20 Spring Jackets Every Man Should Own
[0:00:00] In today's video, gentlemen, I’m covering
over 20 lightweight jackets that every man should consider owning.
Now, I’m gonna be covering a lot of jackets in today's video.
But if you wanna find one quickly, go down into the description of today's video and
look for it.
My goal, gents, is to give you the information you need to dress like the man you know yourself
to be.
Now, before I get into the jackets, I wanna lay some ground rules.
Number one, if a jacket does not fit you, do not buy it.
Every jacket you buy needs to fit you well because jackets are very difficult to adjust.
It can be done, but understand the thickness of the material means that you actually have
to go to a seamstress or go to someone with a specialty sewing machine that's gonna be
able to handle the tough material that a lot of these jackets are made from.
Next up, pay attention to the material the jacket is made from.
Oftentimes, this is going to drive the price.
So, when you find a jacket made from leather, made from wool, these are luxury materials.
They're gonna really drive up the price.
However, when you look at a jacket that’s made from cotton, oftentimes you’re gonna
get it at an agreeable price.
And when you find jackets made from synthetic materials, don't always dismiss them.
Sometimes these can be really great jackets and you can find them at great prices.
The next point I wanna leave with you is that the style of jackets is very fluid.
What I mean by this is that when you talk about a particular style or type of jacket,
understand that every manufacturer is gonna make this slightly different.
So, the pictures I'm gonna show you, you may not be able to find one exactly.
But as long as it's close, understand it's probably gonna fall into that style.
And a general rule when it comes to style, the simpler the jacket, the more formal it
is.
And remember with color, in general, the darker the color, the more formal the jacket’s
going to be.
The lighter the color, the more casual the jacket is going to be.
The big takeaway is that you got a wide variety of options here.
That's why it's important that you understand the base rules so that you can choose the
right jacket for the right occasion.
And gentlemen, if you want this information quicker, you don't wanna watch this whole
video, I got a detailed article and infographic for you right down in the description.
I’m linking over to realmenrealstyle.com.
That's my main website where I’ve got tons of useful guides including an infographic
on jackets so you can go through and determine which jacket you wanna grab.
All right, gents, now let’s get into the jackets.
The first set of jackets I’m gonna talk about, all of these jackets are casual.
I’ll explain why and we're gonna talk about their style, we're gonna talk about the material,
and we're gonna talk about what you want to look for when you're going out to buy one.
So, the first casual lightweight jackets we're going to talk about, that's gonna be the fleece,
that’s gonna be the flannel, and that's gonna be the cotton jackets.
All these jackets very casual.
And don't confuse them with the hoodie.
The hoodie does not have an opening in the front.
It's going to be a pullover.
No.
With these type of jackets, we are gonna see an opening right here in the front.
This one has a zipper.
Zippers are gonna be the most common that we’re oftentimes gonna find these with a
hood or without.
They don't have to have it.
But again, these are gonna have the whole look of a jacket.
Normally, they're gonna have pockets right over here in the side to be able to keep your
hands warm and let's talk a little bit about the materials because some you guys are probably
wondering what is fleece.
Should I go with 100% cotton?
Should I go with the mix?
Is there a reason I should go with one or another?
What you're gonna find with a lot of the cottons is that they are gonna have a mix of a fleece
or a synthetic material for performance reasons.
But on this one right here, we're gonna find they’ve got a little bit of a fleece of
a synthetic material on the inside that makes it very soft.
And fleece in general has become very popular over the last 20 years.
We’ve seen companies like REI, Patagonia, the North Face, they have actually been bring
on this whole look of actually fleece jackets.
Now, I know that a lot of you stylish guys out there do not like fleece jackets, but
they're functional.
A lot of guys love ‘em.
I wanted to acknowledge them.
I didn't even have any for this video to be honest, but the point is it's something that's
out there.
It is an option if that's what you need.
Next up, I’ve got an ultracasual windbreaker.
