Big suits, tiny shirts, loafers, fisherman sandals, wallpaper-core, ’70s, ’90s, Y2K—those are just a few of the menswear trends currently speeding by like big-rigs on the highway. And every time you swipe around your FYP, you’ve got the menswear illuminati asking you to find room for one more in your closet. At the risk of making your brain short circuit, we’re adding another trend to the mix. But this one, it’s going to make dressing easier. You’ve just to make a choice.
Because there are only two correct types of jackets right now: very short, or very long. You’re either Camp Crop or Team Topcoat. Which is it?
Okay, fine, we’ll explain more. Designers have exaggerating the gap between winter jackets more than ever. Loewe’s super-cropped bomber jacket has strutted down the runway and NBA tunnels while we declared the leather blouson, lopped just above the hips and built to showcase midriffs and high-waisted pants, the Jacket of 2023. Meanwhile, labels like Fear of God and The Row have been sending droves of flowy, almost floor-length topcoats and trenches out into the world (cue Jacob Elordi).
Though the two extremes seem opposed, they subscribe to the same math that you’re favorite/least-avoidable male fashion influencer loves to explain: the rule of thirds. It’s a sartorial guideline that says you should divide your outfit into two parts, equal to ⅓ and ⅔ of your neck-to-toes height. In this case, you can think of those thirds as shoulders to waist (not hips!); waist to knees; knees to feet. Whether you put the longer part on the top or on the bottom is your call. It’s just a handy hack for building a fit with a pleasing ratio.
Winter jackets are your chance to lean into the rule of thirds with ease. Our favorite Balmacaans and trench coats, once abiding by a mid-thigh boundary, have silently stretched to the knee (and beyond). On the other side of the formula, we’re pulling on puffers, blousons, and bombers that channel the classic denim trucker jacket’s hip-grazing hem.
And here’s the real beauty of this outerwear binary: you don’t really have to pick a side. You can be Team Topcoat today and Camp Crop tomorrow. Like any worthwhile trend, the benefit is having more options—not getting trapped in the middle ground.
Go Long: Our Favorite Long Coats
Short & Sweet: Our Favorite Short Coats
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