy and rainy (the LA winter), my attitude changes. It’s time to go full send and make the focus of the outfit become pattern mixing itself, where Intricacy is the star. 

As a result, this season leads me to prefer tighter, concise combinations and leverage items that have a more “uniform” arrangement of their patterns. So when it gets cold, I leave the tumbling oblongs behind and instead opt for smaller-scale foulards, which makes for a more “grid-like” expression when placed against striped shirts. Naturally, this thread leads me to break out plaid in my ties, as well as my shirts. I just love how a plaid tie’s inherent intersecting lines are emphasized further against a striped shirt.  And when it comes to plaid shirts, they become a grid, a playground for you to have even more fun with, whether it’s through stripes or the tricky move of matching a print, like a foulard, critter, or crest tie. 

Whatever shirt and tie combo I go with, it could easily be enveloped by a solid jacket, a move I still do on occasion during F/W. But most of the time, I will give myself over to the Spirit of Maximalism and excitedly employ one of my beloved checked jackets, whether it’s plaid, houndstooth, or guncheck, the latter of which is decidedly quite F/W. I’d be lying if I said that was the last move. Depending on the outfit, I often add in one of my Fair Isle sweater vests (or my diagonal houndstooth one), which, like a checked jacket, not only serves to calm the myriad of visible patterns by covering the shirt-and-tie combo, but intentionally adds its own elaborate expression to the mix. I know plenty of people who center the Fair Isle pattern in their outfit, but I can’t help but supplement. 

To be clear, I don’t want to wear patterns just for the sake of wearing patterns. There is still attention to how things are combined, even if at this point, they’re all second-nature microdecisions. The challenge, as always, is to create something intricate that feels easy, where each pattern naturally follows the other. This will sound pretentious as fuck, but it is indeed a bit jazz, which is even funnier when you realize just how the music genre feels incredibly F/W coded.

Overall, there’s just something about this season that invites complexity— and I will always answer that call.  It’s not that I don’t incorporate solids in F/W (sometimes it helps to have something firm to keep you in check ), but that I prefer the provocation to create with a gallimaufry of lines and shapes. Perhaps on some level, I want my patterns to echo my “closed-up” vibe that my physical layers have. Or maybe, when the cold and darkness roll around, it simply makes sense to wear outfits that evoke the melange of autumnal nature or the myriad of stars and city lights that you can see on a winter night.  

I rather like that F/W simply brings out the full glory of my maximalist mood. And that same mood compels me to employ an increased use of color. 

Color Play

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For some reason, I am more comfortable having fun with color when it’s Fall/Winter. This might be a bit wild for Warm Weather, but it feels right at home in this Season!
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I wouldn’t say I’m all that adventurous, but it certainly is a contrast to how I dress in other months. Again, that’s what makes dressing during this Season a special experience.
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Colors don’t need to go crazy. It’s fine to go tonal and subdued — even when you’re not layered up — as long as it’s pointed toward F/W!

Despite being a relatively bold dresser, I’m not really one to wear too much color. Outside of the occasional purple sock and my beloved green suit, I’m almost always in shades of navy, brown, and grey. To be clear, my Warm Weather fits do exude some vibrancy, but similar to that season’s approach to Pattern Mixing, it comes through a singular item: a tie, aloha/sportshirt, or a jaunty neck scarf. I usually temper this splash of color with a solid jacket or suit. But, when True F/W comes around and invites me to have fun with layers and patterns, it’s only natural that I also have fun with color. After all, color is what makes the layers and patterns interesting to begin with! 

It helps that my F/W pieces are intrinsically quite colorful. My lambswool sweaters are red, yellow, or, in the case of Fair Isle, multicolored. Tweed and flannel jackets are all checked, and so they naturally employ a legion of colors in their weaves; the same can be said of my woolen ties (which are all either plaid or foulard). My Barbour is green. My balmacaan is dark brown with a green overcheck; one of my DB overcoats is a peachy-camel. I own a red knit cap. My neck scarves are all quite colorful. Nothing feels too much; in fact, the colors just feel right for what they are. After all, thanks to their material and weave, the colors are slightly subdued (or made “dustier”), which makes each garment easy to wear and combine at will, ultimately making the invitation to be a maximalist all the more alluring.