Obviously, the color makes this something that you're not gonna wear day to day, but
I can tell you it's very functional for what it's made for, which is to wear when you're
riding a bike so that you’re seen.
So, there is room for functional pieces in your wardrobe that are very specific.
It just depends on your lifestyle, what you need.
Next up, we’ve got a lightweight down jacket.
What I love about this casual jacket is that if you’re hiking, you can crunch it up,
put it at the bottom of your pack.
And if you get cold when you're out hiking, all of a sudden you could pull this out.
It's gonna work perfectly.
Very functional unless it gets wet.
That's one thing you have to watch out with down jackets.
Now, notice the inside.
It’s got this bright neon right here.
This and the brighter green right here is gonna make this very casual, but it's great,
again, if you're hiking.
If you needed the signal, you’ll be able to turn the jacket inside out.
The point is this is a very functional piece.
It's casual, but it serves the purpose of what it was designed for.
Now, this next lightweight casual jacket looks like a field jacket and that's what I'm gonna
call it, but I'm gonna talk about the details, why it’s not a true field jacket.
But what do we notice about this one?
Notice it's got buttons right here.
Remember, buttons are gonna make a jacket a bit more formal.
Now, this is a field style because it's got the large pockets right here in the front.
It's going to be the drab olive green and the overall design—
[0:05:02] This came out of the U.S. military, but this
is a different manufacturer’s interpretation because the military version was actually
made from cotton.
This one right here is made from a synthetic material.
So, it’s gonna be water resistant, which actually makes it a very functional jacket.
Hence, I would actually recommend this one over a traditional field jacket, which is
gonna be heavier and is not gonna protect you from the elements as much.
Now, these buttons right here, they're not actually fully true buttons because guess
what?
You've got this hidden zipper right in here.
Now, when you're looking at zippers, one thing is the bigger, heavier zippers in general
are gonna be more casual.
This has got a big, heavy duty, oversized zipper which is actually great for a very
functional piece.
Now, another thing, the traditional field jacket did not have a hood on it.
And finally, let's talk about the length of his jacket.
This jacket is going to be a bit longer.
And I almost forgot, but there's one thing about this jacket again I really like and
that is it has a drawstring waist.
So, a lot of the jackets, like I said, you gotta find them that fits you, but that can
be difficult because a lot of jackets are made to fit a wide variety of people.
But with a drawstring waist especially if you are a thinner guy, this is gonna make
the jacket look a bit more trim and is something to look for and I really like on a casual
jacket.
So, these next two casual lightweight jackets are both performance jackets made from different
materials, but the style of the jacket in general is inspired from the same base design
and that is they were designed off of a bomber jacket.
So, a bomber jacket is gonna have basically an elastic in and around the waist.
This one has an elastic that you can't see very well, but it does have it.
And then around the wrist, it's going to have the elastic.
The reason for this is whenever you are wearing a bomber or a flight jacket up in an airplane,
there was a lot of wind, you wanted make sure that wind was not able to penetrate and basically
freeze you down to the core.
So, this one right here is made from a material— It has a very, very tight weave.
It's a synthetic and it's gonna be a little bit water resistant.
I tested this.
It's not fully water resistant, but it does a pretty good job.
This one right here obviously is made from a cotton material with a little bit of a synthetic
in it for stretch and it's not gonna be water resistant, but you notice again the style
of this very similar to the other one except they got this pocket right here.
They want this for a stylistic feature.
You’re not gonna traditionally see that on a bomber jacket, but this jacket I thought
it worked pretty well.
Both of these again are using zippers in the front.
So, again, very common on these casual jacket styles.
Quick quiz, gentlemen.
Which of these jackets is going to be more casual using the rules I gave you earlier
in this video?
Let's see if you're paying attention.
Jacket #1, jacket #2.
Let me know.
I’ve got a poll right up here.
Click on that.
Go ahead and answer the poll.
I will give you the answer at the end of today's video.
The next casual lightweight jacket we've got is the classic trucker AKA denim jacket.
