When you think of the term ‘blue jacket’, many different images may come to mind. It could be a classic Levi’s denim trucker jacket covered with patches and rips, repaired countless times. It could be a classic European 3 pocket work jacket pictured on an equally rustic old man with a baguette tucked under his arm. It could even be a more formal item, like a blazer or sports coat, something with a bit more class. Either way, the blue jacket has been a fashion staple for what feels like eternity. Anyone can tell you that I am a huge advocate for a good old blue jacket, with friends often joking that my wardrobe is full of them (they’re not wrong)! Like so many others, I believe they simply go with everything and that each little detail makes them so desirable and unique. But this is more than just a piece saying how much I really love these blue beauties. We’ll briefly go over what made the blue jacket the eternal icon it is today, looking at the humble beginnings all the way to where it may go next in the ever-changing world of fashion trends.
To go into the history of workwear and subsequently where all the different blue jackets fit into it would take much, much longer than I have here, so I’ll focus on the history of the blue work jacket, otherwise called the chore jacket. It originated, like most great fashion inventions, in France in the 19th century. Originally, labourers would wear these jackets made from sturdy cotton fabrics to offer protection and easy access to the tools they would need while they were on the job. In most circumstances these would be dyed blue, gaining the name “bleu de travail”, translating to “working blue”. In much of Europe, this style of jacket still remains king: go to France and you will see the least fashion-conscious pedestrians donning the slickest chore jackets on earth. Over in the states, the chore coat stylistically split ways slightly in the early 20’s with Carhartt adapting the style. This also combined the denim fabric with the classic chore jacket shape, a match made in heaven if you ask me. Today, Carhartt still produces jackets that, for the most part, retain the original details of the original 1923 debut model.
In more recent years, the workwear piece has resurfaced as a fashion piece. In the 1990’s, brands that produced typically functional and non-fashion facing clothing such as Carhartt and Dickies suddenly became in the streetwear zeitgeist. Big baggy and vintage were in. However, for the European styles of workwear it took a few decades longer to enter the realm of fashion popularity. It took until the mid 2010’s for brands to offer a range of cotton chore jackets based off the style of those classic French examples. Today, the workwear fan has a lot of options to choose from, both from new brands offering quality craftsmanship or vintage buyers picking up uniquely distressed and worn in pieces.
With the variety of choices comes a variety of styles. The versatility of the blue chore jacket is why it’s always my go to item. The stripped back and utilitarian aesthetic that it offers means that It simply can go with almost anything you throw on around it. Even more so now when different brands offer unique spins on the style with different fabrics, colours, or construction choices being made. Here are just a few examples of some chore jackets that are right on the money.
Drake’s Stone Wash Denim Work jacket
Although not in the traditional cotton material, the attention to detail on this piece is second to none. It has enough pockets to store all your little trinkets in, full metal rivet buttons, and a generously boxy cut, there is nothing not to love about this piece (except maybe the whopping great price of about £500 – a little too rich for my blood).
BEAMS+ Herringbone Chore Jacket
I’m a massive sucker for this material – herringbone. It’s the alternating weave that gives the jacket an almost striped look. I can’t quite understand why It’s something I like so much, but I do. BEAMS is unsurprisingly delivering a classic style that stays faithful to the construction methods of old. If you were to own only one workwear jacket, this would be the one to grab.
Ragparade – Vintage Moleskin
For select vintage workwear, always go to Rag parade in Sheffield. Here they are showcasing a classic example of a French jacket made using the traditional moleskin fabric. Don’t worry, no animals were harmed in the making of this jacket – it’s just a name for the type of cotton fabric used which is soft, just like a little mole. This one is a bit more of a classic style (which makes sense considering it’s a vintage piece) with an open lapel and a belted back to give it that formal edge.
It's pretty clear at this point that the workwear jacket is a timeless piece, continuously being imitated and worn around the world. But what does the immediate future for the chore jacket look like? Considering that current fashion trends seem to more and more be adopting the more technical items such as overpriced shell jackets and fancy walking shoes, I think the practical ethos and origins of the chore jacket put it in good stead. New and popular brands like Stan Ray, Universal Works, and Service works all have European workwear motifs at the core of their brand image which makes it look like the work jacket is here to stay.
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