Men's Winter Outfits by Temperature: 22 Complete Looks From 50°F to Below Zero

Men's winter outfits work when you dress for the thermometer, not the calendar. Our stylists build every one from five parts, in this order: a coat matched to the temperature, a knit that does the insulating, trousers in a cloth with some weight, boots on a rubber sole, and accessories that cover the last ten degrees. Above 45°F, a topcoat over a fine merino crewneck is enough. Between 33 and 44°F, the coat has to shed rain and the boots have to cope with slush. From 20 to 32°F, heavy wool and a cable knit take over, with gloves and a scarf. Below 20°F, or whenever the wind chill drops below zero, it is down or shearling, lined boots and a hat over your ears.

Below are 22 complete winter outfits for men, for town and travel rather than the slopes, sorted into those four bands and by the day ahead: the commute, weekend errands, dinner out, a travel day, a snowy weekend away and a holiday lunch. Each band comes with the pieces to buy, from Brunello Cucinelli, Zegna, Moncler, Tom Ford and eighteen other houses.

Men's winter outfits at a glance

Every cold-weather outfit below also keeps to one of two colour families, the way Vêtir's stylists dress. Navy, indigo denim and black go with gray, white, ivory, olive and burgundy. Brown, camel and tan go with ecru, cream, gray flannel, olive and burgundy. Our stylists never put the brown family with navy, denim or black in one outfit, so pick a family for the day and the coat, knit and boots will always agree.

Layering for men: three layers, and the two numbers that pick the band

The National Weather Service's own advice for going out in extreme cold is to dress in layers. Our stylists give each layer one job. Against the skin, a cotton shirt for an office day or thin merino for a long day outside. In the middle, a knit, or with tailoring the suit jacket itself. Outside, a coat that stops wind and water, so its cloth, finish or fill matters as much as its thickness. Each layer should be a little roomier than the one beneath it: a knit squashed flat under a tight coat loses the loft that keeps you warm.

Two numbers decide which band you are in. The first is the morning low, not the afternoon high. In New York's Central Park the January normals for 1991 to 2020 are a low of 27.8°F and a high of 39.5°F, so a typical January commute starts in our freezing band and comes home in the 33-to-44°F one. Dress for the morning and let the scarf come off at lunch. At Chicago O'Hare the January normals are 18.8°F and 31.6°F, which puts the morning walk in our coldest band. The second number is wind chill. The Weather Service defines it only for temperatures at or below 50°F and winds above 3 mph, and its wind chill chart gives a blunt example: at 0°F with a 15 mph wind, the wind chill is -19°F, at which exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes. When a forecast gives a feels-like temperature, pick the band by that.

Our stylists' fitting-room checks for a coat over a knit:

• Button it over your heaviest knit. If the front pulls or the knit bunches at the armholes, the coat is too small for January, however it looked over a shirt in October.
• Reach for a subway pole. The knit cuff should stay inside the coat sleeve, and the coat sleeve should still cover your wrist bone.
• Sit down in it. A parka or down coat should still cover your seat when you sit, or a cold train seat finds the gap.

45°F and up: a topcoat, a fine knit and nothing on your head

This is early winter, and all of winter in the mildest cities. The cold is real at the bus stop and gone in a heated office, so the knit must be fine enough to wear indoors all day: merino at 16 to 18 gauge, or cashmere and silk. The coat is a topcoat or car coat, lined but not padded.

• 1. The anthracite commute. Brunello Cucinelli's lightweight anthracite wool topcoat, a navy cashmere crewneck over a white shirt, light gray flannel trousers and black leather Chelsea boots on a rubber sole.
• 2. The Saturday car coat. Zegna's light taupe cashmere car coat, a light camel cashmere-and-silk crewneck, ecru corduroys and dark brown suede boots. Its hood stows away, its listing says: enough rain protection for a coffee run.
• 3. Dinner at 50°F. TOTEME's navy felted wool coat over a black fine wool crewneck, charcoal flannel trousers and black grained-leather Chelsea boots. Navy over black reads as one dark column, softer than black head to toe.
• 4. The flight out. Burberry's black shell car coat, a mid-gray merino crewneck, black corduroy jeans and black lug-sole Chelsea boots, with a cashmere beanie in the pocket for the other end. Its listing calls the shell lightweight and easy to pack.
• 5. A mild Thanksgiving lunch. Kiton's dark green loden car coat with its red windowpane, a burgundy cashmere crewneck that picks up the check, over a white oxford shirt, mid-gray flannel trousers and dark brown suede loafers. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26 this year; if yours is colder, our men's Thanksgiving outfits go further.

