Menswear Must-Haves: 4 Ways to Upgrade Your Fall/Winter Style Game

With the fall season in full swing and winter weather blues at our doorstep, the timing couldn’t be better to upgrade your wardrobe. Black Enterprise caught up with Philadelphia native Sabir M. Peele, the founder and creative director of Men’s Style Pro, an online fashion and lifestyle destination for men.

“This is the perfect time of year to take the bull by the horns and attack the elements in style, said Peele. For guys, it’s a great time to experiment with layering, beefier fabrics and sleek but rugged footwear.”

Below Peele shares his tricks and tips to help you “look sharp and fall ready” this season.

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Layering
Most guys have the wrong idea about layering. Typically, you see a guy piling on as many oversized pieces as possible in an attempt to stay warm. But before you stack on a bunch of hoodies and sweatshirts, let’s start thinking more creatively and tailored about the layering process.

Your favorite denim jacket will become your ultimate layer piece this fall. Find a denim jacket that hugs your shoulders. Layer it under your favorite wool trench as a take on the classic cardigan layering style. Keep the pieces that are layered under your denim jacket thin–think fine gauge sweaters, henleys, or a T-shirt.

Mr. Rogers taught us one thing about great fall layering, always rock a cardigan! Instead of reaching for your everyday, fine gauge thin cardigan, opt for a chunky knit and use it as your piece of outerwear. Thinking about rocking a full three-piece suit? Use your chunky cardigan as your new “blazer” and leave the suit jacket at home.

Heavy Weight Suit
Suiting up during the cold weather months calls for heavy weight fabrics. Toothy wools, tweeds, and corduroys will take you

through your daily commute to work in warmth and style. If this is your first time venturing into heavy weight suiting fabrics, try a familiar but heightened blue tweed. It’ll be one of your most versatile suits that will work great as separates. Invest in a tan thin wale corduroy suit. You’ll be able to create hundreds of looks from one suit.

For the sartorial adventurist, find a tweed or wool suit in popping plaid or windowpane patterns. Patterns translate well to beefy fabrics because they add dimension to your overall look without taking over the look. The key to making strong patterns work is to pair them with solid basics such as solid Oxford cotton or blue denim shirts. This is also the time to ditch your silk ties and pull out your heavy weight fabric ties too! Search for patterns in houndstooth, herringbone, and buffalo checks to complement your suit.

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Outerwear
Over the years, you’ve probably added a pea coat, parka, and a goose-down jacket to your cold weather repertoire and now it’s time to add a bomber style jacket. With its military heritage, the modern bomber jacket pays homage to that heritage and adds modern twists. Varsity jacket style bombers with contrasting sleeves are the perfect pieces of outwear for the sporty guy (even if you’ve never picked up a ball in your entire life). If you’re looking for something with a bit of edge, try a patterned bomber in camo or plaid. The key to any good bomber jacket is fit. Bomber jackets should fall right at your waist and hug your shoulders.

Footwear
Making the investment in quality footwear is one of the best things you’ll do for your wardrobe. During the fall, there’s no better investment than quality boots. Finding a

boot that will last and that’s multifunctional is the key to fall footwear success. Before reaching for your construction-style kicks, thinking of adding a rugged dress boot to your collection. Brands like Cobbler Union & Cole Haan meld classic boot styling with a classic shoe aesthetic. With details such as pebble grain leather, cap-toe front and waterproof vibram and lunar soles your fall/winter boot style with trump everyone around.

Follow Sabir M Peele, @MensStylePro on Twitter and Instagram.

“Philadelphia-native, Sabir M. Peele is the founder & creative director of the men’s editorial blog, Men’s Style Pro. He was selected as one of the “5 Best Dressed Men In America” by Esquire Magazine & GQ Magazine’s #GQFall’s Best Dressed, respectively. Outside of running Men’s Style Pro, Sabir serves as a freelance brand consultant working with brands and publications like Z Zegna, AskMen.com,  GQ, Men’s Health, Johnston & Murphy and many others.”