Tweed, Cord and Cable Knit: A Man's Guide to Winter Dressing

Why winter rewards texture

Summer clothes are about lightness. Winter clothes are about texture, and that is the season's great advantage. A herringbone tweed, a fine-wale cord and a cable knit each have a surface you can see from across the room, so an outfit built from them looks rich even in plain browns and greys.

The skill is in the mix. Two textures look considered; four can look like fancy dress. Pair one strong texture with quieter ones and you will look like a man who dresses well rather than a man dressed as a country squire.

The tweed jacket

A tweed jacket is the most useful thing a man can own between October and March. It is warmer than a suit jacket, smarter than a knit, and it works with almost everything from jeans to flannels.

The Gauthier blazer (£159.00) is a herringbone tweed in a wool blend, with soft notched lapels, three buttons, patch pockets and a centre vent. The patch pockets make it relaxed, so it looks best with denim, a knit or an open-collared shirt. It comes in brown, grey and dark grey.

The Damien blazer (£159.00) is the sharper of the two: a brown houndstooth with flap pockets, a two-button front and a slim, structured shoulder. Wear it to the office with a shirt and tie, or to dinner with a fine knit underneath.

Fasten the top button of a two-button jacket, the middle of a three, and never the bottom of either.

Corduroy, cut properly

Corduroy has escaped its schoolteacher reputation, largely because the best trousers are now cut like tailoring. Look for a fine wale, which is the width of the ribs, a high rise and a clean, straight leg.

The Maxence trousers (£69.00) are exactly that: fine-wale cord with a forward pleat each side, a high rise with buttoned side adjusters so you can do without a belt, and turn-ups at the hem. A touch of elastane keeps them comfortable through the day.

Cord and tweed belong together, but they should not match. Choose a trouser that is clearly darker or clearly lighter than the jacket. Brown cord under grey tweed, or dark brown cord under a mid-brown houndstooth, both work. The same brown on both looks like a suit that went wrong.

The knit underneath

A knit under a tweed jacket replaces a shirt and tie for most of the winter. The rule is that the knit should be finer than the jacket, so it sits flat beneath it.

The Armand jumper (£79.00) is a brushed crew neck with a soft halo and a subtle grid texture, thick enough to be warm but fine enough to wear under a blazer. It comes in five muted shades; beige and camel sit well under brown tweed, grey under grey.

At the weekend, a heavier knit can be the outer layer. The Laurent quarter-zip (£79.00) is a deep cable knit with a zipped stand collar, worn closed against the wind or open over a shirt collar. It is too substantial to wear under a fitted jacket, so wear it on its own, or under a roomy overcoat.

Boots to finish it

Tweed and cord ask for something with weight at the foot. A Chelsea boot is the easiest choice because it slips under a trouser without fuss. The Gaspard boots (£149.00) have a squared toe, Western stitching across the front and a stacked heel, with a burnished finish that looks lived-in from the first day. They suit cord and denim; with formal tailoring, wear a laced shoe instead.

Three ways to wear it

For the weekend: the Gauthier blazer, the Armand crew neck in camel, dark jeans and the Gaspard boots in dark brown. Easy, warm and smart enough for lunch somewhere good.

For the office: the Damien blazer, a white shirt with no tie, the Maxence trousers in a darker brown and polished brown shoes.

For dinner: the Damien blazer over the Armand knit in grey, the Maxence trousers and a polished loafer. Swap a shirt and tie for a fine knit and you are dressed for any restaurant in the country.