Zegna's car coat is cashmere with a wool lining and polyester padding, water repellent by its listing, and 76 cm long on a size 48, short enough to drive in. Brunello Cucinelli's anthracite coat is lined with a double back vent, and TOTEME's felted wool coat falls just below the knee in a relaxed cut, its listing says; our stylists would take the usual size and let it hang. Zegna's navy coat is mostly wool with a little cashmere and stretch, and Kiton's loden is cashmere in a windowpane check. Browse more men's coats.

For the knit, gauge matters more than the fiber's name. Zegna's Cashseta crewneck is knitted at 18 gauge from 70% cashmere and 30% mulberry silk, its listing says, fine enough to wear under a jacket all day. Prada's pale blue crewneck is superfine wool, and Brunello Cucinelli's pale beige rollneck is plain cashmere, the knit to wear in place of a shirt and tie. Thom Browne's merino crewneck runs small by the listing's own note, which suggests a size up. Our guide to the best cashmere sweaters for men covers ply and gauge.

33 to 44°F: cold rain, slush and the shoes that survive it

Our stylists call this the hardest band, because the problem is water rather than cold. A wool coat that soaks through on the way in is heavy, slow to dry and still damp when you leave. So the outer layer changes to a water-repellent raincoat, a padded parka or a coat finished against light rain, over the same fine knits. Two more rules: no suede, which marks in slush, and trousers hemmed with no break, so the hem stays out of the wet.

• 6. The rainy-day suit. Zegna's navy microfiber raincoat over a charcoal suit, Brunello Cucinelli's pale beige cashmere rollneck in place of a shirt and tie, and John Lobb's black Chelsea boots on a rubber lug sole. The raincoat measures 95 cm on a size 48, by its listing, long enough to cover a suit jacket.
• 7. Errands in the drizzle. Zegna's olive hooded twill coat, Prada's pale blue superfine wool crewneck, dark indigo jeans and Moncler's black rubber ankle boots. The coat has a rain-resistant finish and a wool lining, its listing says.
• 8. A wet-night dinner. Kiton's charcoal raincoat over a black cable crewneck, mid-gray flannel trousers and black leather Chelsea boots.
• 9. Landing in the rain. Brunello Cucinelli's navy microfiber parka, padded with Thermore and fitted with a packable hood, over a mid-gray merino crewneck, navy pleated flannel trousers and Givenchy's black canvas-and-leather boots on a lug sole.
• 10. A long day on foot in town. Brunello Cucinelli's dark slate-blue cashmere coat, finished, its listing says, against the slightest contact with water, over a navy cashmere crewneck, light gray flannel trousers and Prada's black zip boots on a light rubber sole.
• 11. A holiday lunch in sleet. Zegna's taupe microfiber raincoat, a plum cashmere crewneck over a cream shirt, Zegna's chocolate corduroys and John Lobb's dark brown Peak boots. Taupe sits happily with browns, and plum keeps the outfit from looking like a uniform.

Read the finish, not the fabric name. Zegna's Motorin raincoat and Brunello Cucinelli's parka and cashmere coat each list a water-repellent or water-resistant finish, and Zegna's taupe raincoat is microfiber lined in wool across the back; Burberry's Kensington trench is cotton gabardine its listing calls water-resistant, with a storm flap at the back. None of them is sold as a waterproof shell, so in a downpour take an umbrella too. Browse more men's trench coats.

