Winter is just getting started, and if you haven't broken out the big coat yet, trust that you will soon. There are many varieties of big coat—puffers, ski coats, parkas—and while we're into all of them, when we think about big coats, we think primarily about topcoats.
Whether you prefer the term “topcoat” or “overcoat,” the best ones can fit any number of layers underneath. They tend to be long, and, for the sake of the season, should be fairly heavy. Your grandparents wore them, old Hollywood celebrities wore them, and we wear them today for the very same reasons: Whether you're stepping out in a suit or your softest old hoodie and jeans , throwing a topcoat over it all will keep you so much warmer, and help you walk a little taller.
To help you layer up like history's most advanced dressers, we rounded up the most handsome options of the season, all done up in the ritziest cold-weather fabrics on the planet.
