Three Z Zegna coats you can't live without this winter

It has taken me a (long) while to get back to blogging after my insane buying season. September and October were just non-stop work and I could not get myself to even say so on a post. The cold weather has finally got me excited about clothes so I thought it would be apt to resume things with a post about coats.
I have had these Z Zegna coats saved on my computer since the show in January, which is also how long I have been trying to figure out how to amass enough cash to buy them all. Over the last winter seasons I have become quite tired of wearing dark colours – how many black, navy and charcoal coats can one have? Winter is actually a brilliant season to have some fun with colours, layers and textures. Paul Sturridge proposed classic overcoat shapes updated by means of slightly curvaceous yet sharp lines and an excellent use of colour. The striped styles make it easy to add a subtle distinct  touch to a winter look while the maroon and yellow (as shown in the show) make more of a statement. Personally, I would go for the deep green and navy style (above) as it works just as well with jeans as it does worn over a suit.

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Just In: ASOS Harris Tweed Peacoat

Earlier this month the lovely folks at ASOS were kind enough to gift me my favourite piece of the season – their Harris Tweed Peacoat from their new Made in England range, which I recently blogged about. The brand seems to have struck the perfect balance between quality materials and timeless design and an affordable price.
Apart from a slight sleeve shortening tweak (something I always have to do to all my jackets) the coat fits as if it had been tailored for me. I have only worn it twice so far but there hasn't been a person – guy friends included – who hasn't sung its praises. The subtle colourful checks of the Harris Tweed give it enough of a distance air without risking being loud. The coat is also extremely light and the warmest I have ever had.

If you are thinking of Christmas presents check out the whole Harris Tweed range here.

A big thank you to Shawn and Louisa at ASOS for always being so nice to me!

Fashion, Frankly / ASOS

The ASOS Crafted In Collection

This week ASOS is introducing 'Crafted In', a new range of tailoring, knitwear, denim, footwear and accessories created with premium materials. The brand has struck all the rights notes for FW13 with a strong feel of British heritage but also with a solid variety of contemporary silhouettes and shapes.
The tailoring seems to be the focal point of the collection and its most striking part with a mix of suits made from Italian wool and Harris Tweed, which is also present in some of the stunning outerwear such as the peacoats and the bomber jackets.
The cable knit pieces are all made from 100% British wool and include a selection of jumpers in burgundy, green, navy and cream, as well as scarves and beanie hats. All of which are a perfect addition to the tailoring.
Together with tailoring, footwear is my favourite part of the collection. The eight beautiful pieces created in Northampton, the heart of British shoemaking, cover all the essentials a stylish man should have in his wardrobe – a brogue, a double monk-strap, a Derby, a lace-up Derby boot and a Chelsea boot. The last two in a choice of smooth and grainy leather. The streamlined design of the classic styles and the pops of red make the shoes extremely relevant yet timeless.
And finally, if the above wasn't enough, 'Crafted In' also offers an array of denim made from Japanese selvedge and available in four indigo washes all with a straight fit.

'Crafted In' is a concise and subtle capsule collection perfectly suited for the needs of the modern stylish guy – and all for a very competitive price. Scroll down for a selection of my favourites from the 'Crafted In' collection.

Grainy Leather Derby Boots

Harris Tweed Peacoat

Harris Tweed Blazer and Harris Tweed Bomber Jacket.

Leather Chelsea Boots

Double-chested Italian suit

Leather Brogues, Grainy Leather Chelsea Boots, Leather Derby Boots, Leather Double Monk-Strap Shoes

Cable Knit Jumper

Courtesy of ASOS

Winter is Coming: MA.STRUM Officer's Coat

I am on a mission this season to find a new coat. Shearling jackets aside, I last bought a coat some two years ago – a classic streamlined A.P.C. navy wool coat, which is perfect for any occasion. For the last couple of weeks I've been checking out the offerings of some of my favourite retailers in London and also online. So far it has proven quite a challenge to find a good balance between style, quality and price. And that's exactly why I was so happy to find out about MA.STRUM's Officer Coat.
What makes this piece so great is that, as well as a stunning timeless style, the coat is very versatile. The double-breasted front offers the possibility of removing the military metal buttons and the same goes for the belt, which you can choose to add or not. So already you have some styling options with just the one piece. My favourite feature, the lambswool top collar, is also removable, which is great to add and remove the extra warmth. Also removable are the ID wearer's right epaulette and right collar, and the liner. It's all these functionalities and a waterproof wool and nylon blend fabric that make the Officer's Coat perfect for a mild and an intense winter.

