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Stylish winter coats for a night out

BY WENDY ILENE FRIEDMAN

Fashionable winter coats for a night on the town By Wendy Ilene Friedman

When the sun goes down, it doesn't set on fashion. Warm winter jackets can double as fashion statements for chilly evenings touring the galleries along Canyon Road and strolling to one of the city's performing arts venues. Here are four local shops' top picks for winter jackets and accessories.

SPIRIT CLOTHING

109 W. San Francisco St. I 505-982-2677

A Santa Fe mainstay for 40 years, Spirit on West San Francisco Street keeps local clientele and City Different visitors looking fresh and cool with clothing by designers from across the country and around the globe.

Proprietor Merrie Martin offers a selection of coats and winter items, including cashmere bandanas made in Nepal — the perfect length to triangle-fold like the cotton versions — and a range of layering pieces, such as wool and cashmere car coats from German designer Hannoh Wessel and Pas de Calais from France.

“They’re a handy length,” she says, noting that it’s easy to get in and out of cars (hence the name) with the outerwear, which reaches just below the hips. The designs also have a vintage feel.

Italian-made, down-filled nylon coats from Herno can withstand the harshest winter temperatures. “They’re absolutely beautiful down Italian coats,” Martin says, adding that they are water- and windproof. “They’re really built for the cold.”

Cashmere socks and hats by Isobel & Cleo in Nantucket, Massachusetts, work well for the cold too. Spirit also sells Isobel & Cleo’s fingerless gloves, made of cashmere and other wool. “You can still use your phone, but it cuts the wind,” says Martin, who has carried the brand for years.

Above (clockwise f rom left): The Tatiana hooded sheepskin coat with Toscana trim from Overland fights the winter chill. Santa Fe Dry Goods pairs accessories with statement coats, such as this Jil Sander large woven tote with a Rundholz Dip oversize double-breasted knit coat in grey houndstooth, and an Uma Wang virgin wool checkered scarf with the same designer's jacquard floral damask Kianni jacket.

CORSINI

107 W. San Francisco St. I 505-820-2300

Owner Fabrizio Giovannini says he coordinates all the items the menswear specialty shop carries. “Everything we do goes well with jeans and casual pants,” he says. “Nothing too formal.” Though casual in appearance, the materials are anything but. The fatto a mano (handmade) designs from an Italian town outside Venice are the ultimate in luxury.

Corsini’s offerings include hand-dyed cashmere and other wools, leather coats lined with wool, and wool-leather combos lined with shearling. “We don’t buy many of each piece, maybe three or four,” says Giovannini, “So when they’re gone, they’re gone.”

For men who tend to get too hot, Giovannini recommends wool and cashmere sport coats. The wearer can simply add a scarf or vest, and they’re ready to go.

Most items cost more than $1,000, but Giovannini says the craftmanship alone is worth the price. He describes his offerings as “unusual, unique items with very high-quality workmanship.”

SANTA FE DRY GOODS

53-55 Old Santa Fe Trail (on the Plaza) I 505-982-6192 santafedrygoods.com

Santa Fe Dry Goods’ outerwear selection extends well beyond utilitarian. The business buys items with the entire outfit in mind. “Nothing is just an upper layer,” says store director Nika Patterson. Many of the items worn for warmth feature fine materials, such as heavy-ply cashmere or baby alpaca wool, but are not necessarily traditional coats. Items like a thick-ply cashmere robe from

The Row, which Patterson describes as part lounge wear, part coat, can easily be worn over a light sweater and untied indoors. The store-exclusive Alonpi line, crafted by a company that also makes products for Hermès, includes heavenly soft cashmere capes in a variety of neutral colors. With a heavy sweater underneath, a cape provides plenty of warmth for a night out. The Row uses thick yarn to produce the plush, loose knit of its oversize, handmade cardigan sweaters, which can easily work as coats. “They have a really cozy character,” Patterson says. More structured looks, like Belgian designer Dries Van Noten’s silk-blend brocade-like tailored jackets or Jil Sander’s heavy wool full-length coats, are options too. “The real beauty is its construction,” she says of the classic coats.

Workshop, a sister boutique next to the flagship store, carries edgy puffers by Italian maker Masnada and German brand Rundholz. Rundholz releases a new puffer every season; this year’s swing coat style incorporates a back flap that moves while the wearer is in motion while offering protection from the cold. Warmth and fashion can go hand in hand.

OVERLAND

74 E. San Francisco St. (on the Plaza) I 505-986-0757 overland.com

Overland celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To honor the occasion, the company is bringing back some of its original styles from the ’70s, including the shearling jacket that Yellowstone TV star Luke Grimes notably wore on the November/December Cowboys and Indians magazine cover.

“We’re doing a lot of limited editions for the 50th anniversary,” says Santa Fe store manager and buyer Monty Goodson. Goodson has been with the company for nearly 30 years.

Family owned and operated since 1973, Overland produces items made of natural animal hide and fibers like wool and cashmere. Goodson notes that animal skins block the wind from the outside while providing thermal regulation inside. “That’s why you see people wearing sheepskin boots in the summer. It keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.”

Overland works with European tanneries and makes its private label designs in Turkey, a country known for its textiles and craftmanship. “We pay attention to what the tanneries are making and go from there,” he says. It’s a two-month process to prepare the skins, and there’s quite a variety of texture and other characteristics. For instance, Toscana fur is left long because it’s prickly when cut short, while Merino sheep make a nice, lightweight sheared fur.

Goodson prefers a full-length coat for winter, especially for spending time outdoors, but recommends waist and knee lengths for mobility. He finds that most men prefer shorter lengths. A lot of men like a leather sport coat or shirt jacket, he says. “You can wear it to any hotel bar for a cigar and some whiskey or to go get wood [for the fire].” He loves that when leather and sheepskin coats age, they develop their own character and patina, becoming personalized items rather than standard, off-the-rack coats.

Wendy Ilene Friedman is a regular contributor to “The New Mexican.” Her writing has appeared in regional and national publications, including “The New York Daily News,” “The New York Times,” and “The San Francisco Chronicle.”

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2023-01-29T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-29T08:00:00.0000000Z

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Santa Fe New Mexican