Cutter & Buck $175
What Is The Most Versatile Colored Jacket?
I often have clients come to me in search of an everyday jacket that can go over jeans, chinos, and maybe even slacks. They generally want one jacket to do everything, which is a tall order. This can be done only if your wardrobe has a very consistent color palette. Otherwise, you need four jackets: brown, navy, olive green, and grey. The brown jacket will go with blue jeans, khakis, and navy chinos. Depending on the outfit, a brown jacket could also go with grey pants. The navy jacket will go with khakis, light wash denim, burgundy, and grey pants, but it won’t go with blue jeans because then you will look like a blueberry. An olive green jacket will go with khakis, blue jeans, and dark brown, black, and burgundy pants. Lastly, the grey jacket will go with blue jeans, navy pants, and black pants. Depending on your outfit, a grey jacket could also go over khakis and burgundy. With that said, grey or green would probably be the most versatile color jacket.
Short Answer: Grey or olive green.
What Kind of Jacket Works For Everyday?
A blazer is a beautiful thing, but it can be too memorable for everyday, too sharp for your personal style, or too edgy for a t-shirt and jeans. Plus, it rarely works with shorts. In order for a jacket to go with a t-shirt and jeans, as well as sharper pants and a collared shirt, it needs to be simple and clean-cut. A lightweight leather jacket is a good idea. I also recommend a lean bomber style. As you can see below, many designers are making fantastically modern bomber-style jackets that can be an everyday jacket.
How Should My Everyday Jacket Fit?
If you are wearing your jacket with tucked-in shirts, you can wear a shorter jacket that hits a couple of inches below the top of your pants. But if you want more versatility, you need a jacket that hits at least 1/4 inch down the zipper of your pants so you can pair it with untucked t-shirts. If you are passionate about wearing collared shirts untucked, let me remind you to hem those shirts if they are too long so they don’t poke out of the hem of your jacket.
And it is worth reminding: do not wear dressy collared shirts untucked. Instead, wear casual, softer, breezier collared shirts untucked and do a half-tuck when wearing a jacket. A half tuck is when you tuck in just the front of your shirt. This will preserve your effortlessness, but saves you from having your shirt hem trailing out under the jacket.
Cole Haan $298
All Saints $529
Peter Millar $898 $538.80
Cutter & Buck $175
Cole Haan $298
Madewell $148
Barbour $200 $120
Scotch & Soda $195
Oliver Spencer $683
Billy Reid $450
John W. Nordstrom $375 $262.50
Hugo $495
Billy Reid $195
Cole Haan $495
Boss $355
Ted Baker $87.49
Peter Millar $495
Ted Baker $195
Topshop $120
If you are of a type that can wear double breasted coats, then by all means go for the English. In my experience, I have noticed that suit coats, blazers and sport coats with suppressed waists will make a man look less like a tree trunk and more like a gentleman.