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The best winter clothes for men aren’t nice-to-haves, they’re survival gear. Depending on where you are, winter is either coming, already being a menace, or never left (shout out to GQ‘s small-but-mighty Alaskan readership). Whatever the forecast in your neck of the woods, proper cold-weather gear is both non-negotiable and urgent. That’s why we pulled together this exhaustively-compiled guidebook to braving the blizzards in style this year and beyond.
To help you transition from leaf-peeping to ice-dodging, the Recommends squad went deep on all the cold-weather essentials—puffy jackets, fuzzy sweaters, hardy boots, and more. Everything you need to make this your coolest (but also warmest) winter yet. The best wintry duds, it turns out, will do a lot more than keep you toasty: they might just inspire your biggest fits yet.
The Winter Essentials Hit List
Gap Recycled Heavyweight Puffer Jacket
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Ralph Lauren Straight Fit Corduroy Pant
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Hestra Noah Glove
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Drake’s Fair Isle Lambswool Scarf
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Danner Mountain Light
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The Impenetrable Puffer
We love that iconic North Face puffer as much as the next guy. But don’t let its objectively perfect design distract you from the avalanche of stellar, lesser-known alternatives on the market—like, say, the baffling-forward HAVEN x Nanga collaboration, or surprisingly great new Gap design immediately below. Dead set on rocking with TNF? Consider one of the Nupste’s other ‘Retro’ colors.
The Unbeatable Flannel Shirt
In cooler temperatures, a reliable flannel shirt is more than a wardrobe essential: it’s a no-brainer. (And this winter 2026, it’s also extremely on-trend.) Most versions will be plaid, but all of them should feel substantial enough to double as a light jacket come spring, thanks to their heavyweight wool or beefy cotton make.
The Digits-Saving Gloves
It’s easy enough to remember to stock up on coats, boots, and sweaters, but forgetting about gloves is an all-too-common rookie error. And once you’re out there on the tundra—or, y’know, shoving your hands under your pits while you wait for a cab—all it takes is one icy slap on the wrist to teach you a lesson. Thankfully, not only will the right pair keep your hands toasty, they’ll also look cool as hell doing it. Or, uh, warm as hell? You get the picture.
The Endlessly Layerable Thermal
On the most dastardly days of winter, when you wake up achy and frigid and physically unable to roll out from under your duvet, you’re going to need some back up. You’re probably familiar with the thermal shirts you wore hiking and skiing as a kid, but those old-school long-sleeved tees are just as practical and relevant as ever to your cool-guy wardrobe today. Tuck one into your jeans, throw a heavy flannel and a puffer over top, and you’ve got yourself an unimpeachable cold-weather ensemble.
The Comfy Cords
When the weather is all doom and gloom, corduroy pants are a much-needed boost of fashion seratonin, like a mug of soothing hot chocolate. The rest of that sweet-toothed analogy holds true, too: cords are an absolute heavenly treat for your lower half. Plusher than your jeans, miles more comfortable than your wool trousers, and a worthy substitute for either of ’em.
The Blizzard-Busting Boots
When the sludge-y, snow-y, sleet-y season arrives, your daily driver sneakers need to stay indoors. Luckily, capital-W Winter boots have benefited from the same rising style tide that’s elevated rain boots, hiking boots, and alpine boots into the realm of bona fide fashion. Hell, there are even winter boots that we endorse wearing with a suit, saving you the baggage of towing an extra pair of office-ready lace-ups on your morning commute. When in doubt, look for a specially-treated Gore-Tex material—or buy Danner’s legendary riff and call it a day.
The Corner-Office Coat
There’s no clothing item more dramatic than a long dark coat. And while trenches are a great look year-round, a thick woolen topper shines especially bright in the winter. You may not be starring in any blockbusters coming up soon, but, boy, will you look like you’re ready to.
The Lightweight Fleece Jacket
Fleece jackets were once the exclusive remit of dads and crunchy climber types with tips on sleeping in a Subaru’s trunk. Those folks have our gratitude—bundling up in a fuzzy, furry pullover is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself in the depths of winter. A fleece is impenetrably warm (and a lot more cost-effective than shearling), impossibly comfy, and brings as much texture to a single fit as all the cords in your closet combined.
The Bad-Hair-Day Beanie
A great beanie is the gloriously cozy accessory that keeps your head warm (depending on how you choose to wear it) and your fits topped-off. Most of us have a stack of them, accumulated over time. Some were splurges—soft cashmere for a buzzcut head, maybe, or a freaked-out version to offset the midwinter blahs—and some were $12 gas station grails, with plenty in between. The two below will never steer you wrong.
