It seems that wearing a coat, once something almost every man did almost all the time, is now totally uncool.
The weather can be sub-zero, rain may even be falling, yet teenage children are still seen outdoors in merely a sweater, preferring to succumb to the elements than be seen wearing a coat.
Older generations fail to understand the reasoning, citing peer pressure as the only possible explanation.
It may be a passing phase, one of those trends that is commonplace.
There for a few brief months, only to pass quickly into something that many look back on and wonder what possessed them to conform to.
And our grandparents perhaps were no different.
We may now look back and wonder why every man wore a jacket, tie and a hat whatever they were doing.
Look at some old photographs and you'll see gardeners, shop assistants, football fans and lorry drivers all dressed smartly in formal clothing.
Some say that a man may have switched his rilby for a flat cap only when he went on holiday.
Coats were also something men would stay close too and wear whenever conditions required, but of course men were more likely to be exposed to the elements.
Most walked or cycled to work, few had the luxury of a car and our houses were generally colder with no central heating.
We felt the cold more often so a warm coat was essential.
The traditional men's coats such as the overcoat, greatcoat, trench coat or waxed country coat were all favourites.
Of course these traditional coats didn't benefit from today's modern technical fabrics, so wool and wool mixes were typical.
Coats were thicker, heavier and designed for function rather than pure fashion.
Where waterproofing was required, waxed cotton was used.
However coats were not only worn as functional items.
Many were styled and tailored too and were often used to indicate a man's status in society.
Brands of coat manufacturers became famous and certain makes have sustained their position even today, relying on tradition and reputation to retain their customer base.
While some of these well-known traditional brands may be expensive, due to their history, vintage, second-hand items are often easy to find, and because these brands relied on quality for their reputation, many of these older retro coats still remain in fantastic condition.
This makes them a perfect garment for the vintage clothing shopper.
On occasions where true function had to replace style, then men would lean towards coats that had military origins, coats that had been specially designed to withstand the elements and have proved their worth on the battlefield.
During conflicts these coats were manufactured in vast numbers and while many may have come to a unpleasant ending in the trenches of Europe or other theatres of operation, there are still many thousands to be found in vintage stores across the country.
They remain very affordable too and even though their original tailoring may not flatter today's wearers, they can also serve as a base for some careful altering and accessorizing.
With a few bright buttons and some glitzy epaulettes you could easily create something Michael Jackson would have been proud to wear.