Boots here need tread and an upper that sheds water. John Lobb's Lawry is Goodyear-welted on a rubber lug sole, its listing says. Tod's sets its Chelsea boot on rubber pebbles, Christian Louboutin's Alpinosol sits on a lug sole and Ferragamo's calfskin pair on a rubber outsole. For real slush, Moncler's Vera Pulse is a rain boot reworked with a neoprene panel, and Givenchy's lace-up has a chunky lug. John Lobb's Peak, the dark brown pair, sits on a rubber lug sole with a Norwegian welt, and its listing warns that it runs large. Our guide to men's winter boots covers welts, salt stains and fit.

20 to 32°F: freezing, and the overcoat earns its weight

At and below freezing the coat does most of the work. Heavy wool, felt and double-faced cloth stop the wind on their own, so a peacoat or a knee-length overcoat over a cable knit is enough, in our experience, for a 20-minute walk. Trousers move to flannel or corduroy, which in our experience hold warmth against the leg far better than a cotton chino. Gloves and a scarf stop being optional.

• 12. The overcoat commute. Brunello Cucinelli's charcoal wool overcoat over a navy flannel suit, a white shirt and a dark tie, with Maison Margiela's navy ribbed wool scarf, Canali's black deerskin gloves lined in cashmere and Ferragamo's black Chelsea boots. With a suit, skip the sweater: the jacket is the middle layer.
• 13. Freezing Saturday errands. Canali's wool peacoat, a navy so dark it photographs nearly black, over Thom Browne's charcoal cable polo, dark indigo jeans and Givenchy's black lug-sole lace-ups, with a gray cashmere beanie.
• 14. Dinner at 25°F. Tom Ford's deep blue double-breasted felt coat, the pale beige cashmere rollneck from look 6, Givenchy's charcoal flannel trousers and John Lobb's black Chelsea boots. The coat is unlined, its listing says, so it sits lightly over a fine knit.
• 15. Christmas lunch. Dior's olive-khaki peacoat with a removable shearling collar, TOTEME's ivory fisherman's-rib crewneck, Canali's ecru corduroys and Manolo Blahnik's taupe Keswick desert boots lined in shearling. Christmas falls on a Friday this year; for the evening, see men's Christmas outfits.
• 16. A city weekend away. TOTEME's black heavy-wool peacoat, which replaces the collar with a scarf cut from the same wool, over Zegna's slate-blue cable crewneck, Tom Ford's black corduroys and Prada's black Monolith boots.
• 17. The snowy weekend away. Gabriela Hearst's Peter coat in yellow-ochre double-face cashmere, Brunello Cucinelli's oatmeal Nordic turtleneck, Zegna's chocolate corduroys and Brunello Cucinelli's tan Alpine boots lined in wool and cashmere, with Prada's tan shearling gloves.

Brunello Cucinelli's charcoal overcoat is virgin wool with a soft structure; Valentino's herringbone is virgin wool in black and white that reads as gray. Dior's peacoat is wool with 10% cashmere, horn buttons and the shearling collar that comes off. Gabriela Hearst's Peter coat, which the house calls a reworked peacoat, is double-face recycled cashmere finished on both sides. A true peacoat stops at the hip, so it belongs with knitwear, denim and corduroy. Over tailoring, wear an overcoat; Canali's double-breasted wool-and-cashmere coat is the one for the brown outfits.

Flannel is wool brushed to a soft nap; corduroy is cotton with raised wales. Brunello Cucinelli's navy pleated flannel trousers are cuffed and all virgin wool, Canali's taupe pair is wool flannel with pressed creases and its light gray pair a straight-leg flannel suit trouser, and Givenchy's charcoal pair has a relaxed fit. For corduroy, Zegna's Roccia blends cotton with 8% cashmere and a little stretch, Tom Ford's fine-wale black pair is cut like five-pocket jeans, and Canali's ecru pair has front pleats and tapers to the hem.