Topping it all off, with MA.STRUM you have the assurance of buying a quality product. The company is the offspring of the Massimo Osti Studio, an Italian outerwear-maker pioneer in the field. Mr Osti started revolutionising the industry back in the 80's for renowned companies Stone Island and CP Company. He was also responsible for inventing the Rubber Flax and Rubber Wool, two of the first waterproof materials, and Thermojoint, a material not only resistant to water but also to up to 80% protection from nuclear radiation! Inspired by the Massimo Osti Studio, MA.STRUM creates these beautiful stylish pieces using high-tech fabrics and technology.

3 Must-Have Jackets from the River Island Holiday 2013 Collection

Growing up as a kid in Spain, it was a great time because I knew I still had a month before school was due to start so I would get excited over the winter wear, which I've always liked much more than summer clothes. And even now when there is no 3-month holiday I find myself in the same situation looking at the FW13 collections thinking what I should (can) and shouldn't (can't) buy.
River Island has been stepping it up a lot over the past couple of seasons. I keep finding great pieces from them at ASOS and it's one of the few high street shops I don't mind having a look around. They have recently released their Holiday 2013 look book, which includes a lot of great pieces – especially outerwear and jackets.
You can see the entire collection over at Fashion, Frankly's Facebook page but these above are my favourites. First, the contrast biker jacket with leather sleeves – a brilliant choice for autumn to keep you warm and looking cool and also great to layer under a coat later in the season. Secondly, the double-chested overcoat – I love the shearling detail on the lapels and the contrast colour of the sleeves in beige. It's a classic remastered. And finally, the double-chested blazer in Prince of Wales check – I love these type of jackets styled just like in the picture, as a coat over a casual jumper.

Burberry Porsum F/W13: We ♥ Burberry Classics

The FW13 Burberry Prorsum collection was one of my favourites, together with SS09 and FW10. A viral email from Christopher Bailey sent before the show with subject 'I ♥ Classics' announced the new collection would be a celebration of Burberry classics and heritage outerwear.
Some critics have labelled the collection as predictable. The way I see it, Burberry has had such purpose and direction over the last few years that the last thing I expected was a turn to its most essential, and successful, roots. My favourite were, in fact, these allegedly more commercial pieces. The trench coats, overcoats and duffle coats were impeccable and strong – pieces to keep forever.
Bailey's twist for FW13 was the (unexpected) introduction of animal prints as full leopard printed pony skin overcoats but also quieter collar details I found elegant and humorous.
Having opened their first menswear-only store late last year Burberry put great strength in the tailoring. The silhouettes, slim and easy to wear and much after my own heart, were very in touch with the times and with the type of guy the Burberry customer should be.
The heart prints that closed the show were my personal favourite. There was something so modern and masculine about the suit shirts and v-neck jumpers. They will be, I'm sure, an instant hit.

Just as they have been doing lately, Burberry streamed their FW13 show online and on iPhones and iPads and held a special screening at their new Regent Street flagship store. Users around the world were also given the chance to purchase online pieces right off the runway for a week after the show.
Back in Milan, Greg James, Harry and Luke Treadaway were amongst the famous faces to grace the front row. They were joined by the dapper Tinie Tempah, who had his big London 2012 moment at the Olympics wearing Burberry.

Stay tuned for a closer look at the Burberry FW13 collection from the brand's Milan showroom.
You can watch my video of the finale below and see the entire show here.

Courtesy of Burberry

A bit of Prada inspiration on this week's Boardwalk Empire

Style.com, TV.com

Even though we already saw this coat on last season of Boardwalk Empire I didn't make the connection with Prada until now. On this week's episode Chalky White makes another appearance on his red overcoat with an astrakhan collar detail. I instantly thought of the printed number Adrien Body wore on the Prada catwalk back in January when the FW12 collection was presented. This one was a bit more bold, double-chested and a full bi-colour astrakhan collar. Perhaps Miuccia has been watching the show and feeling inspired?