The moves could be as simple as feeling the urge to do separates. I find that I do separates in F/W and prefer suits in Spring/Summer. I try my best not to simply do it with my tried and true greys and browns, but with something bold, like my green suit pants or my old purple cords. It can be quite fun to let the pants become the star of the outfit. Maybe I’ll decide to wear a plaid shirt with a gradient-striped tie that features the melange of earth rather than pairing a plain OCBD and a simple two-color repp.  I could be in a striped shirt with a foulard tie, but when it comes to the middle layer, I’ll forgo the conservative navy sweater vest and go for something red, green, or yellow– or some medley of all of them through a Fair Isle or Tattersall waistcoat. And depending on the outfit, I may even leave my reliable white pocket squares behind and insert the ones with prints into my breast; even if a Drake’s tapestry square can be worn in any season, they just make more sense in Autumn/Winter.  I’ve also found that this is the Season when I wear colorful socks the most. I just love their pop against the dark shades of Color 8 shell or a soft contrast with the patina of well-worn suede. 

As I said before, there’s just something about this season that invites me to wear and play with color.  There’s just so much inspiration to be found around us! The purplish skies, the lavish reds and greens of the Holiday lights, the macédoine of autumnal vegetation, the blues and golds of a night skyline. Let’s not forget the countless Fall/Winter movies, architecture, and art that we can send up through our outfits. 

Color play also lets me contrast my F/W outfits even more from Spring/Summer, which, despite having its own use of colors (flowers are quite nice), leads me to prefer being tonal or to simply wear a lot of white or cream, which, from a pigment (or additive standpoint, is about the absence of color. Perhaps in Warm Weather, I want my colors to evoke the shining sun or a blue sea meeting a beach’s white sands; it’s idealistic and escapist. With Fall/Winter, I retreat, moving inward, with my colors sending up the earth, the city, the reality that I actually inhabit. 

Of course, simply combining colors and patterns can only go so far. I always prefer a bit of direction to ensure that my outfit is coherent and not just an agnostic hodgepodge of practical, seasonally appropriate clothes. And so I’ll finish up by toasting the guiding principle that has dripped through every blog post I’ve written during the past decade: POV and Cinematic Dressing. 

Dressing As A Fall/Winter “Character”

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Cinematic Dressin helps guide my F/W pairings. If this is an “ivy student in Spring, 1948”
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Then this is an “ivy student in Winter 1958″.
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Some looks just write themselves because they’re so F/W-coded. It’s all fairly normal (outside of the riding boots), being a blazer, khakis, and OCBD, but the styling is pointed and decidedly Fall/Winter.
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It’s also fun to do Seasonal Variations of the looks we already wear during the other points of the year. For example, if this is a Warm Weather western look…
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…why not take the opportunity to do a Cold Weather version? It doesn’t have to be exact— keeping a similar “spirit” is what matters, at least in helping stretch our creative muscles (and get the most out of our wardrobe).
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The fun lies taking the “same character” from when it’s warm…
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…to when it’s cold.

It’s only natural that the draw of Fall/Winter is ultimately the same concept that gets me through dressing on any day: the challenge of executing a self-imposed prompt.  Again, I find this framework quite necessary, especially in F/W. After all, if you consider all the possibilities of the maximalism that this season invites, it can be overwhelming to decide which path to go down. But by having a dedicated POV, you are afforded a lodestar that guides your choice in every color, pattern, or item to wear that day, making everything feel quite natural.

Overall, what makes Fall/Winter so exciting and compelling is that it is an unparalleled playground for holistic expression, where you can dress in service of a “character” that is as seasonally pointed as the very garments that comprise it. 

