There are lots of style options available online or on the high street, and which style you opt for will largely depend on where you usually wear your coat (to work, or out with your friends). You might prefer to buy two coats: one professional for going to and from work, and one more casual for the rest of the time.

A good coat will rest somewhere between the top of your thighs and your knees and it will comfortably fit over any jacket you might need to wear as part of a suit.  A woollen coat will keep you toasty warm, but some people find that the collar and cuffs irritate their skin. You could still go for a warm woollen coat and just wear a scarf and some gloves as a layer between your coat’s fabric and your skin. There are coats that have a layer between the lining and the outer fabric filled with down or man-made insulating material to add extra warmth – ideal if you travel to work by public transport and have to spend a lot of time standing around in the cold.

If you know what size suit jacket you would normally take, buy your coat in the next size up to allow room for whatever clothes you’ll be wearing beneath. Make sure you can do up the buttons with no gaping holes in between when you stand up straight. Check that the cuffs reach just past the cuffs of your jumper or shirt jacket.

Dark, neutral coloured coats will go with pretty much any item of mens clothing and won’t need to be washed as often as pale-coloured coats would. Check the wash instructions before you buy and be sure that you’ll be able to keep it clean easily. Many coats especially those with an high wool content are dry-clean only. Be sure to give it a good clean after you have finished wearing it for the year (when the weather picks up) and keep it somewhere safe and dry until next year. If you’ve chosen a classic style you’ll be able to wear it year upon year.

This is a guest post by Claire Chat a new Londoner, travel passionate and animal lover. She blogs about Pets and Travelling in Europe. If you want Claire to write you specific content, you can find email her here or contact her on Twitter (Claire_Chat).

The post Men: How to Pick a Winter Coat appeared first on Fashion and Lifestyle Trends for Men & Women.

Get the Full Picture

If you’re shopping online, it’s important to pay attention to what you’re buying. Luckily, you’re average menswear website will offer some good quality photos of their products, so you can be sure you know what you’re getting. Problems may arise however when photos don’t correctly display the entirety of the garment. I once had a friend who bought a pair of shorts online, only to be disappointed to find that when they arrived, they had a giant spider’s web design stitched the whole way across the back. Learn from his mistake and be careful with what you’re buying.

Is the Website Safe?

This is more of a general web safety tip, but it especially applies when clothes shopping online. Does the website look secure? Can you pay with most major credit cards or via Paypal over a secure connection? If you can, this is a good sign that the site is genuine. Also, be careful of deals that are too good to be true. If a website is offering designer goods at a fraction of their retail price, they are most probably poor quality fakes and there will be something hidden away in the website’s terms and conditions that stop you from returning the goods for this reason.

Shipping

Ordering clothes from a menswear website can be ideal if you’re too busy to spend your weekends traipsing around shopping centres, so most are happy to pay a small fee for shipping if online shopping saves them time. It’s always important to check exactly what you are paying for shipping though, you might not have realised that you were shopping on a foreign website, which might charge a large fee to ship to your country. If possible, also arrange a delivery time for your clothes that is suitable for your circumstances. You save very little time if you have to keep heading to the post depot to pick up your online orders.

Sizing

One of the hardest things about shopping for menswear online is that you have no way of getting your sizing right for sure. If you’re shopping on the website of a high street chain that you already buy from regularly, you should be fine. But if you’re ordering from an online-only company, make sure to check their sizing guides to give yourself the best chance of getting the right fit. If not, it isn’t the end of the world, most online retailers will offer a 30-day returns policy similar to what any chain store would offer you.

Stylepilot is menswear website for men to discover which styles and items to purchase.

The post Tips for Buying Men’s Clothes Online appeared first on Fashion and Lifestyle Trends for Men & Women.