When you traffic, as I do, in writing about menswear for a living, you find yourself in a near constant state of déjà vu. Have we done a primer on how to wear turtlenecks with a suit? you wonder, before a quick Google search reveals that, yes, you have. What about the best white jeans for winter? (Again, yes).
So when it came to rounding up the best spring jackets, I felt that familiar sense of having been here before.
And I was right! You can find last year’s picks here, and the good news is all of the styles still look fresh for 2020. So, instead of simply putting a spit polish on that story, I thought I’d take the opportunity to expand your outerwear repertoire beyond what you may already have.
1. A denim jacket that goes beyond your standard trucker
At The Inventory, we’ve been beating the “Guys Should Own a Denim Jacket” drum so long, we need to get the damn thing re-skinned.
So I’m going to choose positivity today and assume you all have taken our great advice (!), and there’s a denim trucker jacket hanging on a coat hook at each and every one of your homes in the year of our lord 2020. Wow! This means so much. Thank you for trusting Style Girlfriend with your wardrobe choices. You look great in it. Etc etc.
Instead of letting you off the fashion hook, though, allow me to push you a little further. What about buying a denim jacket in a different style this spring? Liiiike, this Herschel bomber jacket? Or a Brawny Man-worthy Madewell shirt jacket in super soft quilted cotton?
What I’m saying is, this spring, think outside the trucker jacket box.
Topman Denim Chore Coat, $100
Herschel Supply Co. Denim Bomber Jacket, $140
Madewell Quilted Indigo Shirt-Jacket, $158
2. Statement chore coat
Why yes, The Inventory has also rec’d our favorite chore coats here before! It was around this time last year that we made the bet that the chore jacket could become the new military field jacket—a utilitarian piece of outerwear you’d find yourself wearing all the time.
With this year’s new crop of styles, it seems that was a good bet. These lightweight coats are durable, practical, with big patch pockets. And who doesn’t love pockets!
This season, break out from standard neutrals like blue and olive, and try something a little funky. The Wall Street Journal says 2020 is the year leopard print goes mainstream for guys; if you agree, try J.Crew’s Wallace & Barnes style. Or, keep things more low-key with Todd Snyder’s camo number.
Want something solid you’ll still stand out in? The rose-colored Gap number (they call it rust, but c’mon) is for you.
Gap Chore Jacket, $89
Wallace & Barnes chore jacket in duck canvas, $168
Todd Snyder camo chore jacket, $398
3. Coach’s jacket
An oldie but a goodie. You probably have a bomber jacket by now, and a coach’s jacket has the same classic, almost nostalgic #tbt vibe. If you’re like me (and the other 99% of the human population that doesn’t have a six-pack), you’ll appreciate the jacket’s un-ribbed bottom, which is more forgiving on your torso and hips’ lumps and bumps.
And I feel like it goes without saying, but any outerwear that makes you look and feel more like Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights is absolutely a good look. Okay, maybe except for croakies. You can leave those for Tami to deal with.
Native Youth Contrast Piping Coach Jacket, $120