Under a heavy coat the knit can be as chunky as you like. Gabriela Hearst's Daniel crewneck is speckled Aran cashmere in a relaxed fit that, its listing says, runs true to size. TOTEME's ivory crewneck is a fisherman's rib, cut slightly oversized with thumbholes in the long sleeves. Brunello Cucinelli's Nordic turtleneck is 55% alpaca, 25% nylon, 14% cashmere and 6% wool by its listing: a lofty alpaca knit rather than a pure cashmere one. Kiton's crimson cable buttons at the neck, and its navy cashmere cardigan is lined in shearling with a two-way zip. Browse more men's sweaters.

Below 20°F, or a wind chill below zero: down, shearling and no bare skin

Here the aim changes from looking right to covering skin. Add a thin merino base layer under the knit, wear a coat long enough to cover your seat, and keep a hat on. Down gives the most warmth for its weight: Moncler lists 90% down and 10% feather in both its Hanoverian and Sylmara coats. Shearling is the heavier alternative: TOTEME's parka is fully lined in long shearling and, its listing says, takes its cue from vintage Swedish military snow wear. Our guide to men's puffer jackets covers fill power.

• 18. The deep-cold commute, no suit. Brunello Cucinelli's pale stone-gray cavalry-twill coat, padded with Thermore and collared in shearling, over TOTEME's ivory fisherman's-rib crewneck and mid-gray flannel trousers, with Brunello Cucinelli's tan Alpine boots and Canali's dark brown deerskin gloves.
• 19. The Chicago commute. Moncler's navy Sylmara down jacket, matte rather than glossy and cut to the upper thigh, over a charcoal suit, a navy cashmere crewneck in place of a shirt and tie, John Lobb's black Alder boots and Canali's black deerskin gloves. The Alder takes its line from a 1940s ski boot in John Lobb's archive and sits on a Goodyear-welted rubber sole, its listing says.
• 20. Errands at 10°F. Moncler's black Hanoverian long down coat over Gabriela Hearst's navy Aran cashmere crewneck, mid-gray flannel trousers, Givenchy's black lug-sole boots and Moncler's cream wool-and-cashmere beanie.
• 21. Dinner when it is 5°F. Tom Ford's dark brown double-breasted wool coat, lined in shearling, whose collar closes into a funnel neck with a leather throat latch, over Kiton's crimson cable sweater, light gray flannel trousers and Tod's dark brown Winter Gommino suede boots.
• 22. Deep snow on a weekend away. TOTEME's ivory shearling-lined ripstop parka over Kiton's navy shearling-lined cardigan and a gray merino crewneck, Tom Ford's black corduroys and Prada's black Monolith boots, with a gray ribbed cashmere beanie.

Over a suit, the coat has to clear the jacket's hem. Zegna's black parka does, and with its concealed zip it is the one that passes for an overcoat: technical polyester, a detachable hood, an inner drawstring at the waist and a hem below the hip, by its listing. Moncler's matte Sylmara reaches the upper thigh, which covers most suit jackets. Brunello Cucinelli's cavalry coat and Tom Ford's shearling-lined coat are both cut short and double-breasted, so wear them over knitwear. The Hanoverian is in Moncler's glossy nylon laqué, so keep it for jeans, corduroy and weekend errands rather than a dark suit.

The tan, taupe and brown pairs here belong with the brown outfits above; for navy or black, take the John Lobb or Prada pair. Brunello Cucinelli's tan Alpine pair is lined in wool and cashmere on a tread rubber sole. Manolo Blahnik's Keswick is a nubuck desert boot lined in shearling on rubber, and Tod's Winter Gommino is suede on the house's rubber Gommino sole. Balenciaga's Alaska, a tall cognac suede boot with faux fur and what its listing calls exaggerated proportions, is the pair for fun rather than for the commute. Browse all men's cold-weather shoes.

Gloves, mittens, hats and scarves: the last ten degrees

Accessories are the quickest way to move between bands without changing coats. The Weather Service's cold-weather page tells people to wear a warm hat and says plainly that mittens are better than gloves. Our stylists' rule of thumb: unlined leather gloves down to about freezing, cashmere-lined leather to about 20°F, and shearling-lined gloves or mittens below that or for any hour spent standing outside. A beanie should cover the tops of your ears when it is pulled down, and a scarf wound twice closes the gap at the neck of a coat.

