When GQ acknowledged the mall brand renaissance, I had little way of knowing what it would portend. Until I made my best purchase of the season: Madewell’s double-breasted coat, a boss-man topper crafted from a swaddly Italian alpaca-wool blend.
Omar Atwan
Omar Atwan
I’ll get into the specifics of the coat shortly, but first, a word on Madewell’s glorious menswear glow-up. Madewell’s women’s line has always crushed it, but for years, its men’s department often felt like an afterthought. That all changed this year, when the brand assembled the dream team of Luke Linder (formerly of Gap) to lead design, menswear legend Aaron Levine to consult like a pro, and GQ’s erstwhile deputy fashion director Jon Tietz, to lend his inimitable eye and elite styling touch.
Together, they’ve taken the brand to an aspirational-yet-affordable new level. From understated everyday pieces to immaculate $500 suiting, there’s something for everyone, and each piece plays nicely with whatever’s already in your wardrobe.
Case in point? The particularly handsome-ass outerwear, including this raglan-sleeve stunner, and the epic double-breasted coat that quickly stole my heart. There’s just something about the attitude of a double-breasted silhouette—maybe it’s the exaggerated peak lapels, or how easily it ups the style quotient on a lazy-day fit—that makes me feel like James Dean or ’80s-era Richard Gere.
This particular DB number isn’t just more expressive than my more generic puffer jackets—it’s also milled in Italy from a luxe alpaca-wool-polyamide blend, with brash peak lapels, and pockets spacious enough to stow all my cold-weather essentials. But the real star? That camel color. It’s the perfect neutral—it plays nice with navy, red, cream, and even black. You can throw this coat over just about anything, and earn nods from just about anyone.
Omar Atwan
Omar Atwan
Lately, I’ve been pairing mine with a simple black crewneck and worn-in jeans, but I already know it’s going to slap with a red hoodie and ecru-colored denim. I went with a size small and it’s still slightly oversized, but that’s all gravy. It’s made for layering, and there’s nothing worse than sleeves that bunch up at the wrists. (Also, fellas: that little “X”-shaped stitch on the back vent? Please cut it loose immediately. It’s a crime to leave it intact.)
For just under $500 (and currently far less), this jacket fits and feels like it could easily be worth double the price. Join me in picking one up, and we can give each other a knowing look across the snowy streets.
