Fall Winter 26: The Winter Coat, the Blazer and the Jeans

OGÉR JournalSeason guideReading time 10 min

The first morning on which a blazer alone is no longer enough arrives unannounced every year. This year it coincides with the start of Fall Winter 26. If you are reviewing your wardrobe now, there is no need to replace everything. Three pieces decide how you get through the winter: the winter coat, the blazer and the jeans. Together they form the backbone of what OGÉR calls luxury business casual: polished enough for the boardroom, relaxed enough for a Sunday in town.

I. Fall Winter 26 and the move to luxury business casual

Menswear has undergone a quiet shift in recent years. The suit has not disappeared, but it is no longer the only answer to the question of what a man wears to work. OGÉR, active in menswear and made-to-measure for more than thirty years, has followed that movement deliberately: from formalwear to luxury business casual.

In the renovated flagship store on the P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, that course has been translated into the space itself: business casual on the right, luxury casual with fully handmade brands on the left. Brunello Cucinelli, Mandelli, Marco Pescarolo, Corneliani, Jacob Cohën and Santoni are part of that concept.

“Alongside made-to-measure suits, working from home has led the range to develop further into a more luxurious casual collection, with luxurious fabrics and greater comfort.”

Sander Lusink, Brand Director OGÉR (translated from Dutch)

For this winter, that means fewer pieces that can do only one thing and more pieces that move from office to dinner and from dinner to weekend. A cashmere coat that works over a suit and over a roll-neck. A blazer without shoulder padding that looks as good with flannel trousers as with dark jeans. You will find the new pieces in the Fall Winter 26 collection.

II. Men's winter coats: five types, five characters

When people say ‘men's winter coat’, they actually mean five very different coats. Each has its own occasion, its own temperature range and its own relationship with what you wear underneath.

The overcoat

The overcoat is the long, formally cut coat that falls below the knee, single- or double-breasted, in heavy wool or cashmere. It is designed to be worn over a suit and therefore has generous shoulders and a roomy armhole. For a business meeting or an evening in town, no coat carries more authority.

The wool coat

The wool coat is the shorter, more versatile relative of the overcoat: at or just above the knee, often more slender in cut, sometimes with a stand-up collar instead of lapels. The Mandelli cashmere coat is an example: a minimalist silhouette with a stand-up collar and button fastening, as good over a suit as over a roll-neck. If you are looking for one winter coat that can do almost everything, start here.

The down jacket

A down jacket insulates with a down filling held in compartments. The more still air the down traps, the warmer the jacket at the same weight. The luxury down jacket has long since stopped being a ski jacket. The Moorer padded down jacket is filled with goose down and has a bi-elastic, water-repellent outer fabric, a double closure with zip and horn buttons, and knitted windproof cuffs.

The parka and the padded jacket

The parka comes from the army and the polar expedition: long enough to cover the hips, with large pockets, often a hood and a flap over the zip. In the city it is the coat for wind and rain. That a parka can also be dressy is proven by the Corneliani parka in wool and cashmere, with a stand-up collar, a zip with storm flaps and flap pockets, made to be worn over a suit or jacket. The padded jacket has a lighter filling, which makes it the coat for the transitional months.

III. Wool, cashmere, down or technical fabric

Wool is the classic choice, and not without reason. The fibre traps air, keeps insulating when damp and recovers from creases after wear. Densely woven, heavy wool cloths keep out the wind better than a loose weave.

Cashmere, the undercoat of the cashmere goat, is finer and lighter than sheep's wool and insulates at a lower weight. It drapes more softly and feels softer, but it needs care: brush a cashmere coat after wearing and let it rest on a broad hanger. A blend of wool and cashmere combines the robustness of one with the softness of the other.

Down gives the most warmth for the least weight. Technical outer fabrics add protection against rain and freedom of movement. The most interesting coats this season unite both worlds: a technical exterior with a classic cut, or wool and cashmere in a functional design. You will find the full selection under men's winter coats at OGÉR.

IV. Choosing a winter coat by occasion and temperature

The question is rarely which coat is the most beautiful, but which coat suits your week. The table gives a guideline. The temperatures are indicative: wind, rain and what you wear underneath always make a difference.

Fit: a winter coat over a blazer

A winter coat that you wear over a blazer should also be tried on with that blazer underneath. Check four points. The shoulders: the seam of the coat sits just outside that of the blazer, without the fabric pulling. The armhole: you can stretch your arms forward without the blazer riding up. The sleeve: it covers the blazer sleeve completely and falls just over the wrist. The length: the coat falls below the hem of the blazer. A blazer peeking out beneath a short coat breaks the line.