Canali's deerskin gloves are lined in cashmere, by the listing, and come in black and in dark brown: one pair for each colour family. Prada's tan pair is suede sheepskin with the shearling inside. Zegna's ribbed beanie is pure cashmere and hand-washable; Prada's suede and shearling trapper is for the coldest days. Maison Margiela's navy scarf is ribbed virgin wool with the house's four white stitches, and Prada's fisherman's-rib scarf is 70% wool and 30% cashmere. Browse more men's gloves.

Men's winter style: buy once, enjoy for a season, and the mistakes we see

Buy once: a charcoal or navy overcoat in heavy wool, a long down coat in black or navy, welted leather boots on a rubber lug sole, mid-gray flannel trousers and cashmere-lined leather gloves. Each covers at least two bands.

Enjoy for a season: a yellow-ochre coat, tall cognac suede boots like Balenciaga's Alaska, a glossy laqué down coat and a Nordic jacquard turtleneck. Each is a pleasure on the right day, not the coat for every morning.

The mistakes:

• Dressing for the walk and sweating on the train. Choose a coat you can unbutton, and let the scarf be the layer that comes off.
• Suede on a slushy day. Save it for dry cold, and wear rubber-soled leather when the forecast says sleet.
• Trousers that break over boots in the wet. A hem that sits on the top of the boot stays dry.
• A cotton T-shirt as the only base layer on a long day below 20°F. Once it is damp it stays damp; thin merino does the job better.

If you would rather not work it out each morning, tell our AI stylist tomorrow's forecast and what is already in your closet, and it will build the outfit around them.

How we chose

• Coats by lining, fill and finish. We read every coat's listing for lining, padding, down-to-feather ratio or a water-repellent finish, and placed it in the band those details support.
• Soles before uppers. Every boot in these edits sits on rubber, and the lined pairs state their lining.
• Gauge and fiber from the listing. Where a house states gauge, microns or composition, that decided which knit went under a topcoat and which under a peacoat, and synthetic or polyamide blends are named as such.
• Colours from the photographs. Canali's peacoat is listed as navy and photographs almost black; Tom Ford's "deep navy" felt coat photographs as a more saturated blue than any other navy here; Brunello Cucinelli's "avio blue" coat reads as dark slate. We name the colour the picture shows.
• Houses and sizes. Twenty-two houses, nothing pre-owned, no more than three pieces from one house in an edit, and no piece left in only one or two sizes where an equivalent existed.

Frequently asked questions

What should men wear in winter?

A coat chosen for the temperature, a knit underneath, flannel or corduroy trousers, rubber-soled boots, plus gloves and a scarf once it is freezing. Above 45°F that means a topcoat and a fine merino; below 20°F, a long down or shearling coat, a base layer and lined boots.

How many layers should a man wear in winter?

Three for most city days: a shirt or thin merino against the skin, a knit (or a suit jacket) in the middle, and a coat. Below 20°F add a thin merino base layer.

What should a man wear when it is 30 degrees?

A heavy wool overcoat or peacoat over a cable or ribbed sweater, flannel or corduroy trousers, leather boots on a rubber lug sole, lined leather gloves and a scarf.

What should men wear when it is below zero?

A long down or shearling coat that covers the seat, a merino base layer, a heavy knit, flannel or corduroy, shearling-lined or snow boots, mittens and a hat that covers the ears.

Are jeans warm enough for winter?

Our stylists wear dark jeans to about freezing for a short walk. Below that, they switch to flannel or corduroy, which feel warmer, or add a thin base layer under the denim. Keep blue jeans for the navy, black and gray outfits, and wear ecru or gray denim with brown boots.

Are mittens warmer than gloves?

Yes. The National Weather Service says mittens are better than gloves. Our stylists wear lined leather gloves on the commute, where you need to hold a phone or a rail, and switch to mittens or shearling gloves below 20°F or for long stretches outside.

Keep reading

• The best men's winter coats, from overcoats to down parkas
• How to choose, fit and wear a men's turtleneck
• Men's weekend outfits for fall and winter
• The best men's puffer jackets
• The best men's winter boots