Now, this one right here, notice the buttons.
There was no zipper on this.
This is the particular style.
Now, because of the pockets, the contrast stitching, this and the material— It’s
made from denim.
This again is gonna be a very casual jacket.
Now, you may be saying, “Hey, I need some a bit warmer.”
Guys, there are options when it comes to these denim jackets.
Have you ever heard of the Sherpa jacket?
It is a simple denim jacket with a maternal oftentimes fleece or cotton material sewn
on the inside which is gonna keep you warmer.
This is a really cool jacket.
It's kind of a western feel.
I'd like to hear.
Do you like the Sherpa jacket?
I like it, but I know a lot of you guys maybe aren't into it.
Just let me know down in the comments.
Now, this next piece is not a lightweight casual jacket, but I wanted to include it
anyway because it serves the same purpose.
And that is the insulated vest.
So, the insulated vest for the right body type assuming you're in shape, you don't have
a gut— If you've got a gut, probably avoid this.
But if you've got well-built arms, you're in good shape, you got a V shape and you can
find a vest that fits you well, this is a great option to add to your wardrobe.
Next up, we've got the sweater jacket.
You will notice I'm wearing one.
I will talk about that a little bit later.
This one is bit more formal than this one even though this one has a shawl collar.
So, this is an actually very formal collar, but there's things about this jacket that
make it casual.
Remember, buttons are gonna be more formal, but there’s actually a zipper right in there
so it kinda indicates that.
But when we look right here at the shoulder patches, we’ve got this contrast material
right here.
And overall, the oatmeal type of pattern, that it’s the color and it’s these types
of details that really brought down the formality of this.
If this had been maybe a darker blue, and we didn’t have these patches right here,
and we had really nice buttons, and if this fit me a little me a little bit closer, I
would say that this would be a lot more formal.
Another casual lightweight jacket you should consider grabbing, check out the varsity jacket.
Now, as the name implies, this is associated with college or high school athletics.
So, it is a younger man’s jacket.
Now, the key characteristics of the varsity jacket are gonna be the contrasting sleeves
with the center vest part.
So, the vest part oftentimes is made from a synthetic or cotton material and then the
sleeves are gonna be made from a leather material.
Now, the overall silhouette of the jacket, it's gonna be very similar to what we see
in the bomber jacket.
[0:10:00] So, it's gonna be an elastic around the waist
and an elastic around the wrists.
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Now, the next style of casual lightweight jackets we're gonna talk about, the leather
jacket family.
So, there’s a wide range here.
You’re gonna see a wide range of styles.
You’re gonna see the racer.
You're gonna see motorcycle.
You're gonna see flight jackets.
You’re gonna see bomber jackets.
You’re gonna see field jackets.
And in addition to all the variety of the different styles out there, you're gonna see
tons of options when it comes to the materials from the types of leather, to the color of
the leather, to the finish of the leather.
So, this leather jacket right here is made in a classic racer style.
I can tell this because look at the alignment of the zipper.
It’s over here on this side.
They do this so if you're actually riding a motorcycle, you're in a race car, you're
not gonna have the wind penetrate this ‘cause you’ve got an extra layer of leather here.
Now, when I touch the leather here, it's made from a lightweight goat.
So, I know it’s not a true racer jacket.
Racer jackets oftentimes were made from a heavier weight, more durable, very thick leather.
But the contrast stitching over here, this thing was made for style, for looks, and it
does a great job.
And the silhouette, if you were to wear this, you're gonna find this has a very tight fit.
So, a lot of these leather jackets are gonna be made especially the racer style for thinner
guys.
Now, this leather jacket right here stands out not because of the style or the silhouette,
but because of the material.
This is going to be a suede.
And as we can see, it's in an olive gray.
The material by itself will help this jacket stand out.
If you wear something like this, I can tell you— because it's my jacket— you will
you'll get compliments because it's gonna be so different from anything else out there.
So, this leather jacket isn’t gonna be as eye catching as the other two initially.