The Leather Jacket
Pretty much ever since cows started roaming the Earth, leather jackets have been making guys look cool. It’s kind of just what they do, and it’s also why just about every modern menswear scene—from the cult-favorite Scandi designers to the meticulous Japanese reproducers and the heritage American names—still offer up their takes on the leather jacket every single winter. Sure, you might not have owned one yet in your adult life, but for the style-minded man, buying your first leather jacket really isn’t a question of if, but when.
The Shit-Kicking Derbys
Over the last couple of years, the derby has reclaimed its rightful place in the hearts and closets of stylish dudes across the globe. At a moment when the sneaker’s supremacy is in flux, the silhouette has stepped in—and stepped up its presence, courtesy of the type of pleasantly hefty soles that make loafers tremble. A lot has changed since the derby first rose to prominence, but one thing hasn’t: it’s still one of the most versatile shoes on the planet.
The Splurge-Worthy Socks
Socks, we’ll grant you, aren’t exactly the most exciting category to shop for. But when those balmy brisk fall evenings give way to bone-chilling winter mornings, you’re going to curse yourself for not prepping accordingly. So, folks, resolve to do better—and start by stocking up on the type of hardy, handsome hosiery immediately below. Dropping more than ten bucks on a pair you’ll wear forever only feels like a splurge until your feet thank you—for, like, the 100th time—a decade down the line.
The Raw-and-Rugged Jeans
Unlike the raw denim that dominated the menswear conversation a decade or so ago, the jeans we’re talking about here can do more than just stand up on their own. The silhouettes are looser and flowier, the branding is more overt, and the hems are supposed to be worn uncuffed; the jeans themselves, not the red-trimmed evidence of their Japanese provenance, are the flex. They’ll still whisker with the best of ’em, but they’re meant to be worn how you want, with way more just than waxed jackets and work boots.
The Slick, Swaggering Suit
A winter-weight suit’s biggest selling point is its ability to hold its own split up. Unlike your usual business casual fare, it works even better when you wear the jacket with a knit polo and jeans, or the pants with a plush sweater and trench. Not sure where to start? Try a classic wool two-piece done up in the type of subtle pinstripes that’d make Gordon Gekko blush.
The Neck-Protecting Scarf
Even if you’re the type of guy who plans your outfits the night before, chances are you’re still reaching for a scarf you picked up in a pinch at a random college football game. That’s fine—but it’s also sort of a tragedy. Swaddling your neck in blanket-like wool or lullaby-soft cashmere doesn’t merely provide a degree of protection against bracing winds: it also present an opportunity to flex your elite personal style, in the last place folks expect to catch a glimpse of it.
The More-Interesting Knit
An unabashedly chunky cardigan will keep you looking sharp (and feeling cozy) sans the constraints of a blazer. Opt for one with a thick rib and a hefty shawl collar, and watch it become the Most Valuable Layer in your closet.
The Throwback Sweatpants
Sweatpants should be cozy, sure, but the best of the genre are so much more than mere lazy-Sunday garb. Spring for a pair that oozes Rocky-level charm, and they’ll become the bed-to-bodega bottoms you can’t stop wearing outside of the house, too.
The Cozier-Than-Thou Slippers
Even if you’ve made it through fall largely unscathed, the appeal of a solid pair of slippers is pretty obvious. Regardless of the weather outside, your feet will always deserve a cozy landing pad. In fact, given that you’ll be wearing them close to round-the-clock indefinitely—not just on lazy weekends and after-hours—you might want to spring for a few good pairs. (That’s right: a slipper rotation.) How many is up to you.
The Cashmere Sweater
Unlike beefy fisherman knits, cashmere sweaters are a true four-season classic. Right now, a cold man in wintry London is wearing one under a Barbour, while at the very same time, an Australian fellow enjoying his continent’s summer season is surely throwing one over his shoulders at a beach picnic. But of course, being a warm knit, they’re most essential during the winter months—go on, gift yourself the fabric that’s essentially become a byword for soft, swaddled luxury.
The Ultra-Cozy Zip-Hoodie
Think of the zip-up hoodie as the pullover’s edgy younger brother. In its most natural state, it can cuddle-up to a matching set of pants and a baggy tee with flair. Unzipped and left open, it can take on the role of a picture frame ready to display your sickest graphic tee—much like the cardigan, another treasure of 2000s fashion. Or make like a mid-aughts garage band and wear yours over a dress shirt and baggy tailored trousers, a high-minded fashion move with a jolt of Scandinavian cool.
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