V. Men's blazers: structured or unstructured

The blazer is the piece that defines business casual more than any other, and the distinction that matters lies on the inside. A structured jacket has shoulder padding, a full lining and a canvas interior that shapes the chest. It looks sharp and formal and belongs with the suit.

An unstructured blazer leaves most of that out: little or no shoulder padding, a half lining or none, a lighter interior. It falls almost like a shirt and moves with you. That makes it the natural blazer for business casual. The Brunello Cucinelli glencheck blazer, in virgin wool and cashmere with a light construction, shows how relaxed a classic pattern can look.

Flannel, tweed, cashmere and jersey

In winter, the cloth counts double. Flannel is brushed wool with a soft, matt appearance; in grey or brown it is the most versatile winter cloth. Tweed is sturdier and coarser, with country origins and a character that sits remarkably well with denim. Cashmere gives a jacket a soft drape and a deep lustre. Jersey and knitted blazers are the most comfortable option: the Lardini knitted blazer is knitted from extra-fine merino wool in a 12-gauge structure, with natural stretch. A herringbone weave, as on the Lardini wool and silk blazer with patch pockets, brings texture without fuss.

Sports jacket or blazer: what is the difference?

In everyday language, sports jacket and blazer are used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, a blazer is a separate jacket with sporting or naval origins, classically in navy with metal buttons. Sports jacket is the broader term: any separate jacket that does not belong to a suit, in whatever cloth or colour. Every blazer is therefore a sports jacket, but not every sports jacket is a blazer. You will find the full selection under men's blazers at OGÉR.

A blazer with jeans or with trousers

With flannel or wool trousers you build the formal side of business casual, suitable for the office and business dinners. With jeans the emphasis shifts towards relaxed, and then the blazer decides. Choose texture: flannel, tweed, herringbone or a knitted blazer. Leave your suit jacket on the hanger; smooth, lustrous worsted wool next to denim looks as if the matching trousers are missing. If you want a blazer in exactly the cloth and pattern that suit your wardrobe, consider made-to-measure at OGÉR: suits, blazers and shirts made to measure, with a choice of the finest Italian fabrics.

VI. Men's jeans: the quiet foundation of business casual

In the men's wardrobe, jeans have moved from leisurewear to the space between chinos and tailored trousers. The darker and more even the wash, the more formally jeans can be worn. For the office with a blazer, choose dark blue without distressing, with a slim but not tight leg. The Jacob Cohën Bard jeans, in stretch denim with a dark blue wash, are made for exactly that. At the weekend, jeans may show more character, such as the Brunello Cucinelli 5-pocket jeans in Japanese denim of pure cotton, with a slightly high waist.

You will find the selection under men's jeans and in the Jacob Cohën collection.

VII. Three looks for Fall Winter 26: office, weekend and evening

One winter coat, one blazer, one pair of jeans: this is how they work together in three situations.

Office

The Mandelli cashmere coat, the Brunello Cucinelli glencheck blazer, a white or light blue shirt and the Jacob Cohën Bard jeans in dark blue. Brown suede shoes keep the whole look warm in tone. The coat covers the blazer completely and gives the silhouette the calm a meeting deserves.

Weekend

The Moorer down jacket, the Lardini knitted blazer over a roll-neck from the knitwear collection, and the Brunello Cucinelli 5-pocket jeans. A knitted blazer under a down jacket does not crease and wears like a cardigan; the roll-neck makes a tie unnecessary. Suede boots complete it.

Evening

The Corneliani parka in wool and cashmere, the Lardini wool and silk blazer, a fine-knit polo and the Jacob Cohën Nick jeans in navy. For dinner in town, this is the combination that looks polished without the stiffness of a suit. If you want it more formal, swap the jeans for flannel trousers; the rest stays.

The edit · Fall Winter 26

View the collection

MandelliCashmere coat MoorerPadded down jacket with water-repellent finish CornelianiRefined wool and cashmere parka Brunello CucinelliGlencheck blazer in virgin wool and cashmere LardiniWool-silk blazer LardiniKnitted wool blazer Jacob CohënBard jeans in cotton stretch Brunello Cucinelli5-pocket jeans made of cotton Jacob CohënNick cotton jeans

Written by the OGÉR Editor in Chief