A couple of years ago we had a big focus on casual jackets – talking about chores, overshirts and various other styles to round out the existing coverage of field jackets, blousons and other more sartorial pieces.
One we missed out, however, was the coach jacket. I think that’s probably because it’s among the most casual and one of the least likely to be worn with smarter trousers, for example. But it can still be a really useful weekend option I think, particularly in transitional seasons.
I have two, an olive vintage one and the red Real McCoy’s one pictured, and I wear them as an easy layer to throw on and take the kids to the park – it’s windproof, water-resistant and thin enough to fold down into whatever tote I’m carrying for snacks, bike helmet and other kid-related paraphernalia.
I wouldn’t wear them with flannels, but I do with jeans, chinos, and even cords.
Coach jackets will also probably be less familiar to readers because fewer brands offer them than say, varsity jackets or blousons. But there are quite a few out there, from basic to premium.
A coach jacket is very simple: a straight, hip-length piece with a turn-down collar and snaps up the front. It usually has a drawstring at the hem and a cotton-chamois lining. The outer material is nylon, sometimes a cotton/nylon mix.
There are two hip pockets but usually no other details – it’s intended as a lightweight shell with a little warmth from the chamois, made in a boxy fit so it goes over a T-shirt but also bulky sweatshirts or knits.
Coach jackets were originally used by American Football coaches (above) on the sidelines of games, as well as other members of the team or by fans. They were popular from the 1950s to the 1970s, gradually tailing off as more technical outerwear replaced them.
But they had a revival in the 1990s as they were adopted by streetwear brands, skaters and hip-hop artists. One of the reasons was they were cheap and easy to brand, with bands like NWA making their own versions (below).
Most today are plain, but traditionally they had club logos on – as with the American football examples above. My vintage one has a big club logo in yellow on the back, as well as an embroidered ‘Ron’ (my Dad’s name) on the chest.
In the images below I’m wearing the Real McCoy’s one with a Warehouse T-shirt and old Levi’s, which is more of a warm-weather combination – good for those days when it’s warm in the sun, but chilly when the cloud rolls in. A nice thing about the soft lining on a coach jacket is how comfortable it is with just a T-shirt underneath.
I also wear it with a thick sweatshirt, a hoodie, or (a favourite weekend option) an unbuttoned flannel shirt. As discussed in our piece on untucked shirts, I find this is more flattering if the tee is tucked in, and a soft, thick flannel is such a cosy thing on a lazy day.
My favourite flannel is probably this vintage buffalo-check. Flannel shirts are a good thing to look for vintage, and often the colours combinations are easier to wear as the colours fade.
If the weather is colder, the T-shirt can become a thermal, the flannel thicker, and a scarf or watch cap added on top.
Coach jackets are often made in brighter, college-sport colours, and the linings offer nice contrast colour too. My favourite thing about this Real McCoy’s one is the yellow lining.
I often echo those bright colours elsewhere, and that’s why I particularly like these old Nike trainers with the outfit (Nike Metro Plus, bought pre-owned on eBay). My old Cal cap has the same vibe.
Another thing that’s nice about the coach jacket is you can cinch the bottom hem to create more of a blouson-type shape. You can also tie the strings together to create the same effect, but then you need to untie them when you take it off.
You can see that shape in the image below – it’s not something I do all the time, but it can be a nice change.
My favourite coach jacket out there is from Real McCoy’s, because of the designs and the quality. You don’t really appreciate high-end nylon until you try it – it’s a smaller difference than you get between leathers, for example, but certainly noticeable.
There are lots of other good ones though. Something that spurred me to write this piece was that I saw Trunk just got in a model from Kaptain Sunshine which is very nice – and slightly more classic menswear colours.
Warehouse then does one which is the same vibe as McCoy’s but a quality step down, and away from the Japanese repro brands there are places like Dickies, Stan Ray, Manastash, Universal Works. Those are all on Working Class Heroes.
A similar search on End brings up a wider range of brands still, and you can see how the style has been tweaked by fashion brands in terms of design, logos and materials.
And there are always a few floating around on vintage sites, but the quality varies significantly with age – later ones are pretty cheap and often unlined. Saunders Militaria has a few at the moment, which is unusual for them.
Photography: By Alex Natt @adnatt, courtesy of The Real McCoy’s
