Civilized readers of this column might be amazed to hear that there is anything good about winter. Civilization progresses more smoothly when people have a chance to shed clothing, not layer it on. But, this winter I did discover three ways to ease the pain:
I have seen many men looking great while wearing a watch cap: all of them were outdoors when wearing one. The other night we saw a fifty-something guy wearing a striped one while standing inside at a restaurant bar. He looked very silly.
To be honest, I have never looked particularly good in one of the many woolen hats/caps that I have tried wearing. The last couple of years I've tried two Patagonia models: one dark green with a peak, the other black and worn tight to the head. They just kept me warm.
The watch caps shown about are made in France by Saint James; they will change your watch cap life forever. The sizing and ribbing allows for the perfect combination of fit, comfort and warmth. Even my wife says that I look good in them. That, friends, is a tremendous accomplishment. In all likelihood only the French could have done this for me.
I bought the red one at The Royal Male in Newport one blustery day, then bought the navy and black at the Saint James shop on Madison Avenue (79th & 80th). I now guard them with my life and have been known to wear them comfortably and confidently in the privacy of my home.
I strongly urge you to procure several of these for next fall and winter. They are a great value at around $30.
When my taste buds begin to tell me it's time to eat something covered in chimichurri sauce and share it with friends, I get into my little red jeep and drive to Costco* to buy rib-eye steaks. This happened one day last December and that is when I saw the coat pictured above.
As with love, you find classic style in the most unlikely places. Costco turns out to have some sense of style, either by design or mistake. Who knew? This WeatherProof coat lay on a table with a hundred others in three colors: black as above, and two shades of brown.
I bought the black one for $40 so I could be warm while walking the dog late at night in winter. My twelve year-old Barbour ceases keeping me warm at about 35F and I never bought a liner.
This coat has performed superbly all season long, so much so that I just wear it all the time, even over a grey suit. At the train platform it has been mistaken for a Zegna or Prada coat costing thirty times as much. The coat has a very simple design with only two unobtrusive pocket zippers showing in front; it has an interior zippered liner, comes with a hood, and is waterproof. If Jill Sander designed a discount store line, this would be the one.
You may remember that the dimwits who make this coat tried to sleazily capitalize on a Times Square photo of President O wearing one. Shame. But, it's a hell of a good coat for forty bucks.
About ten years ago, while walking past Britches, a shop in New Canaan, CT. with my daughter, I spied a pair of brown boots in the window. They turned out to be semi-waterproof leather field boots made in France. They were expensive, a little roomy, and I bought them.
Over the years this snap decision did not bring great results. The arch on the boots was just too flat; a thin sock left too much room in the toe and a thick one left my instep aching. These are lifelong shoe afflictions. I have written about this trouble before and will do so again.
My eventual solution (above) was to purchase a pair of Timberland black leather waterproof boots. The interior sole has warming insulation and the arch support is excellent. These boots are as comfortable as boat shoes and can easily be worn without socks. They are actually waterproof, meaning, friends, that they keep water out without your having to wax them.
I bought them for about $100 on Broadway in Soho, NY last spring. I had been wearing those uncomfortable French boots that day, and upon leaving the shop, I gave them to a man who was collecting money for the homeless. He must have been happy to get them, because, when I looked back I could see him struggling to get them on. Hope he doesn't have high arches.
* A note to my butcher friend, John. As you know, when cooking for 2-3, I only use your grass fed Argentinian-raised beef, as advised by The Master, Francis Mallman in his brilliant book, Seven Fires.
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