In the most trying of times, when winter’s worst weather simply won’t let up — a common theme these days from my Brooklyn abode and elsewhere across the polar vortex — what tends to work is some of the most reliable, toughest menswear on the market.

Even if you’re merely venturing across town rather than embarking far afield, the best winter style essentials make it count in terms of weather-readiness, functionality and plain ole classic style points. That’s where Filson should earn place of pride in your menswear wardrobe, my friends.

Of course, if you’ve kept up with this blog over the seasons, you know that to be true, as the famed Pacific Northwest retailer still delivers the good when it comes to the best waxed jackets, tough flannel shirts in a variety of fabric weights, sturdy waxed work pants and — in the case of today’s weekend style dispatch — one of the best shawl cardigans for men.

My Filson reviews as of late have praised the brand for dependability and performance in a range of iconic styles, the sort of gear outdoorsmen have trusted for decades — and it doesn’t hurt that a modern-day selection like the Filson Bristol Cardigan Sweater looks like something a style icon like Steve McQueen might have cherished “back in the day,” ehh?

The shawl cardigan sweater is — as I’ve written about lately for sites like CoolMaterial — a style that, in similar fashion to the classic henley or the chambray shirt — can serve to make every guy look good, adding a dash of rugged appeal to reliable pieces like blue jeans and trusty leather boots.

And when it comes to the Filson Bristol Cardigan Sweater, the same mix of throwback charm and modern warmth holds true. The shawl collar frames the face while adding some heft and extra warmth around the back of your neck — and you can still knot a scarf looped down the front, if need be.

It’s certainly an investment at $349, but it doesn’t cut corners in manners of looks or material. Thick-knit 100 percent wool means the Filson Bristol Cardigan Sweater is going to prove extra warm when worn underneath a waxed field coat or an insulated Filson coat, while it’s woven in a thick fisherman’s vertical ribbed design (again, making the Filson Bristol Cardigan Sweater an utterly classic piece that menswear heroes of days gone by would have loved).

In two go-anywhere, wear-with-nearly-anything colors (that’d be Navy and Forest Green Heather), the handsome Filson Bristol Cardigan Sweater wears exceptionally well with a natural-hued henley or with a faded denim shirt out in the wild — or at your favorite distillery, for instance.

Two lower hip pockets deliver the classic style any good cardigan needs, and it just so happens that no matter where you go — from a wooded forest cabin to a mountainside retreat — a piece like the Filson Bristol Cardigan Sweater is built to take you there, back again and just about anywhere you dream up this winter.