Outerwear
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Contents
Wool Coats and Jackets
Over Coat
A heavy coat that is worn over a suit or a jacket; generally extends down past the knee. Traditionally made of fabrics as thick as 30 oz or more per yard. There are a variety of overcoats like the polo coat, the covert coat, the Ulster, and the Chesterfield. They can seem antiquated, especially if they're too long.
Top Coat
Essentially a lightweight over coat that ends at or above the knee. These are still fairly popular and can be found from a variety of retailers.
Duffle Coat
Named after the Belgian clothmaking town of Duffel, this coat was actually has roots in a Polish design before being modified by a British outfitter and eventually commissioned for use by the British military. Its personal use by the British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery even led to the coat being referred to as a "Monty coat" in the UK. Made of a heavy woolen fabric, it features toggle closures made out of wood, horn, or plastic, a large hood, a square shoulder yoke, large front pockets, and traditionally a tartan lining. This jacket trended heavily in the fall/winter season of 2012 and might be popular this upcoming winter as well.
Pea Coat
Worn by sailors for centuries, the pea coat features a large lapel, a double breasted front, a double row of buttons, and a thick wool fabric. Very popular a few years ago. /fa/ tricked a lot of people into buying them by claiming they were "timeless."
Letterman
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Cotton
Field Jackets
A broad range of jackets with a similar design and aesthetic, these are generically called fatigue, field, mechanic, or utility jackets. Typically made with cotton fabrics and feature four front pockets, a small collar, and occasionally a hood and epaulets.
Military Field Jackets
The M51 and M65, introduced in 1951 and 1965 respectively, are specific types of field jackets originally issued by the United States military. The most notable difference between the two is that the hood of the m-65 folds up and zips into the collar.
Waxed Cotton
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Trench
Don't wear a trench coat. Just don't.
Mac
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Chore
A very simple jacket, traditionally worn by laborers and made of denim or canvas, the chore coat features a small collar and 2-4 open patch pockets. Pointer Brand is well known for their chore jackets, and Schott NYC makes a particularly handsome wool version.
Harrington
Originally designed by Baracuta and dubbed the "G9," this jacket was popularized in the late 1950s by Elvis and by Ryan O'Neal, whose character Rodney Harrington inspired the nickname. Waist length, made of cotton, coated or waxed cotton, or synthetic fabrics, a tartan lining, and a unique tab collar. This jacket had a bit of a comeback a few years ago and is versatile enough to fit in mod and skinhead as well as more preppy outfits. The tan versions, however, tend to seem old man core.
Denim
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Synthetics
Quilted Jackets
Originally invented by Steve Guylas in 1965, an American who retired from the US Air Force and moved to England, the quilted jacket was used for hunting, equestrianism, and other sports. Typically features a corduroy collar, a single breasted front with snap button closures, and patch pockets. Cheaper models will use nylon or polyester shells, but more expensive ones may use polyamide. Barbour is well known for their quilted jackets, but their models tend to be poorly fitted. Some of the nicest version come from companies not dedicated to the heritage of the boxy original, like Burberry Prosum or Ralph Lauren.
history basic info (when, who) history (what originally used for) characteristics of garment general (helpful consumer) info brand recs
Quilted Down Jacket aka The Puffer Jacket
The quilted down jacket was introduced in 1936 by Eddie Bauer as a light weight and water resistant alternative to wool jackets that he dubbed the Skyliner. The quilting served a functional purpose: to keep the down in place. Nowadays down jackets can be found everywhere, and Uniqlo is well known for their line of quilted downs. They're extremely versatile and "easy to wear."
Gilet
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Parka
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Bomber or Flight Jacket
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Rain Jacket
Typically styled like a parka, rain jackets are a good alternative to an umbrella. Better versions afford some breathability
Wind Breaker
A lightweight jacket typically cinched at the sleeves, waist length or longer, with a zippered front. A very basic jacket, I like to keep a packable wind and water resistant jacket on hand in case of bad weather.