Milano round 1: fur is manly and shearling stays

In case you haven't heard, fashion week is upon us. As it usually does, it opened at Pitti a few days ago, which gave way to Milan yesterday. I was lucky (not) enough to miss the streaming of Ermenegildo Zegna in the morning and Dolce & Gabbana's later on. Which was very upsetting because I was looking forward to a streaming-loaded day. I did have a chance to watch Burberry (incredible) but I'll post about that tomorrow.
Ermenegildo Zegna has done an admirable job re-establishing itself as one of Italy's power houses. They have done so in only a few seasons' time. For FW11 they have done what I like to call "an Armani". If you look at the collection you'll find very traditional Italian tailoring of slimmer silhouettes and lower waist lines. The Armani reference came in through a window to the Orient, which was more evident in the formal night attire. Shiny materials in bright reds and off-golds were mixed with velvet reminiscing of the ancient oriental empires. Otherwise, it was a very textured collection. It was also styled in a way that enhanced this making the looks more homogenous rather than the usual mix of textures, which is usually more common in menswear.

Trussardi celebrated its 100th anniversary this year at Pitti. Its main attraction was leather, which made up anything from jackets and parkas (my favourite) to trousers, coats and shirts. They also showed a considerable amount of suede, which often looked like corduroy, lined with shearling very much á la Burberry. We also saw quite a bit of fur (a trend followed by Ermenegildo and Burberry), which also lined suede blazers and leather long coats.

I'm off.

[Pictures: CouteQueCoute.blogspot.com, Style.com]

Burberry gets Pre-Fall

I often spend a lot of time on blog posts complaining about how pointless I find "pre" collections. However, this is not one of those moments. For the first time I feel like someone has got it. Burberry's Pre-Fall11 collection hits all the right notes. And it does because it includes heavy winter-looking clothes made in lightweight materials, which is the perfect combination to satisfy our needs at the beginning of the autumn season while keeping us happy. We're, then, anticipating the winter season but we can't wear full-on winter wear yet. Burberry proposes an autumnal colour palette that mirrors the colours of the leaves while mixing it up with their staple pieces such as the mac and the trench in bold hues like tangerine or made with new materials.

[Pictures: Coute que Coute]

Dressing for Christmas

If you haven't heard yet, Christmas is coming. This year will be a little more different for me because I'm spending it with my family but we're taking it to a new scenario in the south of Spain, in a city called Granada. While I am unaware of the temperature there, I am guessing it'll be quite different from Madrid's icy Christmas so I am preparing nice outfits that either don't require a coat or in which the coat need not be accompanied by much layer underneath. I've put together a little inspiration post of what would make my perfect holiday wardrobe with photos from menswear editorials from the last couple of months to pay a bit of attention to FW10 trends.

My staple outfits for Christmas always include velvet at some point and some well-combined green and red. This year I will be taking my red-wine and my black velvet blazers with a selection of colourful shirts and bow ties for dinner. I will also give the "Tom Ford for Gucci" a go —aka: turtle neck jumper with a blazer (preferably velvet). I have thought of this for such a long time that my black velvet blazer and my tweed trousers are already getting refitted for a polished Christmas look.


My ultimate favourite casual look this winter, stereotypical as it may be, is the denim shirt and heavy knit combo. Especially if the latter includes a cozy neck and winter motifs. Over the years I've realised how having the back of my neck well protected makes me feel at easy no matter where I am, which is why I love those kind of jumpers or coats with fluffy lapels. I love the touch of the denim shirt in winter because it plays with the idea of a country look but it still looks put together.

I will also be packing my tuxedo shirt, which I'll probably wear with a cardigan or a normal blazer. I love traditional men's tailoring with all my life but I feel like it makes more of a statement if you wear it when it's unexpected rather than to a black tie event. My only two wardrobe regrets to date are not owning a plaid suit (best by Band of Outsiders or John Varvatos) and one of Prada's fw10 knits, which, to me, are simply a must-have this season.

[Pictures: Coute que Coute, The Fashionisto]

+J fw10

Like every season, Jil Sander's collaboration with Uniqlo is hitting the stores and stirring the web with his innovative designs. +J takes on sportswear from a classic tailoring perspective. We'll see the classic flannel blazers and coats and white shirts the designer is known for but also more contemporary pieces like the reversible black and blue nylon jacket (my favourite) or the quilted blazer. The prices, as usual, range between the £120 and the £150, which is baffling but great. I have been buying +J pieces for seasons and I have to say the cashmere jumper from last winter and the crisp blazer from last season look and feel as good as new. It's too bad the line is launching in the middle of the month when I'm not swimming in money, but I will definitely own the nylon jacket this season!

[Pictures: GQ-magazine.co.uk, uniqlo.com/plusJ]