The Liminal Space of Outerwear
Nothing, and I mean nothing beats the thrill of early autumnal outerwear. When it’s cool enough to throw over a jacket, but not so cold as to force you into disfiguring down puffers, is and will forever be the sweet-spot temperature for men’s fashion.
Call it in-limbo, call it transitional, call it liminal space or pre-fall: whatever the name of this meteorologic period, it’s a welcome reinstatement of layered dressing, and the endless options that entails.
Focusing for now on the upper half of what constitutes the season’s wardrobe, MR PORTER had us pick from its vast selection of exceptional pieces for when it’s cold but sunny, gray but mild.
Workwear blousons? Check. Wooly zip-up cardigans? Check. Waxed anoraks? Are you even actually asking anymore?
Is It a Shirt or a Sweater or a Jacket? Yes!
Let’s ease in, shall we? Anything knit, be it buttoned, zipped or a pullover, is a great place to start when building one’s onion-peel rotation. Have it serve as an outer most shell for when it gets a bit chilly, and let it slowly graduate to beneath-jacket status as degrees drop. Just a cardigan? Only if you want it to be.
The Barn Coat
But speaking of things that not quite one thing, not yet another, the infamous shirt jacket, or overshirt, is a stylish and popular garment to slip in and out of this time of year, and treat according to whatever you need it for.
And in the style of a barn jacket, it’ll slap even harder. Not only have we not recovered from the Carhartt Detroit craze, but everyone and their mom have taken to creating their own unique version of the workwear classic. No matter if graphic-printed or all denim’d up: Keep. ‘em. Coming.
Outerwear Outliers
If you’re all decked out or just about fed up with all of the above, might I suggest treading off the beaten path? How about an army green, waxed and hooded parka? For better or for worse, this merger of New England prep with old British hunting attire is bound to take your Barbour’s place.
Not an anglophile, are we? Well, it takes a special type of sartorial savvy, a French one dare I say, to rock a boxy, tweed-y, Indian Summer-colored blazer. Up to the je ne sais quoi?
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