Your winter jackets wrapped up: our top picks
Your winter jackets wrapped up: our top picks It’s that time of year again. Dark nights, chilly mornings and…dare I even say it… (gasp)…the countdown to Christmas. What a thought. Soon they’ll be little hopping Father Christmases everywhere and Mariah Carey every five minutes on the radio. Brace yourselves. I stretched it out as long as possible this year, but last week I gave in. The same week the heating went on. The lightweight jackets and macs went back into the wardrobe for another year and the winter wardrobe came out. I’m not quite there yet with donning the gloves and scarves, but I’m definitely not braving it in my beer jacket anymore. Or at least, I need to be drinking a lot more beer to feel warm! We all get that feeling every year don’t we? We go to examine our winter stock, reaching far into the darkest depths of our wardrobes for last year’s staple winter coat and assess the situation. And the outcomes usually fall into three camps. The first being: “Was I really wearing that last year (rusty orange really isn’t my colour)?” The second: “I know it doesn’t fit/has a stain on it/the cuffs are fraying, but it’ll do for another year”. And finally: “Why didn’t that get binned off last year – it’s had its day”. If you’re anything like me, if I like something, I buy it in every colour and wear it until it has holes in the elbows. Last winter I fell in love with the Harris Tweed woolen blazer collection; and my wife adored the ‘Kate’ checked jacket. And although I say it every year, the range of original Harris Tweed designs just keeps getting better and better. Every season there is always an added twist or a new detail to make it different from the last collection. No two pieces are ever the same. This season they’ve come up trumps again and, in my opinion, the arrival of two key (master) pieces tops it: the stunning (and both limited edition!) Murdo and Stuart designs. Crafted in a Brown Barley Twist Harris Tweed, the Murdo stands out with its contrasting autumn mustard yellow lining, slanted hip pockets and ticket pocket. Look even closer and it has the classic brown elbow patches, genuine leather buttons and – of course – the label of authentic Harris Tweed. I can definitely see this as a timeless winter weekender, teamed with a pair of dark green cords or moleskin trousers. Additionally, the Stuart hits the mark for me because of its sheer versatility. Made using Plain Grey Harris Tweed, the co-ordinated fleur-de-lis silver lining is something very, very special indeed. Charcoal elbow patches and genuine leather buttons finish it off, to make this my favourite ‘all-round’ piece of the current season: a genuine ‘must-buy’ and one that will definitely be making an appearance in my new winter wardrobe. For the ladies, my favourite jacket this season is the classic red duffle coat. Also available in black, it’s fully lined with two front pockets and the definitive toggle fastenings. Team with black skinny jeans and flat boots for a chic, cosy daytime look. My wife has one on order. Be sure to check out all our latest winter coats and jackets at TSKC, as well as our Harris Tweed range. Remember we ship all over the world, so don’t miss out on your very own piece of Scotland, wherever you are!