Menswear Classics: The Denim Jacket

Hell Bent For Denim

With winter slowly but surely starting to slide away, there’s a feeling in the air of warmer things to come. And I don’t know about you guys but it’s got me thinking about my S/S wardrobe. I’ve already moved the overcoats and thick-knit jumpers to the deepest darkest depths and have dusted off my options for the coming months. Whenever the temperature starts to reach towards double figures I always opt to go with clever layering rather than one go-to coat, but what I discovered is that I’m severally lacking in a jacket to add the finishing touch.

Sure, I have my leather jacket and that’s great if I ever want to add a touch of ‘biker’ to my outfit. I still have my varsity jacket that I purchased last year, but alas, like my trench coat, it seems that everybody has started to wear them. It was then that I realised that there was one jacket I had yet to invest in; A denim jacket!

Not quite as finely finished as the leather jacket and decidedly more rugged and ready than the varsity jacket, this would be the perfect complement to the urban woodsman look I was readying. But as always there were a few key things that I needed to bear in mind:

• Fit is everything – when it comes to a beefy material like denim, it’s important to make sure that when you’re wearing it up top, you don’t look liked you’re drowning in it. If you have a size that you normally go for when purchasing a jacket, try it just one size down and see how it feels. What you are looking for is a snug fit, high armholes for maximum movement and keeps a slim silhouette the whole way down. If it doesn’t tick these boxes don’t buy it!
• Got jeans? – if you are a big denim fan on your lower half and plan on wearing it with your jacket, then have a quick think about what colour those jeans are. What you want to avoid is a jacket close to the tone of the jeans you wear. An easy way to remedy this is get a denim jacket in black or grey but if you do want blue then make sure it’s the different end of the spectrum to your jeans. Or maybe start buying more black, grey and white jeans – or (god forbid) wear chinos!
• Make it yours – buy your jacket in raw denim instead of pre-worn or distressed. If you’re buying quality (which I’d hope you are), this jacket is going to last you a long time. Over that time raw denim will start to crease and get details that are unique to you and they way you wear it. It will become your jacket.

How To Wear

But the real question after you’ve brought your jacket is what can I wear with it? And the answer to that is anything! Well, except jeans that are the same tone as jacket… the dirty denim suit. Or a denim shirt, that’s just overdosing on denim. But other than that, anything.

The easiest thing to do with a denim jacket is to wear it with your chinos and tee’s. For all the lookbook kids who wander around in chinos, military boots and neutral t-shirts, rather than reaching for your go-to leather jacket why not try the denim one instead. You’ll be surprised how well it works.

It’s also really easy to wear with jeans as well. My favourite thing to pair mine with is my white ones. Add a grey v-neck jumper over a shirt and you’re off.

Finally, here’s my golden way off wearing a denim jacket and the look you’ll pretty much always find me in. A neutral pair of chinos in beige, camel, grey or black, a plain white shirt and a colourful striped tie. Add a tie bar for the tie and the denim jacket for the finishing touch. What I usually do is add a pocket square to the jacket breast pocket and some kind of hat as the icing on the cake.

The Denim Jacket Look Book

Here are a few ways other people wear denim jackets:

So hopefully that’s all the inspiration that you need to go and buy one guys. Remember to keep it fitted, in a colour that works with your old denim and to always wear it with a bit of swagger!

Matt Allinson

New Season Denim Jackets