Peter Millar $248 (also available here, here, and here)
What Color Jacket Goes With Everything?
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 medium 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 medium grey jacket will go with blue jeans, navy pants, and black pants. Depending on your outfit, a medium grey jacket could also go over khakis and burgundy. With that said, medium grey or green would probably be the most versatile color jacket.
Short Answer: Medium grey or olive green.
What Kind of Jacket Works For Everyday?
A blazer is a beautiful thing, but it can be too memorable for every day, 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 always a good idea. I also recommend a lean bomber-style jacket. As you can see below, many designers are making fantastically modern bomber-style jackets that can be everyday jackets.
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. A shirt that’s too long will also shorten your legs and make you look sloppy.
And it is worth a reminder: 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.
Paige Scout Denim Jacket
Vuori Men’s Echo Insulated Jacket
Barbour Sapper Regular Fit Weatherproof Waxed Cotton Jacket
Good Man Brand Flex Pro Denim Jacket
Good Man Brand $228
REISS Pike Slim Suede Zip Through Jacket
The Normal Brand Three Season Soft Shell Jacket
The Normal Brand $188
Ted Baker Trent Quilted Jacket
Ted Baker $395 $276
AllSaints Survey Leather Blazer
Cole Haan Quilted Elbow Patch Jacket
Cole Haan $298
Barbour Quilted Jacket
Barbour $220
Paige Scout Denim Jacket
Paige $239 $179.25
Missani Le Collezioni Lambskin Leather Bomber Jacket
Missani Le Collezioni $575 $299.99
Cutter & Buck Rainier PrimaLoft Insulated Shirt Jacket
Cutter & Buck $185
Rodd & Gunn Men’s Cambrian Bomber Jacket
Rodd & Gunn $398 (Also available here.)
Rodd & Gunn Glenn Massey Leather Jacket
Glenn Massey $798 (also available here, here and here.)
Everyday Jackets from Years Past
I originally wrote this post years ago and update it regularly due to its popularity. I’ve left these photos below for nostalgic purposes. Whenever I update older posts, I love to hold on to a collection of images as a bit of a time capsule so we can watch how our style evolves.
Vince $1,050 $682.50
Madewell $148
Ted Baker $259 $181
Vince $495 $247.97
Ted Baker $349 $209
Cole Haan $495
All Saints $569 $398 (also available here and here)
Ted Baker $340
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.