Today’s post is brought to you by Indochino and features their Essential Camel Military Coat.

It’s January and that means a good portion of the world is in the middle of winter – and for those of us who are, it means we’re freezing. The last couple of weeks in Utah have been insanely cold and I know other parts of the world haven’t faired any better.

As men become more and more style conscious, you will see a move away from nylon jackets and ski coats. My experience has been that the majority instead will start to pick up peacoats – which I strongly recommend. But, once you have that in your rotation, you’ll want to add something a bit more unique.

A great way to do that is with a military coat. While a peacoat has military origins, there are some distinct differences. A military coat will:

• Be either single or double-breasted
• Have a working belt so to secure everything a bit more. This also helps make your chest and shoulders look broader if you cinch it up a bit.
• Have epaulets on the shoulders
• Have a working throat latch so you’re covered up as much as possible on those bitingly cold days.

While it may look more casual because of the add-ons it’s still an entirely appropriate coat to be worn over a suit. If you’re going the custom or made-to-measure route, you’ll want to know the measurements of your suit jacket so you can ensure that the coat covers its jacket body and sleeves. If you’re getting one off the rack, I strongly recommend wearing in a suit or blazer to try on with the coat for the same reason.

Part of distinguishing your second coat from your Staple is getting a unique color. Navy, grey, and black are all drab, somber colors. There’s a reason they’re worn in winter but there’s also a reason to break from the norm. This coat is a camel color and it stands out without being garish.

This particular coat from Indochino allows you the option of a leather scarf strap. If you wear a scarf you know how easy it can be to misplace one after taking it off. This simple solution keeps it with your coat and makes it much more difficult to lose or forget. I find myself wearing a scarf more often now because I don’t have to worry about losing it.

Like their other clothing, you’ll have a good range of customization including vents, lining colors, pockets, and whether you want a single or double-breasted option.

Wear this like you’ll wear your peacoat and keep it rotating for some visual variety during the months where everyone else looks exactly the same.

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UPDATE: Unfortunately the Camel version of this coat has completely sold out. However, it’s still available in black and navy. My opinion, still worth it.

PS. Follow me on Twitter for updates and insights.

Once you get color, pattern, and texture, you can start worrying about sheen. Don’t worry though, this is advanced stuff and I’m addressing it more for the sake of information than instruction. However, if you feel like you’re ready for it, by all means start adding some variety.

In a similar vein to texture, different materials reflect light differently. These reflections are called the sheen and each material has a different sheen to it.

For the most part, a shinier material (one with more sheen) is considered to be more formal and also more dandyish, while those that are more dull are considered more casual and rugged. For example, you have very different mental images when you think of silk or tweed.

You will want to combine flat materials and shiny materials the same way you combine varying patterns or textures. It adds visual variety and will keep you from looking too uniform. For example, if you’re wearing a winter-weight wool suit you will want to pair it with a silk tie and/or square to give it some visual balance. This is the same reason you shine your shoes as most dress pants are made of materials that have a more matte appearance – it’s why suede shoes look more casual.

Keep in mind that this is for business or after-dark use only. Shinier materials (especially in larger quantities) are more refined. From a masculine perspective they connote a sense of abundant safety. Silk is a luxury material and it’s not made for practical purposes.

So for those of you in the business world, consider adding some variation to your wardrobe by purchasing some silk squares or even a silk scarf. It’ll give you some visual variety and a new challenge in dressing better.

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I have a clear affinity for go-to-hell clothing. The world of men is a very serious one and sometimes your clothing should reflect that you’re not always as serious as your environment. However, the idea of wearing loud, in-your-face colors and patterns is disconcerting for a lot of men.

Thankfully loud clothing is more of a spectrum than a binary. Smaller patterns like those on the socks above are a perfect way to strike a balance between work and play.

If you want to give the world a more subtle damnation go with more muted colors, on smaller articles of clothing, and in smaller patterns. It’s a far cry from the patch madras pants you’ll see on Hampton’s men this summer.

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