I think it's a bit more subtle, but it still have a lot of style to it.
You're gonna notice, if you get up close to this, the patina in the leather.
That's the slight discoloration that happens over time when exposed to the elements and
when you take care of it with a conditioner.
Now, the style is gonna be again a racer style.
This isn’t a classic racer, but it's got a lot of the features.
The one being the actual shorter torso so it’s gonna fit well.
You’re gonna be able to move around.
You’re gonna be able to get in and out of a car, but it's gonna be the longer sleeves
that are classic on a motor jacket.
All right, gents.
So, at this point, we’re gonna get into formal lightweight jackets.
These are jackets that you can wear to work or you can wear with business attire.
First up, let's talk about the sweater jacket.
I’ve been wearing one the entire video.
This one has buttons.
It's got a fold over collar right here.
It's actually got right here notch lapels on this one.
This one right here, if I were to open it up, it's got a zipper.
These are gonna be more formal because of the solid color, because of the simplicity
of the design.
This is something you can layer or you could wear even as an outside piece.
And no, gentlemen, you're not experiencing déjà vu.
Again, we're gonna talk about the vest, but this is a formal insulated vest.
Notice right here we’ve got the big opening here at the top, which is going to allow you
to show off the color and to be able to wear this as a layering piece.
No one would actually even see this underneath a sports jacket.
Now, one thing about the buttons, notice there are buttons here.
Not a zipper.
It's gonna be more formal.
These are actually horn buttons.
And you got the 2 small pockets over here.
And remember, on the bottom of your vest, never button that bottom button.
Next up, we've got a quilted jacket in hunting colors that's gonna be olive green with a
bright orange in there.
And the style is gonna be a field jacket.
You may be wondering why is this on the formal side.
It really comes down to its association with English aristocracy.
And yes, this was something that in the style of jacket you'll see kings going out into
the field and hunting with, hence why it's considered a formal jacket.
We’re also gonna see the barber jacket, which is commonly referred to as a waxed cotton
jacket.
That's the style that was made really popular.
Those jackets also are gonna be and I'm gonna put up on the formal side because these were
jackets of gentlemen when they’re out in the field, out on their farms, out on their
estates.
Now, the next 2 jackets I wanna talk about are the Harrington also known as the blouson
jacket.
And I wanna talk about the tanker jacket.
I'm gonna keep them separate.
But first, let's talk about the Harrington.
So, this jacket is very distinctive.
Whenever you look on the inside of it, it's gonna to be a tartan check.
And there's actually a whole lot of history about it.
I'm gonna talk about it in my article, which I will be looking to down in the description.
But also on the outside of the jacket, in general, it's gonna be of a lighter color.
We’re gonna see a wide variety of materials.
But in general, it's gonna be something that's water resistant.
So, we're gonna see nowadays made from a synthetic material, maybe a nylon, but it also was woven
from a very tight cotton weave historically.
Other key characteristics of a blouson or Harrington jacket, when you look at the neck,
you're gonna see 2 buttons up here, which are gonna be for the fastener.
On the back of the jacket, you're gonna have a vent that was inspired by an umbrella basically
to allow air to go in and out, but keep the rain out.
And when you look at the wrists, if you look in and around the waist, similar to a bomber
jacket, you're gonna see an elastic.
Now, why did I bring up the tank jacket when talking about the blouson?
[0:15:01] Because they look very similar except for
some of those key characteristics.
So, with a tank jacket, we're not gonna see the 2 buttons at the top.
We're not gonna see the elastic.
In general, the silhouette is very similar to a blouson, but it's a more simple jacket.
Now, the next lightweight jacket I'm gonna talk you should probably already have in your
wardrobe and that is a good sports jacket.
Sports jackets were made for sport and they were made to also be worn as outer clothing.
Yes, this will keep you warm.
It will protect you from the elements.
And it's made to be worn.
So, you’re your sports jackets.
There's nothing wrong with wearing a sports jacket so often you start to develop holes
in the elbows.
