Rei Shito: The Scoop – Winter Outerwear

Love it or hate it, winter is on the way, bringing with it the annual battle to look good while keeping warm. Rei Shito’s solution: choose the right coat. This month, the street style photographer and Tokyo-based fashion maven shows us three of her favourite places to shop for the toastiest trends in outerwear, and offers her tips for staying stylish all winter long.

The Quiet Luxury Look

In October, Rei stopped by the Traditional Weatherwear store at the Lumine Yurakucho shopping centre in Ginza, Tokyo, in search of one of this year’s most talked-about trends: quiet luxury.

Rei says: “Quiet luxury, as I see it, is all about simple yet high-quality garments that exude a subtle grace and elegance, eschewing big logos and obvious signs of brand-name presence. Traditional Weatherwear stocks a lot of these kinds of pieces; at 12:47 in the video, you can see how I’ve styled one such ‘quiet luxury’ coat, but with a fun element!

“On this visit, I bought the short A-line Waverly coat (at 4:35). I liked its refined yet casual aesthetic, and the ‘belt’ collar that’s practical as well as cute.”

The Timeless Design

Last month Rei also visited the Mackintosh boutique at luxury Tokyo shopping mecca Ginza Six to try on the brand’s latest looks, as well as the newest version of one their classic coats: the Humbie.

Rei says: “As a brand, Mackintosh has a long history, but it doesn’t stagnate – they keep things fresh by continually updating their items every season with a new approach. They reissue older heritage pieces, for example, but resize them to today’s modern silhouettes. My personal favourite is the Humbie coat – I have two of them! The design is so comfortable and can be styled in a variety of ways, from laid-back casual to elegant and sophisticated.

“This time, though, I ended up buying the Kelvin coat (at 8:13). I loved the chocolate colour and the classic silhouette. Plus, I think it really speaks to the quiet luxury trend, which I want to try out this winter.”

The Warmest Outerwear

On a recent visit to Osaka, Rei discovered the Silver and Gold shop in the central shopping district of Umeda. A former second-hand shop turned select boutiqe, the store specialises in menswear from local and international brands, but also carries a selection of high-function winter outerwear, as Rei finds out.

Rei says: “Lantern’s coats are all about ‘tech meets fashion’ – they use high-tech materials and features that one would usually associate with outdoor wear, but still with an eye towards stylish cuts and fits.

“I like outdoor and casual looks, but I’m realising I don’t have many of these items in my wardrobe. I could use more, especially like the ‘heating fake layer pullover’ (at around 13:16), which is waterproof with sealed zippers, large pockets and various ways to wear it, depending on which parts you leave zipped or unzipped.

Rei’s Seasonal Style Advice

“This winter, the trend seems to be towards coats that are either very long or very short – not middle length. Currently, I’m loving short coats with exotic or complex patterns.

“I generally recommend that women buy their coats in a slightly larger size than they normally would, as the oversized trend is still going strong. Also, be sure to accessorise your outerwear: belts, in particular, are a great way to add definition to your coat and accentuate the feminine silhouette.”

About Rei Shito

Each month, Rei Shito identifies one defining look that she’s spotted on the street, whether at home in Japan or abroad on her latest trip to the world’s fashion hotspots, providing readers with a fresh, thought-provoking perspective on current trends. Rei is acclaimed as one of the planet’s most original and influential street style photographers and fashion bloggers, publishing her work on her blog Style from Tokyo, as well as several magazines in Japan and overseas, such as vogue.com. For more street style inspiration, follow Rei on Instagram and check out her videos on YouTube.
[Portrait Rei: Jun Tamura]