Monday, September 8, 2008

Menswear View: Inclement weather– which will you choose?

Quick Note: Doug will regularly guest blog on J.Crew for men (the "menswear view")- which I think is wonderful! :) (Thank you Doug!) The following is his post:

Perhaps it’s Tropical Storm Hanna that has me thinking about trench coats and slickers. Personally I’m a big fan of the Sutherland trench in blue or British Tan. The Mackintosh is gorgeous but at $800 I had better be able to wear it every day. I’m not particularly fond of the belted Harrison Trench – a bit too stuffy for me. The Sellwood closely resembles the raingear my 8 year old twins have and to be honest it looks much better on them.
So – which is it for you? Any thoughts on the style and fit? How about the color selection?

15 comments:

  1. I haven't seen any of these coats at my B&M. However, I don't wear a lot of tan or khaki colored pieces since they tend to wash me out. With the four choices offered, I like the Mackintosh, but $800? Really?

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  2. yeah i'm still kind of in awe about the Mackintosh's price tag...what makes it special anyway?

    btw, i like the menswear section post.

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  3. I love the Mackintosh and would purchase it for my husband IF we lived where it is rainy a lot, like Seattle or London, but Florida weather doesn't warrant that price tag. The Sutherland would be my second option since it is very similar to the Mackintosh, but with a much more reasonable price tag. :)

    Doug: Thanks for the great post! :)

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  4. I'm not mad about any of them though I'd choose the Mac if I had to -and add an umbrella.

    I'd like to see J Crew carry a great looking parka with hood. I got one a navy one from APC last winter. Loads of pockets, lined, with a hood. Very practical and no need for an umbrella.

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  5. None of these is really working for me. The weather here is less rainy than cool to cold in the fall and winter.

    I have the university jacket which works well for me. I also have a camel seude coat by Strellson which is cut in a similar way. After living in Tokyo I had to have a black leather jacket in a similr cut and length.

    The Mac shown looks good, but is a little too rich for me, at least for a jacket for rain it is.

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  6. I like the classic trench coat for a man. But frankly I have only seen MMiller actually wear rain gear (other than an umbrella or wind jacket) maybe twice. Even when Hanna was here he just carried an umbrella. But I really don't like the Mackintosh jacket it just looked sloppy when I saw it in real life

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  7. Actually Alexis, I'm planning on purchasing the Authentic Peacoat listed last in the outerwear section. Being in NYC, i think it's the best all around for the winter.

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  8. A male friend of mind commented he wished some of the pictures of the Sutherland showed it closed up, as he'd like to see it fits when not open. I'd like to as well, especially since the coat looks a little on the crumpled, baggy side. Is that the style now?

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  9. The husband recently picked up an outlet version of the Sutherland for less than half the price. It looks almost identical, though I think it may be slightly lighter weight. He's trying to dress a bit better but balks at J Crew's prices, even though their clothes fit him perfectly. Thank goodness for the outlets! Unfortunately he's not much of a shopper or I'd get him to stalk the online sales like I do!

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  10. I really love the Mackintosh but can't believe the $800 price tag. Even if it becomes a Final Sale/Clearance item it is going to be $400--still too much. To J. Crew's defense, Mackintosh Rainwear IS pricey and an equivalent Duncan would run $900. Still, I don't think it is reasonable for most J. Crew shoppers (same goes for the $10,000 Rolex).

    I saw the Sutherland in a store and thought it looked great...until I walked around to the back. They had it pinned to give it more of a fitted look--which looked great. Unfortunately, without pins or tailoring, it is probably going to be baggy/wrinkly.

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  11. The Mackintosh jacket is made from a rubberized fabric and compared to the Sutherland and Harrison trench, it is the only one that's really waterproof. I was hoping to get one, but they seem hard to find right now and I might just end up ordering one straight from Mackintosh closer into the season.

    I do have the rain slicker on order though and it should hopefully ship soon. It should be good to wear on the weekends when running errands out to the market and such.

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  12. I've actually tried the Sutherland on, terrible. It feels like a heavy cape. Too loose.

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  13. Doug: Thank you again for guest blogging!!! :)

    FFM: I like the Mackintosh too! Actually, the Gap has a version of the Mackintosh (even pronounced the same way, just spelled differently) available online (and for a fraction of the price!)

    Jeff T: I think the peacoat is a wonderful choice! :) I think J.Crew's peacoats look incredibly stylish. Also, thanks for letting us know that the Sutherland is heavy- that definitely makes it less attractive for me.

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  14. It's actually quite hard to buy coats. The problem I have is their length. Wish there are two different lengths - short and regular. It's odd when coats drape like a lab coat. If it's a perfect fit, I like the yellow one. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I like to be seen in the rain - don't want to get knocked down in the dark.

    Patrick

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  15. Patrick: I agree with that! My raincoats are always brightly colored for that reason. :) My very favorite is still one in a soft lemon yellow (sort of like what you see around Easter). I am biased, though, as yellow is my favorite color.

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