When the weather cools, it only makes sense for the Esquire Man to go from the Riviera to the Countryside and swap his Palm Beach suit and bold ties for graph checks, plaids, and houndstooth; he may even drop in a sport vest for good measure (as he can’t wear it when it’s warm). And while his fedoras may stay through the colder months, he’ll leave the straws on the shelf and introduce the berets. The Ivy-Head or Drake’s Adherent keeps his OCBD and jeans, but puts away his pennys and sailboat motif tie for chukkas and ancient madder or something with a critter print; there’s a high chance likely to add on a duffle coat or Barbour for good measure (the trick is figuring out if you want to dress like a student or a professor). Maybe for a ’90s yuppie, a F/W move isn’t about alternatives but about being additative– he still has the pinstripe suit, striped shirt, and some abstract tie, but now he’s got on a polo coat and a solid colored scarf. The cowboy likely still has his hat, jeans, boots, and sawtooth, but now, the shirt is closed up and cinched with a fringe-tipped wool tie, maybe with a fleece vest and tweed jacket for good measure. A dude who wears black jeans and open shirts will probably always have the tonal, dark look, though when it’s cold, he’ll protect his normally open chest with a sexy rollneck. It’s all about being the same guy, just dressed for a different Occasion.

That being said, I also enjoy the themes that are unique to Fall/Winter. You guys know that I love sending up the vintage Alpine/ski/camping look, a look that I can hardly even hint at when it’s warm! On a similar note, I like having my leather jacket expanded beyond Greaser looks (with a plain white tee or chambray), by having it be worn with sweaters, rollnecks, and big scarves to affect more of a “globe-trotting adventurer” feel.  Those two POVs are certainly adjacent to Americana and “vintage casual,” but I find them more interesting than simply doing a workwear, milsurp, or rockabilly.  And like a lambswool sweater or a big overcoat, those aesthetics just wouldn’t make sense in Spring/Summer, making them all the more special and exciting to wear when it’s cold.

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Obviously, dressing for the Occasion matters, like getting a little Anglo to have post-Christmas tea with the family!
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Or maybe you can dress a bit 80s ski guy for well, an 80s ski-themed bar.
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Or maybe you wear something artsy and layered to get in the futurian spirit of getting a festive drink at a Star Wars bar.

You can derisively call this cosplay if you want, but I don’t care. I love it.  I personally find it quite authentic, simply because all of these cold-weather variations are made with garments that I already own!  Because outside of a few specialized pieces (overcoats, scarves), a lot of these things are quite “normal”. They only become Very Fall/Winter when you combine them in a certain way.   It really is a special time to be able to express a side of you and your Personal taste that can only be found in the colder seasons. Or at least, they just make more sense

Obviously, it helps to give yourself Occasions to help provide even more direction. A winter evening at the pub for trivia naturally brings to mind an autumnal variant of Esquire Man or Ivy/Drake’s; the same could be said of a Winter outing to the museum. Maybe you do a turtleneck under a chunky sweater for a movie night in with pals. Perhaps you’ll entertain a sporty look, be it by way of the Countryside or the Alps, to enjoy a latte al fresco. You could always wear tweed to Friendsgiving as a jaunty alternative to a dark suit for cocktails or dinner with colleagues. Or maybe you just go straight business and dress for the Town, but add in that cream scarf and black coat for good measure. A good outfit deserves to be worn to something, even if we make that something for ourselves! 

Whatever we do, this Season serves as an invitation for you to do themes and variations with your clothing.  Like with composing, the first time is always to decide on leitmotifs and your POV; once you have them, you can really start on the fun part in developing them for specific contexts, which certainly includes the Spirit of the Season. At this point in my life, my POVs are a honed, discernible part of my Personal Style. And so when F/W comes around, I exceedingly augment them, actively pointing my “themes” toward a cold-weather context while maintaining their core identity. It’s all about crafting a narrative with your clothes, and boy, does F/W provide you so many avenues to go down.  

At this point, all of my characters or themes have their Fall/Winter analogue, all ready to be “repeated” again (in broad strokes, midn you).  Just like with the seasonal garments themselves, these rigs and combos are like my long-distance pals that I look forward to celebrating when they can finally “come home” for the holidays— oh, how I’ve missed these friends! 

