Outerwear: completing the look

Most people spend a fair amount of time considering what they are going to wear each day. Choosing the right shoes for a meeting or the tie that perfectly compliments both our shirt and our mood are common morning decisions. This process seems to stop when it comes to outerwear. For example, "Oh, it's raining... I'll grab my plastic rain slicker with the hoodie." This is not acceptable for anyone over the age of sixteen. 

Outerwear is fundamental to projecting your image, after all it is the first thing that people will see. If you have a fleece zip up on over a great looking shirt and tie, you are effectively committing fashion suicide. 

Pea coats, car coats, and even trench coats are regaining popularity and the overcoat and traditional men's raincoat have never gone out of fashion. These give you additional options and can make it seem as if you own more clothes than you actually do. For instance in spring you can pair a lightweight raincoat with a shirt and tie for a hip high-style look. In late fall throw the same raincoat over a blazer or suit jacket for a more formal structured look. 

The key when choosing outerwear is picking pieces that can do more than one job within your wardrobe. Removable liners help make overcoats more practical for winter, spring, and fall. Lighter weight outerwear adds versatility in that they can be worn over sweaters, and even other jackets. 

Take these thoughts into consideration the next time you reach for that winter coat your mom bought you for college, you know the one that makes you look like the kid from 'A Christmas Story.' Does that thing really go with any look?