That's cool.
Go ahead and get some patches on ‘em.
Guys, I want you to wear this clothing.
Now, if you're really worried about your really nice sports jackets, you don't wanna ruin
‘em, then buy a sports jacket made from a tougher cotton material.
This one may not suit everybody, but I can tell you this jacket right here has a sports
jacket look, a silhouette, and it's made from a much tougher material.
This jacket right here, it's actually a hybrid.
It takes a sports jacket, change up the style.
Notice the sleeves are made from a different material than what we've got here in the torso.
And on the inside, it's got an insulated jacket actually sewn in on the inside.
So, something like this is gonna keep you warm and it’s gonna help you stand out from
the crowd.
Now, this jacket right here is gonna be a modern overcoat.
It's made to be worn over a suit, over a sports jacket.
And really, it's different from a classic overcoat in when it comes down to the collar
area.
Very functional.
You can even argue this has history with the Mac, basically the rain jacket.
Now, when I look at all the details— And this is the key to a formal jacket, is they
need to pay attention to the hardware.
So, when I go in and I look at the zipper, this is a beautiful zipper, very well made.
It’s polished.
You wanna pay attention to those small details.
They do matter.
They do level up the overall formality of the jacket.
Now, the lighter color, this is actually something we see in a lot of jackets like this.
Made to be worn during the day.
It's gonna grab a little bit of attention to be able to be seen.
I think it would be a bit more formal if it was darker colored.
But overall, the style is only going to allow this formality to go to a certain level, but
I think this is perfectly fine if you were in New York City or Chicago wearing this to
the symphony to protect your suit.
It would be perfectly suitable.
Now, this jacket, the classic Pico, you could argue should not be on this list, but you
can find it in a wide variety of weights.
Now, I wanted to put it on here as a possible option.
It doesn't fully cover the legs.
So, some may consider it actually to be a lightweight coat.
Guys, remember, this is an option.
Classic jacket.
Looks great.
You can even wear this with a suit.
Next up, we've got the classic trench and this trench is not in the classic color.
It’s gonna be beige.
It’s gonna oftentimes be made from a gabardine or a cotton.
Very tight weave.
Now, the history of the trench coat, we're talking over 100 years, started off in the
World War.
Then in World War I, it became popular in the trenches.
It was an officer's item, hence why we have the applets right up there.
They used to have basically rank on them.
Other things we’ll notice is that we've got a fully functional— it will close up
to protect the— Basically, water and rain is not gonna get inside.
And other details right over here, we’ll notice on the right side of a man's trench
coat, that's where we're gonna see basically this extra padding.
If it's on the left side by the way, that is a woman's trench coat.
So, small details like that you probably wanna know when you're looking at this jacket.
All right, gentlemen.
So, the answer to the earlier question, which one of these jacket is more casual, guys,
it's gonna be this one right here.
Now, we're splitting hairs because both of these jackets are very casual.
But this one right here, because of the contrast colors in the material, I'm gonna say it's
more casual.
In addition, just this one overall, it looks simpler, it looks cleaner versus this one
has some contrast to it.
And again, it's gonna be the contrast between the sleeves and the center torso area.
Guys, in todays’ video, I covered lightweight jackets.
But if you want heavyweight jackets, you want winter jackets, I've got you covered with
this video right here.
Go check it out.
I talk about winter jackets.
I cover some of these jackets, but I cover a lot of the ones I did not talk about in
today's video.
And if you wanna know about the accessories, what winter accessories does every man need
to have, guys, I've got you covered.
I’m gonna talk about the gloves, hats, and a lot more.
So, go check out this other video.
Both of these videos, guys, I'm linking to down in the description.
All right, guys, so now it’s your turn.
I wanna hear from you down in the comments what you think of today's video, what did
I miss, what jacket sure I have covered.
Let me know.
I want to hear from you, guys.
That's it, gentlemen.
Take care.
I will see you in the next video.
[0:19:38] End of Audio