In Conclusion

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Whether you go all out or wear one pointed item, it’s just fun and exciting to dress in the F/W Spirit.
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A tattersall waistcoat and a big coat do wonders in marking a plain rig as decidedly F/W.
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Sometimes it’s just about being able to play with textures.
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Or you know, you can just go crazy. Give yourself over to the Spirit of F/W!
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Whatever you do, try to lean into all that Fall/Winter attire means to you!
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Don’t forget to go outside and feel the excited spirit of the cold air!

Excitement is the theme of True Fall/Winter: excitement for time off from work, excitement to gather with loved ones, and yes, excitement for all the nearly boundless opportunities that the cold weather provides us. It is here that we can really start dressing. It’s not enough just to make practical outfits that simply withstand the cold– it’s more interesting to embrace Fall/Winter’s brisk invitation and make an outfit that is decidedly seasonal and celebratory. 

And honestly, now that I think of it (right at the end lol), there are quite a few F/W outfits that I wear (and by extension, “characters”) that aren’t inherently maximalist. While some of them are quite intricate and pointed, not every theme or rig requires doing “all of the things”. I certainly do my best to leverage any combination of the moves I’ve listed in as many F/W outfits as possible (the window is narrow here in Los Angeles), these aesthetic actions do vary in how often they are employed. If anything, this whole blog post is simply a personal list of seasonal techniques that help my outfit exude the Spirit of Fall/Winter. 

If you take a close look at each and every outfit I wear during this season, you’ll see that I don’t always don a scarf, hat, and an overcoat each time I get dressed. Even if the weather is colder than Early Fall, I might make the decision and only do a couple of those moves, like forgoing the sweater. I can take the cold; it might even make me feel more alive. I also enjoy the effect of pairing my solid ties with plaid shirts and tattersall waistcoats (or hell with a plain OCBD) on occasion. Not everything needs to be a stripe, critter, or geometric– and they certainly don’t have to be worn together.  Overall, a tempered but still intentional move is enough to express that a particular outfit/character is firmly celebratory toward the mood of Fall/Winter.

But despite all my love for this Season of Excitement, it is still quite fickle, especially in Los Angeles. Fall/Winter is simultaneously temporary and yet consistent, by which I mean that the cold is never long enough (compared to our East Coast friends) and yet, the drop does arrive each year without fail, with its only variance being the exact start date. Sometimes, Early Fall oversays its welcome, and the errant mildness remains through December, building my anticipation for maximalist fun. Other times, the climate invites us to go Full Send in November or even October, leading me to advance my favored rigs earlier than expected, forcing me to be creative prematurely or even restrain myself when I see that I still have more months of cold ahead. God laughs!

While this capriciousness is frustrating, it is also what makes Fall/Winter beautiful. The brisk winds, darkened skies in the early afternoon, the melange of earthy textures— when the Season finally arrives, it reminds me that, even with the internet and the ability to create my own context, I am still at the whims of nature. Unlike the Warmer Seasons, where we attempt to maintain our Expressive merits while subtracting elements, the cold touch of Fall/Winter invites us to add, to maximize to craft an intricate, absurd celebration of this period of nuance and exciting ephemerality. 

Fall/Winter is about doing what you can, when you can with as much Excitment and Spirit as possible, because before you know it, you’ll be right back to wearing whites to reflect the sun (as much as possible), soft khakis that you don’t mind sweating in, and severely unbuttoned rayons and straw hats just to let a modicum of breeze come through. But honestly, after you’ve had months of wearing scratchy tweeds, insulating flannels, and covering our necks with rollnecks and scarves, that change actually sounds quite pleasant. 

To quote an iconic duo who created a hero who only dons white drawers, “Here we go again!”

– end of blog post – 

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Even when you’re just getting boba, it’s always worth going Full Send. That’s the opportunity that F/W brings you!
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You gotta take advantage of it while you can.
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Themes and variations, like doing a 70s ivy-ish look…with a duffle!
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How about a tonal look, just with a decidedly-Fall/Winter grey tweed jacket?
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It is true that I like doing Fall/Winter-esque palettes in warm weather…
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…but I love leaning into them even more when the weather is actually cold. Still the same guy, just with pointed F/W moves.
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Seasonal garments always help. I miss this damn corduroy suit!
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I look forward to seasonal, casual garments like a turtleneck and a wool varsity jacket.
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Or how about the infamous L.L. Bean sport vest?
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A cord jacket (and ski motif tie) provides thematic direction.
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There’s even wool ties! I could wear them in Warm Weather, but they make more sense in Fall/Winter
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Sometimes all you need is a roll neck and a wool beret.
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Or it’s just about mixing colors in a Fall/Winter way.

