I am a weenie.
I don’t like being cold. I never have. I admire people who pretend it builds character, but I am not one of them. Cold doesn’t make me tougher. It makes me quiet, resentful, and overly aware of my extremities.
Nights like this are when I get into trouble. Dinner and a hockey game. Two different venues. Two different vibes. I need to be warm enough to survive the walking and Ubering between them, but not so layered that I feel like I’m hauling my outfit instead of wearing it.
My mom was in town. She loves a restaurant with a booth. A fireplace. Lighting that forgives you. The restaurant equivalent of a flannel. Which brings me to my jacket choice.
The Corduroy Jacket with Flannel Liner by Signature Innovation Group.
At the table, the jacket doesn’t feel like outerwear. It’s at home in a booth. Textured but soft. Structured but lived-in. The kind of layer you don’t immediately shrug off when you sit down because it still belongs indoors. Quality corduroy does that. It absorbs the vibe instead of fussing over the perfect one.
But the real reason I was so comfortable was less obvious. Sewn into the inside is a full flannel lining, doing the lord’s work quietly. The same way a good restaurant does. Warm, familiar, and never asking for credit. Bless.
This is what the flannel lining looks like. It gives the jacket a little extra warmth and a little private character. It reminds me of a flannel my father used to wear. Classic. Dependable. That familiarity is one of the reasons I bought the jacket. I tend to gravitate toward pieces that unlock some small, personal connection. A detail that feels meant for me, especially if it’s a detail no one else ever notices.
Signature Innovation Group is run by two guys named Jarret (founder) and Chris (brand director). They’re based in Fontana, California. So they understand staying warm while being cool. When I met them, what stood out was their relaxed curiosity. Nothing forced. Everything interesting. Jarret would casually point out details or design decisions, never in a precious way.
That same energy runs through their work. They take familiar, hardworking silhouettes (“urban workwear,” as they call it) and make small, thoughtful upgrades that reveal themselves over time. This jacket feels more personal every time I wear it. And all their products are built to age gracefully. I’m hoping a little of that rubs off on me.
I ended up buying this jacket in a large. Which, if you’ve been following my January layering habits, may come as a surprise. I’ve been flirting with more smalls lately (largely at my wife’s request). But this one wanted a little room. It fit better that way. More relaxed, without compromising polish.
I wore it the way I wear most things I actually like. Simply. A light sweater underneath. Jeans. The jacket does enough on its own. I added a neckerchief, more for solution than statement. It’s one of my favorite tricks for cold nights. A little more warmth without added weight. And it elevates the collar slightly while still feeling tossed together. On nights with multiple stops (restaurant to rink, indoors to out) you have to get clever. This jacket makes that easier.
There are pockets hidden on the inside, both right and left sides. I didn’t even notice them when trying it on. Jarret pointed them out. But now I rely on them. Phone. Wallet. Notebook. Pen. Gloves or beanie when you want to stop carrying them. They’re placed where you’d reach instinctively. More useful than the usual interior pocket (like in a blazer). Which tells you someone actually wore this thing while designing it.
Then there’s the cuff detail. Subtle, but intentional. It helps the sleeve sit where it’s supposed to, even when you’re layering something chunkier underneath. One of those details you don’t consciously clock until you miss it on another jacket.
The buttons are monochrome and understated. They do their job without interrupting anything. And just because you get two secret interior pockets doesn’t mean you lose the usual exterior ones. My hands’ favorite homes.
And then there’s the corduroy itself. The handfeel is what stopped me when I first pinched it on the rack. Jarret also had me try on a jacket made from surplus wool originally developed by Filson (he’s known for reimagining fabrics we already trust). That same mindset carries over here. This corduroy has weight. Pleasing texture. Real warmth.
I’m never cold in it. Always feels cool, though.
