This French style staple flatters both men and women – find it on the high street from £60
The chore jacket, a lightweight utilitarian shirt-jacket hybrid dating back to the 19th century, has quietly become a modern wardrobe staple. Rendered in a durable cobalt twill, the ‘bleu de travail’ was first worn by labourers, often with matching trousers.
While they aren’t exactly a ‘new’ trend, pretty much every menswear brand now has a version. Increasingly relaxed dress codes are to thank; fewer and fewer of us wear suits and ties to work, and the chore jacket is a convenient midway point between smart and casual.
The best thing about them, though, is that they’re practical, with big patch pockets, and (usually) come in hard-wearing fabric.
It’s this quality that stops them from looking try-hard on the likes of Monty Don, or the late New York street-style photographer Bill Cunningham.
‘The chore jacket is one of the most versatile pieces. It can be dressed up or down depending on what it is paired with,’ says David Telfer, creative director at Sunspel. ‘We look to make our chore jackets in more refined fabrics such as wool twills and fine-cotton blends to lose the direct link to workwear. This means they can easily be dressed down with jeans or up with smarter trousers and worn as naturally with a T-shirt as a merino polo or Oxford [shirt].’
If you want something more robust, consider Carhartt, says George Archer, buying manager at Mr Porter, of the US brand that has been making the jackets since 1923: ‘Fabrication is paramount for a good chore jacket. They were originally designed to be tough, so cotton-canvas is a quality fabric to look out for.’
If you prefer something more elevated, seek out a luxury iteration: ‘For a relaxed, softer take on the silhouette, I would opt for suede, leather, wool or corduroy,’ Archer says.
There are lots of brilliant chore jackets on the high street right now: Toast’s version is the most authentic-looking; Uniqlo’s is unfussy and minimal; while Massimo Dutti’s zip-up option comes in a beautifully rich green.
Whichever your chosen chore, you can count on one thing: it’s been around so long, it’s not going to go out of style anytime soon.
The best chore jackets to buy now
Japanese denim, £295, A.P.C.; Wool flannel, £375, Sunspel
Organic cotton canvas, £220, Carhartt; Denim, £215, Folk
Cotton twill, £149, Massimo Dutti; Cotton blend striped, £310, Oliver Spencer
Padded wool blend, £270, Samsoe Samsoe; Corduroy, £215, Toast
Double faced, £59.90, Uniqlo; Water resistant waxed cotton, £195, WAWWA
