Living on the West Coast, the arrival of fall is sometimes nondescript to the point of total absence.  Sure, I own a few men’s coats, but they’re generally not a crucial element of my wardrobe.  But with a trip to the Midwest coming up, looking forward to breathing in the crisp, autumn air, it leads me to wonder what the styles are for men’s jackets this season.

British designer Giles Deacon seems to have nailed the men’s peacoat with his fall entry; I trust that he knows something about coping with brisk air and cool temps.  But what I like about this coat is that it looks like it could almost be worn as a style-piece rather than just a functional piece – I could keep rocking this inside the party, and not just to the front door.

What I like a little bit less is the price tag.  As a Barney’s exclusive, it’s running $1,650, which is decidedly not a recession-era price for something I’ll only have the opportunity to wear one or two months out of the year.

Fortunately, some of my favorite shopping haunts like Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Banana Republic all have men’s peacoats at much more friendly price points.