Often surprised by people's intolerance to wearing a jacket in...
derek guy@dieworkwear
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Sep 16, 2026
~2 min read
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Often surprised by people's intolerance to wearing a jacket in slightly warmer weather. Some options:
A trucker jacket. This is typically made from a midweight 12/ 13oz denim. IMO, very comfortable in weather up to 95 degrees. Wear it with a t-shirt or a button-up shirt made from a plain weave like chambray, which will be more breathable than twill.
My favorite truckers are Lee 101Js (Storm Rider is similar but has a blanket lining for winter). I like the dropped shoulder seam and V-shaped silhouette, but it's a slightly cropped look and best bought in person at thrift stores. For something a little cleaner-looking, try Levis Type III.
You can also try chore coats, which have a similar weight and feel.
Field jacket. The OG-107 M-65 was literally worn in Vietnam. Do you live in a climate that's hotter than Vietnam? You can even find military surplus versions for cheap, although plenty of designers have done upscale versions.
It's a myth that wool is necessarily warmer than cotton or linen. In terms of how cool something feels, weave and weight are more important than fiber.
Wool fibers can be given an extra twist during the spinning process, which gives them some natural tensile strength and spring back quality. These high-twist wools can be used to make something called tropical wool, which is a wool fabric made with an open weave. Some of these weaves are so open that they wear like a mesh screen. These fabrics allow body heat to escape and let every breeze blow through.
Once temps get above 95 or so, I admit that it's hard to wear outerwear. In such cases, you can find other ways to layer: wear a lightweight button-up shirt over a t-shirt (chambrays designed to be worn untucked work well in this regard). Or "layer backward," which means wearing something like a ribbed tank under a rugged button-up shirt. This creates visual interest similar to the layered look of outerwear over a shirt.
In any case, it's the end of February, and it is still pretty cold in most places. IMO, the outfit in the original image would look much better with some kind of jacket.
A trucker jacket. This is typically made from a midweight 12/ 13oz denim. IMO, very comfortable in weather up to 95 degrees. Wear it with a t-shirt or a button-up shirt made from a plain weave like chambray, which will be more breathable than twill.
My favorite truckers are Lee 101Js (Storm Rider is similar but has a blanket lining for winter). I like the dropped shoulder seam and V-shaped silhouette, but it's a slightly cropped look and best bought in person at thrift stores. For something a little cleaner-looking, try Levis Type III.
You can also try chore coats, which have a similar weight and feel.
Field jacket. The OG-107 M-65 was literally worn in Vietnam. Do you live in a climate that's hotter than Vietnam? You can even find military surplus versions for cheap, although plenty of designers have done upscale versions.
It's a myth that wool is necessarily warmer than cotton or linen. In terms of how cool something feels, weave and weight are more important than fiber.
Wool fibers can be given an extra twist during the spinning process, which gives them some natural tensile strength and spring back quality. These high-twist wools can be used to make something called tropical wool, which is a wool fabric made with an open weave. Some of these weaves are so open that they wear like a mesh screen. These fabrics allow body heat to escape and let every breeze blow through.
Once temps get above 95 or so, I admit that it's hard to wear outerwear. In such cases, you can find other ways to layer: wear a lightweight button-up shirt over a t-shirt (chambrays designed to be worn untucked work well in this regard). Or "layer backward," which means wearing something like a ribbed tank under a rugged button-up shirt. This creates visual interest similar to the layered look of outerwear over a shirt.
In any case, it's the end of February, and it is still pretty cold in most places. IMO, the outfit in the original image would look much better with some kind of jacket.
derek guy@dieworkwear
men should wear jackets
2
People can do what they want, but the idea that you can't wear a jacket in temps above 80 strikes me as someone who doesn't know much about fabrics. Some of the coolest tailoring I see nowadays is in areas with very hot summers: Thailand and Hong Kong. This is summer:
