Winter Essential Outerwear

   

Winter fashion hits differently. Cold climates seem to sharpen our style instincts, and the results are extremely evident. Still, the best winter looks come at a cost. Creating something warm yet lightweight demands advanced techniques, and premium materials like goose down and cashmere only push prices higher.

That’s why winter shopping needs strategy. You won’t be rotating outerwear every single day—your coat has to work hard. It needs to blend effortlessly with your wardrobe, hold up to frequent wear, and justify its price with top-tier quality. A good coat should feel as satisfying as a steaming bowl of soup on a freezing day.

To make your choice easier, we’ve reviewed six standout outerwear pieces. From warmth and weight to unique features, these coats deliver everything you need to take on winter in style.

    

Reels with titles like “LEMAIRE at UNIQLO Prices” have been dominating our Instagram feed lately. Christophe Lemaire’s creative direction of the UNIQLO U line ensures his DNA is woven into its pieces with the case in point being this padded jacket. Try it on in-store, and the quality is undeniable. Online? Completely sold out, a testament to its popularity.

But does owning a LEMAIRE piece still hold its own value? That depends on what you prioritize. Your perception of a brand’s worth shapes your decision.

Unboxing the LEMAIRE padded jacket for this review was a moment. Wearing it and seeing the reflection confirmed what we already knew: it’s always the details that define everything. Take the hooded blouson, for example. The buttons and silhouette are what set it apart. Eight buttons line the front, all fully visible even when fastened. LEMAIRE, however, opts for subtlety over flash, keeping the buttons tonal for a refined look.

And then there’s the silhouette. Two darts at the back create rounded shoulders, softening the jacket’s overall structure. The adjustable hood, complete with strings and stoppers, adds more gentle curves to the design. This flow is unmistakably LEMAIRE. Angular lines simply don’t belong in his world.

       

• Weight: 6/10 Slightly lighter than most padded jackets
• Warmth: 8/10
• Size: Men’s 46 (95, M)
• Filling: Recycled down
• Fastening: Zipper and buttons
• Detachable hood: Yes

We all need a black coat. It’s the one piece you can wear every day without getting bored, yet still looks exceptional on special occasions. That’s why it’s essential to own the perfect black coat, and this one checks every box.

With its relaxed tailored fit, it’s roomy enough to layer over a hoodie while still allowing effortless movement. The mohair and virgin wool blend gives it just the right amount of sheen for a polished look. Its double-breasted detail and peaked lapels bring a touch of formal elegance. At 114.1 cm in length, it’s practical too, no need to fuss when going up and down the stairs on the subway or bus. Above all, it’s simply beautiful.

As a signature piece from OUR LEGACY, it comes in a range of versatile shades including black, gray, and camel. It’s the kind of coat you’d want to pass down to your future kids, no exaggeration. When it comes to classics like this, isn’t that what truly matters?

        

• Weight: 2/10 Hefty thanks to its thick, structured fabric
• Warmth: 6/10
• Size: Men’s 44 Slightly oversized fit
• Fabric: 50% Mohair Wool, 30% Virgin Wool, 20% Polyamide (Italian fabric)
• Fastening: Buttons

I’m a rookie hiker just one year in, but since I’ve caught the hiking bug my perspective on outdoor gear has completely shifted. When you start digging into the design of outdoor clothing and bags, you realize everything has a purpose. Take hiking bags, for instance. The straps and pockets are all strategically placed, freeing up your hands while keeping essentials within easy reach. It’s moments like these that make me appreciate the ingenuity behind outdoor gear design and this ROA puffer is no different.

First, the lightweight feel and pocket design stand out. Don’t worry about warmth, it’s more than up to the task. This jacket lets you freely stash away your layers in your bag without worrying about any shoulder strain. Second, the pockets surprised me. The way my hands effortlessly slid into them felt almost like a glide. Plus, you won’t have to stress about losing items from the pockets, thanks to the concealed zippers that keep your stuff secure. With four compartments in the outer pockets alone, not to mention the chest and inner pocket, you’re looking at seven storage spaces. Its minimalist design means you can wear it year after year, offering both functionality and warmth. Truly a cold-weather essential.

