To be well dressed, it's important to have something to put on your back when it's between 12 and 22°, something other than your big winter coat. We are going to talk about lightweight jackets and help you choose the right one according to your style and your desires.
The difference between “jacket” and “blouson”
I'm not sure of the definition myself. A jacket, basically, is absolutely anything that you wear as an outer layer on top and that is not long enough to be called a "coat".
And a jacket, the word for word definition a “short jacket tightened at the hips”.
The difference is not just semantic: compared to other types of jackets, the jacket has always given a slightly more "sporty" look, more dynamic, precisely because it is shorter and sits at the hips. .
Whatever the type, it is a piece rather associated with an image of a “young man”, or sometimes even a rebel, and has been for several decades.
The zipped ones
We'll start with the types of jackets that immediately come to mind: zipped ones. Overall I would put them into three categories.
1. The bomber
It has ribbed edges on the sleeves and bottom of the body, no collar or simple ribbed collar, minimalist pockets or with a fairly simple flap, and a zip.
In its most classic version, it is made of nylon, but it is found in all materials.
The simplicity of the piece is what explains its popularity, particularly since the end of the 2000s when minimalism left its mark in the men's fashion offering.
It's a piece that can be discreet and unpretentious in a dark nylon version or downright luxurious in a beautiful light suede.
I think it's a piece that is especially suitable for very thin guys, because the ribbed edges will often accentuate the hips a little by tightening on the body, and often make the volumes of the pieces “bulge”.
2. The Harrington
A piece overall very similar to the bomber jacket with the difference that it has this famous elongated collar tab which, when closed, covers the neck well, and when it is open, gives a little volume to the piece.
The Harrington is the “bomber” for those who want a more retro touch and who are less seduced by the minimalism of the bomber.
3. Windbreakers or technical jackets
The difference with the other two will be, on the one hand, the presence of a hood (otherwise I really don't see the point of the piece), and above all the choice of technical materials that are more or less effective against the rain, the wind, evacuation of perspiration etc…
A bit like explained in the episode on parkas, you will often have to sacrifice a little design to gain technicality , or pay a hell of a price to have the best of both worlds.
Trucker jackets
The trucker jacket, literally “trucker jacket” is usually made of denim, and it is called “denim jacket” by misnomer. Abuse of language because jeans are pants.
These denim jackets are types I, II and III, which are in fact the original models from Levis, which 99% of denim jackets on the market resemble.
The most widespread are the type II models - which are a little more vintage - and type III which has remained perceived as the most contemporary since its creation at the end of the 60s.
The type 1 gives a much more retro and workwear feeling with its big pocket and its clean lines, so you can't find them as easily. But it’s the one I would choose for a “big boots, big jeans, big cargo” universe.
The trucker jacket can also be a piece with very strong “rock” origins, especially type 3 because it was contemporary with the great periods of this musical genre.
But it's far from being limited to that, because denim has been so widespread for a century that we're not shocked to see it everywhere, even in formal outfits.
Moreover, for the lover of elegant retro looks, I would rather choose the type II, whose less refined and aggressive lines make it more compatible with dressy pieces.
And by the way, don’t limit yourself to raw indigo denim. You can find them in light blue, faded or not, in white denim, or even other materials like canvas or leather.
Overshirts and work jackets
The overshirt is a portmanteau term which includes all shirts with pockets and more casual details, and whose fabric may suggest that it would be worn over a first layer.
They can be workwear inspired but also military, like the famous vintage “OG 107” utility shirts.
The work jacket refers to all heritage workwear jackets, generally with patch pockets and fairly robust fabrics.
In France we will no doubt remember the old-fashioned “blues of work” which fit perfectly into this definition. But they are quite simple and functional pieces originally rather than pieces designed for style, which explains why their definition is not as fixed.
I group work jackets and overshirts together, because technically, these pieces are not jackets: for that, they would have to be short and tight at the hips.
But it's complicated not to talk about them because they play exactly the same role as a lightweight outer layer, and they are more popular than ever these days.
If they are chosen short enough and not too loose, they can in fact completely replace the role of the jacket.
It's a good way to give a fairly assertive workwear and adventurer look, and current codes are fairly tolerant of its inclusion in almost all worlds.
Leather jackets
I'm not going to list them all for you, because without even talking about perfectos, aviation-inspired jackets or “café racer” jackets, in fact all the jackets we've talked about here can be found in “leather” or suede, which makes it yet another piece apart.
Depending on the leather, you can have something as light as a little cotton overshirt, or something so thick it can almost replace a coat in winter. Difficult to generalize.
However, if you choose suede styles, in general... You can expect something about as warm as a heavy denim trucker jacket.
That said, leathers are quite surprising in their thermal range: they often keep warmer than you imagine when it's cool, and are less stuffy than you think when it's hot.
For style, as there are as many types of leather jackets as there are types of jackets , think like this: it will give you the connotation of the jacket style + a style twist which will depend on the type of leather.
Example: a type 3 trucker looks a bit rock, in a beautiful silky suede it looks “rock with a luxury twist”. A bomber jacket looks young, in thick smooth leather that has lived in life, it looks young but a little rough adventurer.