Embrace Layering

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Layers are dynamic and inherently Fall/Winter.
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Just wearing a sweater vest with a suit and tie shows that you’re in the F/W Spirit.
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Layering is fun to do even when it’s casual!
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You can do it even without the use of an Overcoat! The fact that your “base” can be layered is such a great part of F/W dressing.
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I love that this Season lets you be creative with your layers. I do miss this M-43. I outgrew it and “replaced” it with my Barbour.
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How about the duffle over a Western-esque tailoring look?
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It’s also fine to play it straight, like wearing a duffle with a preppy ensemble.
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Even if a coat is only worn on the especially cold days (or comes out in the evening), I still like the effect it has.
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Why not just get more dynamic in F/W?
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MJ’s trench used to be mine, and it was great on the milder Fall/Winter days (this is December 2020). I like the palette underneath the coat as well!
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It’s Barbour season!
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You just don’t get to do this in Warm Weather.
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I love Spencer’s parka.
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A wool gab trench is great in LA.
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Can’t forget the Mackinaw!

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Love MJ’s festive colors.
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Big DB coats are great. Getting to wear them is one of the best parts of the Season!
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And of course, the balmacaan that I’ve had since 2017.
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It’s an old, beloved friend that I’m excited to see when they finally come home for the holidays.
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Another cowboy variant.
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All my coats are my friends.
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The yuppie base ensemble isn’t inherently F/W, but the coat obviously takes it in that direction!
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Can’t forget my love of kimono coats!
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You just can’t do this in Spring/Summer.
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Having fun with layers lets you wear your excitement on your sleeve.

Casual Layering

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Can’t forget about layering with casual ensembles. Nothing is safe from the Fall/Winter Spirit!
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With all the opportunities for layering, I think that I’m actually more casual in Fall/Winter!
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Sport vest over a turtleneck and under a double rider? Hell yeah, MJ!
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A bit of a nod to the 30s French Cyclist look…or just a vintage casual look.
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The Adventurer looks! I love doing this. Much more interesting than just doing a leather jacket and a tee.
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An old fit featuring my now-passed-on M-43. I still have the other pieces!
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A very F/W outfit!
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Even light layers can be decidedly F/W. It’s all about mood and attitude, not just the level of warmth.
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This is a bit more pointed than Early Fall.
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Fringe!
More M-43 action.
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Spencer also gets a lot fun in this Season.
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Hollywood jacket!
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Loved this one. Another outfit that doesn’t have a Warm Weather analogue.
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I miss this anorak!
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Kimonos again!

On milder days, the only real layer you need is the Turtleneck base. Quite Fall/Winter!
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Or perhaps a fair isle crewneck and bucket!

Sweater Vests

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Honestly, this Season is all about sweater vests.
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Navy is good and quite versatile.
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Brown is good!
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Can’t go wrong with grey!
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Argyle is quite pointed.
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Red is one of my go-tos, especially against a navy suit.
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Nguyen has one too!
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MJ makes a good case for a black sweater vest. This one is unique in that it has a DB style closure!

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This two-tone sweater vest has been a favorite ever since I got it at the flea few years ago!
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That RL one reminds me of my 40s two-tone cardigan!

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Got this 50s one on eBay, and it’s also great. I just love the green color and the diagonal check!
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But nothing beats Fair Isle. It’s Fall/Winter to the core!
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Sweaters really make Fall/Winter.

Fun With Colors

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Color is more fun when it’s colder. This tie really only works in Fall/Winter anyway.
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I liked this old one, where there’s a bit of pizazz in between the typical earthy stuff.
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Sometimes, playing with color can just be about a Fall/Winter palette.
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Or it can be about pops and vibrancy. Sweater vests to the rescue again!
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Red’s a fun one!
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Fun colors!
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It doesn’t need to be about a sweater vest. It can be the whole thing!
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A Fall/Winter palette with a dark interior.
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We love doing this!
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An epic one from Spencer.

