Accessories to Beat the Cold
How to Keep Your Extremities Warm and Your Style Warmer
You walk an extremely fine line when buying and wearing traditional accessories. Since the heyday of gentleman’s accessories (generally speaking the 1930s-60s), many of these old-fashioned things have taken on associations that aren’t necessarily positive. Be it a famous court case or risking the appearance of an alcoholic, you would not want to yourself associated with them. However as the air crisps and the sky darkens before five in the evening, we believe it is the best time to make use of some more old-fashioned things, and it is prime time to start an interest in them should you have none. See below for a lighthearted yet serious guide for what to look for, how to wear, and how to keep up appearances while dodging dodgy associations.
The first and likely the safest of these is a pair of cashmere-lined leather gloves. An absolute necessity if you live somewhere where you aren’t walking from the door to the car and back, or if you live anywhere that is exceptionally cold. While these will occasionally draw comparisons to the character Hitman or a certain American football player (make sure your pair fits), in many places they’re so necessary the association is easily avoided. Investing in a proper pair will yield a much better experience year over year, and as long as they are stored in a cool and dry place, will last forever.
We recommend the cashmere-lined leather Gloves from J. Crew, or if you are willing to spend a bit extra, winter glove maker Hestra offers excellent lined leather gloves in a wide variety of styles and linings (skiers will also know this brand for their mittens which we can vouch for as well should you be in the market). Cashmere is the best lining for this type of glove due to its exceptionally plush hand feel and all day comfort. We believe black is the best color here, because no matter the colors or textures of the outfit you’re wearing, it can fit in. The J. Crew gloves also have an interesting houndstooth pattern on the underside of the wrist to turn up if your jacket sleeve is too slim to go over the glove.
Next up is the scarf, another item that is much more common should you live in a metropolitan area without universal access to cars. While there is no necessary association other than being French, the scarf, when worn correctly, is a practical and stylish addition to the winter wardrobe. If you spend much time on social media you may know there is a heated debate among Gen Z and Millennials about scarf styling. Let us know how you wrap your scarves.
For a more traditional eye, as long as you ensure your scarf is longer than 40 inches and does not contain too much synthetic material (we recommend <30%), you will have plenty of softness to wrap your neck in. Normally we would be opposed to synthetic materials entirely although for scarves it can make them more comfortable and wearable for longer periods of time. Raw wool has a tendency to be itchy over time on your neck as it is a more sensitive area. Due to this we recommend a soft cashmere or lambswool in a solid color or tartan pattern. You can find quality ones secondhand from eBay or new from a variety of retailers. The classic Burberry tartan scarf or Ralph Lauren’s offerings this season that can be found here; most of which are traditionally styled and made of high-quality wool.
Venturing into new territory, something that we feel is extremely underrated in winter wear, a traditionally styled wool or felt hat. Be it a newsboy, beanie, flat cap, or fedora, it may be necessary on exceptionally cold days and can come in handy for a Halloween costume or two. The associations vary wildly based on your style choice; we believe a fedora is best worn with a suit for historical and aesthetic accuracy, or a Halloween evening spent as a detective. Flat caps and newsboys are much more approachable should you want to venture outside of beanie territory, and are warmer as a result of the heavier wool fabric. If you have a grey three-piece suit like the one Jack wrote about in our eBay Chronicles series a few weeks ago (check that out here), it’s an easy signifier of a Peaky Blinder around Halloween too.
Aside from beanie styles (one is shown above), vintage is the recommended route here, as both milliners and fabrics used for hats are not what they used to be. If you do live in NYC though, the milliner community is still very strong in places like the East Village and Upper East Side. Ensure any fedoras are rabbit felt, and that any caps are tweed. We recommend browsing eBay or visiting East Village Hats if you are in NYC or Salmagundi Hats for our Boston crowd.
“A quick swig of an aged bourbon or 12-year-old scotch has the unique ability to stabilize your internal temperature.”
Hear me out on this one—a stainless steel hip flask. You can wear as much tweed and shetland wool as you’d like, January in the northeast will still chill you to your core. A sip of an aged bourbon or 12-year-old scotch has the unique ability to stabilize your internal temperature. A personal favorite shape of ours is circular rather than the traditional rectangular style, as this allows the flask to be a little lower profile while still maintaining a healthy 6oz size. Of course, we are not advocating bringing it to work and depleting it during the day; rather for the walk to the train station after a particularly trying day, or while venturing to a Saturday night rendezvous with your closest well-dressed friends.
Lastly, but no less important if you’re like the author and prone to cold weather mucus, the handkerchief. There are few brands that still make the real thing, but we can recommend Brooks Brothers (who is having quite the renaissance currently in many ways, be on the lookout for a write-up about them), who make sets of 3, 7, or 12. Pure cotton is best for the winter, linen for the summer. This shouldn’t be something you use as a pocket square, rather something you keep on the opposite inside jacket pocket in case you or one of your cohorts need it. Winter winds can be relentless, and keeping up a clean and hygienic appearance is always in your best interest, you never know who you’ll run into.
We at TNBC will always be proponents of the classics, and this list combines items with history and practicality to give you the warmest and most comfortable winter you’ve ever lived. While we stand behind our recommendations, we encourage you not to take them as gospel, and also explore local, small business options in your area. The old fashioned products industry is a dying one, and we believe in doing our best to keep it breathing for the next generation of gentlemen.