Versions of the field jacket have been used in everything from military service to movie garb for decades. The same jackets that gave De Niro his signature look in Taxi Driver and was standard issue for US troops can also give you plenty of pockets for storage, clean lines and protection from the elements. Check out some of our favorite interpretations of the classic below.
Alpha Industries M-65 Field Coat
Woodland Camo. Navy. Black. Olive Green. Khaki. With an M-65 Field coat from Alpha Industries you get at least as many color options as you get pockets, along with a 50/50 cotton/nylon blend for water repellancy and durability. Most importantly, you get the pedigree that comes along with it because Alpha Industries has been producing these jackets since Vietnam.
$180
L.L. Bean Original Field Coat
Bi-swing shoulders, underarm gussets, heavy-duty cotton canvas and a non-traditional pocket setup are just the initial talking points when it comes to the time-tested L.L. Bean field jacket that’s been produced since the early 1920s. Outside of quality construction and L.L. Bean history, there’s a sewn-in cotton lining, five pockets, and 16-wale corduroy collar and cuffs. Oh yeah, and two different color options.
$119
Rothco Vintage Lightweight M-65 Jacket
Rothco’s Field Jacket option might not include 21st century style cues, an insulated liner or bold color options, but the military clothing and supply company that’s been around since the ’50s knows a thing or two about the proper field jacket setup.
$80
J.Crew Field Mechanic Jacket
J.Crew’s take on a vintage style field jacket includes upgrades in the patch pocket, sleeve and covered placket department thanks to the addition of button closures. But the biggest upgrade is the J.Crew “like a glove” fit you’ll get from the tailoring.
$198
Barbour Sapper Quilted Jacket
Say what you will about the ubiquity of Barbour jackets in certain areas, but people buy them for a reason. The Sapper sports the usual field jacket features, but this version blends functionality and style even further with a quilted exterior, contrast collar and tartan lining.
$299
Victorinox Swiss Army Highlander Field Jacket
If you’re looking for all the features of a field jacket (the hood, the patch pockets, the snaps and the zipper closure), but a color that’s more eye-catching, look no further than the brand most well known for the Swiss Army knife. Victorinox’s Highlander Field Jacket comes in a nice blue or a bright yellow and is also water repellent thanks to the 42% nylon construction.
$263
Aether Apparel Field Jacket
Aether has a way of taking something you thought was a pretty basic piece of clothing and streamlining it even more. In the case of the Field Jacket, they cleaned up the lines even more and, just to take it one step further, combined it with the technical performance of a ski jacket. All that utility and technology creates an impermeable barrier against the elements… that still looks fantastic.
$550
The Real McCoy's M-65 Field Jacket
The Real McCoy’s is a Japanese brand that, like a lot of other Japanese brands, does vintage American style better than we do. Their M-65 field jacket uses a 100% cotton outer shell with a 50/50 cotton/polyester inner and includes so much attention to detail that they used the same Scoville wire pull-tab on the zipper and Talon non-locking oval pull tab on the hood. This “Real McCoy” is just that.
$798