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Light tones on this one!
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Festive!
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I could wear the suit combo any time of the year, but Fall/Winter lets me layer— and add in that peachy-camel!
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Only Fall/Winter lets me do this!

Pattern Mixing

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Pattern Mixing is the other theme of the Season! I look forward to getting to exercise these muscles every year.
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The plaid shirt and motif tie combo is a favorite of mine.
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You could wear it any time of the year, but it just makes sense in F/W.
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I do plaid jackets with striped shirts and foulard ties all year round—but it just hits different during this season. Maybe its because of the decidedly F/W pieces like the jacket, pocket square, and cords.
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Casual, but still intricate and vibrant!
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Prince of Wales over guncheck.
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Checks on checks!
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Quadruple patterns!
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Another checked shirt and patterned tie combo, reigned by the sweater vest.
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A similar idea here, but with a motif tie and the addition of a pattern present on the vest.
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Double stripes and Fair Isle.
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More quad maxing.
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Checks on checks, under Fair Isle.
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Tonal and patterned.
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Fair Isle is the king pattern in Fall/Winter.
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Too many to count here. God, I love Fall/Winter.
Now lets look at some non-Ethan Fall/Winter inspo.
How could you see this and not get excited each Season? It’s been happening to me for over a decade!
It’s all good.

I want to be all of them! I mean, I do have a lot of the same clothes already— I might as well take advantage of the Season!

I just love outfits that are so decidedly Seasonal.
I’m going to do this, if I haven’t already.
Checks on checks, separated by solids.

Seasonal, even without a coat!
All of my ideas come from Esquire Man (among other things). Everything that is Fall/Winter-coded has been decided already!

Again, you don’t need an overcoat to feel Fall/Winter. You just need to make the right pairings.

Texture and colors! Also, peak that sporty Tyrolean!

Colors!

An elegant take on Fall/Winter attire for cocktail night.
Slouchy!
A little love for Ski attire. Truly, a unique Fall/Winter aesthetic.
If only I could approximate this look in Los Angeles.
Damn!

Tyrolean accessories, a great way to get at that F/W attitude.

Who doesn’t love a big coat?
Plaid on plaid!
Hot damn!
All inspiring and compelling.

Hell yeah.

King shit.
Coat and scarf with black tie is epic.
Inspo doesn’t have to be all Golden Era!
Plenty of great dressers today dress with the Fall/Winter spirit.
Kamoshita-san is one of the best!
Intricate and slouchy.
Love that color play here. All dark— save for the red dotted scarf and orange rollneck.
Arnold Wong in a fantastic Fall/Winter look. Layers, colors, vibes, it’s all good!
Alan See all bundled up. Love the hat, green chino, and suede shoe.
Casual is good too!
Very Fall/Winter and not just because of the gorgeous coat.

Like I said, even minimal/conservative outfits can still celeberate Fall/Winter.
Coats and textures, baby.
I obviously like ones with a bit more personality…and the use of separates.
Polo coats are so good (and brown checked jackets…and grey flannels).

An old photo of Mark, but I like it!
Akamine-san is another King.
So is Peter Lorre.
Oliver of Rubato wearing a vintage shearling parka over a casual look.
‘Tis the season!
There’s always precedent for it!
Barbours…and layering. The True Fall/Winter way.

With the blackwatch trousers? Fuck yeah! There’s a reason why Arnold is one of the GOATs.
Akamine-san speaks for hismelf.

Coat or no coat, both of these looks are in the Spirit of the Season.
Tony Sylvester.
Simon Crompton.
Chase! Love the duck boots and the striped uni scarf.
Chad Park.
Okay, pretty much everyone in this blog post is a king. And they all do F/W so well!
Ethan Newton going all dark is next level. Fall/Winter doesn’t have to be too “fun”. Somber layering is a great way to go about it
Doing it in more casual wear is an interesting move too (this is Engineered Garments).
From Beams plus!
Casual and layered.
Matt of J. Mueser wearing a puffer over a suit…and with an ushanka!. Very Fall/Winter!
Casual layering courtesy of Ethan and Kenji of Bryceland’s.
But honestly, the Fall/Winter spirit starts with what’s under the coat, if a coat is even necessary at all!
Scarves, cords, checks, its all in the Spirit of the Season.
Pattern mixing!
Checked jackets reign supreme.

