The Coat: A Key Piece to complete your Fall-Winter look

The one piece that every guy should have in his closet this season is a coat. Coats are a great way finish off your look. It serves as a very functional accessory that gives your outfit a lot of character and pizzazz. The two more common coats guys wear are the top coat and the pea coat. Top coats are usually longer in length and slimmer in cut. They are also most times single breasted. Pea coats are usually double breasted and wider in cut. Both can be worn over a suit. Both can be dressed up or dressed down.

My favorite coats this season are:

Tri-Blend Car Coat in Camel from Banana Republic - clean lines, three quarter length, wool-cashmere blend. Great with a pair of black denim jeans and boots or a Navy suit and oxfords. http://www.bananarepublic.com/

The Lopez Trench Coat from Boss by Hugo Boss - double breasted, wide lapels, cuffed sleeves, elegant finish. Great with a cocoa brown suit or dark navy raw denim jeans. http://www.hugoboss.com/

The Crosby Wool Pea Coat in Steel Gray from Club Monaco - double breasted, metal buttons, military cuff sleeve, wool-cashmere blend. Great with dark blue straight or slim cut jeans and an touch of color in a burnt orange cashmere scarf. http://www.clubmonaco.com/

Some tips when buying a coat:

• Try it on with a sweater. The fit should be comfortable not tight. Move your arms and check the points by the armpits and shoulders.
• Length. Your sleeves should sit slightly above your thumb knuckle. If your sleeves sit right at your wrist, then your coat is too short.
• Fit. Make sure when the coat is all buttoned up, there are no stretch lines across your chest. That's a sign it's too tight.
• Fabric. Wool or Cashmere for warmth. For wetter climates, a weather-proof nylon works really well.