By: Phillip D. Johnson
Founded in 1983, NAUTICA has grown from a collection of six men’s outerwear pieces to a leading global lifestyle brand that encompasses products ranging from men’s women’s, children, accessories, and a complete home collection. Celebrating “30 Years The Water,” the 2013 FALL/WINTER BLACK SAIL COLLECTION is a winner through and through. Inspired by the famed nautical expeditions of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the collection is a seamless mix of the familiar (killer snorkel coats) with new focus on the strength and relevance of the brand.
The standout coats and jackets includes the fire red down snorkel jacket with wool panels, parkas (some with fur-trimmed hoods), an all-purpose—formal and/or casual—grey wool double breasted Captain’s Coat and waxed canvas anoraks – all paired with fitted, slim-cut nylon active pants, wool sweatpants and cargo pants.
As CREATIVE DIRECTOR CHRIS COX explains, the Black Sail Collection is “more directional and innovative. It’s a tease about where we can take the brand.”
The vests are also quite covetable. I am not a sailor BUT I can see myself (and other men) wearing the various shearling sailing vests in yellow, blue and midnight blue colors. You want to be warm and still be stylish, you are in the right place.
For more formal occasions, the collection has cashmere sport jackets in navy blue, grey, and red, designed to be worn to work and/or on the weekends.
But really, what makes this collection so special are the various fisherman sweaters, zip cable shawl cardigans with wind block liners, and knit active full-zip hoodies that has built-in headphone drawstring cords. Every single sweater shown is to die for. Really. I’m especially loving the navy rope color-block crewneck (fisherman) sweater, a fantabulous black cashmere fisherman v-neck sweater and the marled cashmere button cardigan. There’s nothing here I wouldn’t kill to own; and that point was even more pointed as we went through Nemo at the start of New York Fashion Week.
Finally the collection was rounded out by a black wool and leather Melton duffel coat, the always welcomed toggle coat and a wool bomber jacket that deserves a place in everyone’s wardrobe.
As is the case with everything the company touches, the devil is in the details. Sailing jackets are waterproof and have innovative emergency lighting in the hood, much like the chemlights used by the U.S. Navy (should a sailor fall overboard in the dead of night). Furthermore, everything is built to last forever. Select items, such as a full-zip vest, a sail short, t-shirts and cargo shorts are branded with the number 30 to highlight the anniversary year and are available at Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Belk, or online at www.nautica.com.
PHOTO GALLERY
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Images provided by Nautica