Pattern mixing!
Like I said, Fall/Winter is about being intricate. Pattern mixing (and color play) help in that regard.
Whether or not Mark wears a coat, this is still a F/W outfit.

A checked suit! For wear with derbies and a brown fedora (as well as a dark patterned tie and pocket square).
David Coggins showing that a Barbour, a felt hat, and a checked jacket are all you need; not everyone needs to pattern mix up the wazoo.
But I do like pattern mixing. Ethan Newton killing it again.
The bow tie somehow makes it even more Fall/Winter!
These checks go crazy.
Jacket made by B & Tailor.
How about a checked suit?
Hot damn, now that’s a F/W suit! B&Tailor again.

Alan See in a houndstooth suit. I need one.
It’s just so sporty!
Jake Grantham of Anglo-Italian.
Windowpane suit in flannel (B&Tailor).
George Raft in a flannel chalkstripe suit. Corporate goes F/W.
Chad Park in a multistripe suit.
Solid suits can be seasonal too!

Yamamoto-san of Tailor CAID in a flannel 3PC that is full of ivy-trad goodness. I love how dusty the blue/grey looks.
Chase in a moleskin suit.
Dick Carrol in a corduroy suit, made even more F/W with that checked shirt.
A 3PC herringbone tweed suit from The Armoury.
Diagonal weave and windowpane!
Tweed and flannel (on Mark Cho). Textures are the name of the game!
Ain’t nothing like a Fair Isle sweater vest.
An oldie, but a goodie for Fall/Winter inspo.
There aren’t rules to this. It’s just about finding the technique that best helps you celebrate Fall/Winter!

Pop of color!
Fair Isle and a corduroy suit.

These are so good.

Always loved this outfit from Maxwell. Turtleneck base layer!

Contrast sweater vest, a F/W staple.

Pops of color.
Or just put the color in the suit!

Michael Hill always has great command of color.
The purple cord trousers make this.
Pattern mixing and fun colors!
Some days just call for a suit and a scarf.
The cold is invigorating.
Using a scarf for color is cool…
… but I prefer having it in the tie.
Socks are good for color too, especially when they’re paired with a seasonal, casual shoe.
Chalkstripe flannel is quite F/W, but doing it with suede hiking-style boots is something else!
Anyway, scarves are good in lieu of a coat in sending up that F/W spirit.

Another case for the checked shirt.
Turlteneck base layer…under a lot of layers!
On its own is good too!
Critter ties— can’t forget them!
Nothing says F/W like critters and checks.

Plaid ties are quite effective too!
Houndstooth tie, a final word in making your outfit in the spirit of F/W.
If all else fails, then a checked shirt (though brown tweed and yellow cords also do the trick).
Plaid shirts have worked forever!
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Fall/Winter is just the best. I want to be like this for as long as possible…until I get the yearning for open shirts and gurkha shorts.

Thanks for listening and reading along! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon to get some extra content and access to our exclusive Discord. 

The Podcast is produced by MJ.

Always a pleasure,Ethan

4 comments

  1. John's avatar
    John · 14 Days Ago

    You should watch The Firm with Tom Cruise. It has quite a lot of interesting menswear and different characters with clear POV’s. Tom Cruise starts out as a Harvard student, with a corduroy jacket and knit ties. He gets recruited by a law firm, and starts dressing more late 80’s corporate. The other ones at the firm mostly dresses very corporate, but some of the older ones especially mix in the Ivy League/trad look of their youth. It’s also a very exciting film worth the watch.

    Like

    • Ethan's avatar
      Ethan · 8 Days Ago

      Hi John! Great recommendation!

      I’ve seen the firm once before and was enamored with the 80s corporate looks. Might be worth a revisit!

      Like

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