Pictures from Filippa K

Top Row (left to right): Duckie Brown, Claude Grant, Perry Ellis Signature, Carolyn Massey, Filippa K
Bottom Row (left to right): Mjolk, Ann Demeulemeester, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Juun.J

The Trend: When I Grow Up

What: The playfulness of a kid in oversized pieces + the sophistication of a working adult.  DO buy oversized sweaters, vests, button downs, waistcoats, etc.  DON’T size up on your pants/trousers.

With: Keep the pants slim and the tops oversized.  Play around with layers of clothing that do not usually go together (ie: button down over sweater, sweater vest over blazer). Stick with clean traditional shoes.  Your look is already busy enough with the play of the proportions.

Top Row (left to right): Number (N)ine, Yves Saint Laurent, Unconditional, Jil Sander, Ann Demeulemeester

Bottom Row (left to right): Costume National, D&G, Burberry, Filippa K

The Trend: Bloodsport

What: Deep hues of red, burgundy, and purple found in everything from pants to sweaters.

With: Try pairing these pieces with clothes of complimentary colors like gray, brown, burnt orange, and olive green.  For an extra punch, try layering different shades of the same base color.

I recommend owning at least one dress coat and one casual jacket in a solid color that compliments the majority of your wardrobe.  A good staple coat can be dressed up or down depending on what you’re wearing underneath, while a casual jacket is great for throwing on with a pair of jeans.

When purchasing these pieces, it is very important to take into consideration the intended use of outerwear.  If you know that you need protection from the cold, you should be looking for outerwear made of wool.  If you are just looking for a jacket for that windy day, you are going to want to look for cotton or a synthetic blend of man produced materials like polyester.

Your intial purchases should be geared towards what you need immediately.  Once that is done and you have some room to build your wardrobe more freely, I recommend owning two jackets and two coats; one light weight, and one heavy for each.  This is also the point, where you can get creative and venture into the world of patterns, prints, etc.

For starting out, I definitely recommend taking a look at A.P.C., who has reasonably priced outerwear.  Also, if you’re looking to pick up some extra pieces that are not necessary at the moment, wait until February when the price of outerwear is slashed tremendously.

Ending this piece, I’ll give you an example of a wardrobe, by listing what outerwear I have.  In my wardrobe, I have one black wool coat, one blue wool duffel, one plaid (earth tones: brown, olive green, etc.) coat, one red cropped peacoat, and two oversized blazers that double as jackets.  I recently had a lightweight military inspired jacket, but had to ditch it, because it was way too big.  I will be on the hunt for a jacket this season that fits the criteria of this post.  Happy shopping!