Several Styles Of Jacket
Particular Types Of Jacket
I put together my own definition after checking-out various web sites including online dictionaries and wikipedia: A jacket is an item of clothing worn on the upper area body. Generally a jacket is hip or waist length. A jacket should not be confused with a coat (although it frequently is) - a coat tends to be longer - an example is the ‘coat like’ three quarter length jacket worn by Neo in the Matrix.
Here are two ways to categorise jackets:
- Jackets that are fogue based
- Jackets that are for safety
Vogue Jackets
The Blazer
The blazer has a resemblance to the jacket component of a suit. Typically blazers have metal front and cuff buttons and a breast pocket. So it is quite often worn as smart casual wear. The blazer is similar to the boating jacket and sporting jacket in cut and style. On the other hand the blazer is inclined to be of a more traditional color, ‘navy’ for example is a popular blazer color, as is black. Blazers are time and again used as the foundation of a uniform, e.g. for school kids and airline stewards or as part of the dress for a club.
Leather Jackets
Leather jackets became very popular following World War Two. The ‘bomber jacket’ style, so called due to the fact it was worn by the pilots of bomber airplanes, was especially fashionable. The leather jacket has always been synonymous with rebellion. Actors such as James Dean and Marlon Brando re-enforced this feeling. Nonetheless, although leather jackets remain synonymous with rock-and-roll and motorbikers, they are a significant element of popular fashion. A modern example of this jacket type is the Superdry mens leather jacket.
The Denim Jacket
The word ‘denim’ comes from the phrase ‘serge de Nimes’. ‘Serge’ is a fabric and was initially harvested in the Nimes area of France. So ‘serge de nimes’ developed into ‘denim’. Denim had a similar fashion journey to leather: Initially denim was utilitarian, used by those who toiled in challenging environments. Then it became incorporated into fashion lines and became hugely trendy in the 1960s and 1970s.
Many well known design brands create jackets, for example Wrangler, Nike, G Star and Lacoste. G Star jackets are a relative newcomer contrary to the other better well-known players. On the other hand the Lacoste jackets is far more widely known.
Protective Jackets
The Donkey Jacket
From Wikipedia: “A Donkey jacket is a short buttoned coat, typically made of unlined black or dark blue woolen material; originally worn as a work jacket in the United Kingdom. It is derived from the wool sack coat worn by workers in the 19th century, and the OED references the term as first used in 1929: “one with leather shoulders and back”.
Flak Jacket
Flak jackets are designed to provide defense to the wearer from offensive things like knife blades, bullets and shrapnel (also known as ‘flak’). The term ‘flack jacket’ is synonymous with ‘bullet proof vest’ as worn by armed forces and the police in a large number of countries, that are padded with robust safety material like steel or titanium.
The Chef Jacket
The white chef jacket is easily identifiable. It serves a defensive purpose by safeguarding the chef from burning hot fluids and fat. At the same time, it is practical - the chef can fairly quickly turn the jacket inside-out to conceal food stains.
Other Jackets
An example of a jacket which does not comfortably conform to the above categories is the Eisenhower Jacket, or ‘Ike jacket’. Its blouson style was conceived to make a very strong statement in order to individualize its wearer.