       

• Weight: 10/10 Lighter than cotton candy
• Warmth: 7/10 Don’t be fooled by its lightness
• Size: Men’s M
• Fill: 90% White Duck Down, 10% White Duck Feathers
• Hood: Non-removable

  

The “tteokbokki coat”, a piece that always seems to resurface as a wardrobe want. When Winter Sonata aired in 2000, I remember being so entranced by Choi Jiwoo’s buttery-colored tteokbokki coat that I dragged my mom to the department store the very next day. Fast forward to Prada’s FW23 runway, and Kendall Jenner steps out wearing a long tteokbokki coat, once again making my heart race. Trends do always come full circle, it seems.

The proper name for the tteokbokki coat is the duffle coat. With its thick wool fabric and wooden toggles, it’s a classic outerwear piece. Originally, it was a military garment designed to protect the British navy from the harsh sea winds. So why “duffle?” The wool used in the coat was originally produced in the Duffel region of Belgium.

     

So how does Prada’s duffle coat compare? The standout feature here is its short, cropped length. The volume of the coat contrasts beautifully with its cropped silhouette, giving it a cute, almost billiard ball-like charm from afar. But don’t be fooled—this isn’t just a cute coat. Inside, it has a removable padded lining, making it the heaviest and most insulated outerwear option in this review. It’s best paired with just a thin tee underneath. The love for this coat doesn’t end there. The PRADA triangle logo on the back and the leather triangle patch on the front fastening have me ready to swipe my card without hesitation.

     

• Weight: 1/10
• Warmth: 10/10
• Size: Men’s L (Fits smaller than expected)
• Material: Wool
• Fastening: Leather toggles and snap buttons

     

   

The charm of this coat lies directly in its collar. If you button only two of the tteokbokki toggles, the oversized collar will greet you like the ears of a big elephant. Button all three, and the collar takes on a rounder, charming shape. If you fasten all the buttons and stand the collar up, it transforms into a full high-neck style, locking in warmth like a military-grade jacket. This coat draws its design inspiration from the details of a peacoat, and it shows.

   

While it may look like just another tteokbokki coat, the vibe is completely different from Prada’s version. Where the Prada piece has a rounded, cute silhouette, Lemaire’s coat mostly feels like it was plucked straight from a grandpa’s closet with its oversized fit and semi-rugged details. The reason I describe this coat as "rugged" is because of the size of all the details patch pockets, wide sleeves, and the oversized toggles, they’re all notably large. Still, thanks to the sleeve adjusters, you can tailor the fit at the cuffs, and the coat features interior pockets and a black fabric lining that keeps the coat from losing its structure. It may appear nonchalant, but like a generous grandpa, it’s got plenty of heart.

     

• Weight: 4/10
• Warmth: 4/10
• Size: Men’s 48
• Material: 50% Alpaca, 50% Wool
• Fastening: Leather toggles

    

I immediately thought of the 2006 Korean movie The Host when I saw this MAGLIANO bomber. The silhouette of the bomber with its zippered hood flaring open instantly brought back memories of the monster emerging from the Han River with it’s mouth wide open. More specifically, when the zipper on the hood is fully undone the bomber really takes on this eerie look. What is it about this piece that gives mid-2000s monster movie?

When I pulled the oversized hood over my head and looked in the mirror, I realized there was a zipper on top. A quick tug, and the zipper opened smoothly. The hood instantly transformed into a collar. This piece is a master of disguise. It’s a hood, then a collar, just like Jekyll and Hyde. What’s more, the hood is detachable, secured by snap buttons, exposing the raw, concrete-like texture of the snaps, which gives it an industrial, unrefined feel. The inner lining of the hood is made of a rough fabric, adding a wild edge to the look. On either side of the hood are straps, and when you pull them, the collar becomes more sculpted, adding depth and structure. It’s clear: this bomber is not just an outerwear piece, it’s a transformation in itself, splitting the hood’s function into two.

    

• Weight: 8/10
• Warmth: 3/10
• Size: Men’s M
• Material: Polyester
• Fastening: Drawstrings

     

      

I stripped away all the normal styling tricks for this piece. You may have noticed if you're a sharp observer. To show just how amazing these outerwear pieces are I paired them with only the simplest basics: a t-shirt and jeans. Imagine how great these six outerwear pieces would look when styled with a personal twist, blending individuality and charm.

Winter outerwear allows for maximum layering, which is the best way to combat the cold. The more layers you add, the higher the overall impact and the more interesting the styling details become. That's why winter fashion is the most beautiful, and outerwear shopping is the most exciting.