It's Field Jacket Time!
Posted by Brock McGoff on
Here’s a multiple choice question for you: what’s your favorite thing about fall?
- The foliage
- Thanksgiving
- Wearing layers
The correct answer, my friends, is C. (Okay, “All of the above” is acceptable too!)
Layering is the secret weapon of style. And autumn is hands-down the best season for layering.
Don’t get me wrong: I like summer. But it’s not a great season for style, especially for us gents.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not a huge fan of sweating through my business casual getup before I even get to the office.
That’s why, come late September, I can hardly wait to swap out my boat shoes for desert boots in preparation for the cool, crisp fall air every menswear enthusiast has grown to love.
Speaking of putting your warm weather clothing away, it’s time to trade in the windbreakers for something a little more substantial. I’m talking about the perfect fall jacket:
The field jacket.
There are many variations of this jacket - engineer jacket, military jacket, mechanics jacket - but they all have the same characteristics:
- Durable materials
- Broken in feel
- Functional details
A good field jacket seems like it could take a little abuse, even if it never has to.
I love these types of jackets because they’re so versatile. You can wear them on warm fall afternoons or cool autumn evenings.
You can dress them up or down (although they’re definitely more of a casual garment).
So how do you wear a field jacket? Here are three examples featuring one of my favorite Peter Manning pieces - the Tribeca Field Jacket.
Example#1: Simple & Casual
Taylor Camp (a.k.a., The Tie Guy) shows us that you don’t have to “dress up” to dress well with this simple, casual jeans-and-tee outfit.
The great thing about this outfit is the fact that you probably already own everything you need to put it together:
- White t-shirt (bonus points for a v-neck)
- Slim-straight, dark wash jeans
- Casual sneakers (any color will do)
- Classic shades
Just add one field jacket and a pinch of swagger, and you’ve got yourself a solid getup.
Example #2: Neutral & Rugged
I’ve worn the Tribeca Field Jacket for a handful of my own blog posts. It goes great with neutral colors and earth tones - grey, tan, white, brown - and it’s perfect for layering.
Like many field jackets, this one lets you adjust the fit using buttons and drawstrings. If you’re going to wear it over a couple of layers, you can let it out a bit so it’s not too tight.
I think the olive green looks very cool with the grey vest and khaki chinos.
Example #3: Smart & Classic
The Tie Guy went with a cool, clean look. My outfit (above) was earthy and rugged. But field jackets can also be dressed up a little bit.
Our friend George shows us how to put the “smart” in smart casual:
Yes, THAT George.
Mr. Stephanopoulos is looking sharp in layers of tan, green and white. Notice how his clothes fit impeccably. It looks effortless because the details are spot on.
Well done, George.
How Would You Wear It?
Do you own a field jacket? If not, what’s your go to fall coat? How do you work it into an outfit?
I’d love to hear from you, so leave a comment below!
This post was written by Brock McGoff. Brock runs The Modest Man, a style resource for shorter men. Grab a copy of his free guide, then go follow him on Instagram.