I have a jacket problem. I’ve had one since I was 12, when I got my first purple Columbia anorak. I obsessed over it, because it kept me warm and dry as I learned how to downhill ski. After I realizedthe importance of a good jacket, I quickly started saving money for another. I remember my first water-resistant down puffy and my first real Gore-Tex shell. When I landed a job as a gear editor at ϳԹ, I tested every jacket I could get my hands on.
NowadaysI’m on the other side of my obsession. I’ve tested so many puffies, shells, fleeces, and midlayers that I’ve lost track. Unless a jacket truly stands out, it just blurs together with the hundreds I’ve already worn. My closet has been culled, and only a few remain.
One jacket that’searned a permanent spotin my collectionis the .I’vehad itfor a couple of years, andit’s what I grab nearly every time I head out the door for errands during the fall and winter.
Thanks to a seven-ounce waxed sailcloth cotton outer, the Trucker is nearly indestructible. I’ve used it tosaw down trees, clean my yard, haul trash, andperformall kinds of other random jobs, none of which put the jacket in any real danger of nicks or tears. In fact,a bit of wear and tearonly make it look better. That’s because waxed cotton, like leather, takes on a patina over time. The more you use your jacket, the more uniquely yours it becomes.
Several companies make unlined waxed coats, and I’ve tested many during the warmer months. But in the winter, I prefer the flannel-lined version from Flint and Tinder because it makes life easy. Instead of having to layer, I pair this jacket with a long-sleeved shirt. The nearly windproof outer shell and cozy interiorkeepme comfy, even as temperatures approach freezing. If it’s really cold outside, all I need is a thick sweater underneath. I don’t use the Trucker when I’m skiing or hiking, because it doesn’t breathe as well as a fleece midlayer oranair-permeable shell. But it’s perfect for nearly everything else.
You’ll have this jacket for years to come and will wear it so often that the price tag will start to sound like a bargain.
I also like the Trucker’s style. The patina goeswell with jeans and boots, and it also looks great over a button-down shirt. I haven’t had the chance to wear this piece into work often,but once things open back up, it’ll be my go-to for weekday wear. I went with the field tan color, in the spirit of traditional trucker coats, but the olive and Havana colorways (plus five others)are equally classy.
At $240, the Trucker isn’t cheap. But you get what you pay for. Sewn in Los Angeles and cut from materials made in New Jersey, you’ll have this jacket for years to come and will wear it so often that the price tag will start to sound like a bargain.