Wardrobe Staple no 26 of 33: The Work Jacket.

Work Jackets, also known as the chore coat, have become a mainstay for every closet, male or female. I was gifted my first chore coat, a Barbour, from a friend over 10 years ago when I was moving to England. The jacket is so comfortable, easy to layer, and timelessly chic that I started collecting from then on. Now I have loads of the classic French workwear style jackets, like Bill Cunningham wore, in many colors and sizes. I also have quite a few Made in USA American chore coats from both Wrangler and Carhartt that I adore. When looking for a chore coat, like every other jacket, either go perfectly fitted, or perhaps a bit small in length for a nice cropped wrist, or oversized to layer over great shirts, hoodies and sweaters for the winter. I love pairing a work jacket with a classic tailored shirt and trouser as much as I do with a well fit jean.

The French Workwear Company has a great collection of the vintage European options. And I love a good ole ebay find as well, especially for perfectly broken in Carhartt, Dickies and Woolrich! Most of my work wear is from these two sites! I also own and love the classic French workwear brand Vetra, favoring their mens fit to their womens. Carhartt WIP makes a killer, slightly more refined version of the chore coat in exclusive colors and fabrics every season. Dickies has been doing some more modern cuts as well, while there classics are always great! They also have good mens options that wear well if you are going for the oversized look.