Best Upgrade Work Jacket: Polo Ralph Lauren Country Padded Cotton Canvas Field Jacket
For Lo-heads, Polo Country by Ralph Lauren is the stuff of legend — a short-lived but deeply influential sub-line that bridged Polo Ralph Lauren’s Ivy polish and RRL’s western grit. Now, Mr Porter’s revived it with a sharp little capsule of Polo Country gear.
The standout? A work jacket with no delusions. It’s not stealing the working man’s valor — it knows exactly what it is. It’s Ralph Lauren, and it knows you’re working hard at hardly working. Yes, it’s $400—but it looks it, and has the added bonus of a handsome, red, soft, cupro plaid lining.
Best Work Jacket for Cold Weather: Filson Mackinaw Wool Work Jacket
Filson
Mackinaw Wool Work Jacket
Pros
- Heavyweight Mackinaw wool keeps you warm and cuts wind.
- Naturally water-repellent and stays warm when wet.
- Classic workwear design (that still looks good in the city) with plenty of pockets.
- Built to last decades — truly heirloom quality.
Cons
- Boxier fit can feel old-school.
- Requires dry-cleaning
- Not fully waterproof like modern tech shells.
- Pricey, but again, you’ll have it for life.
Welcome to the world of truly warm fabrics, and actually glove-friendly pockets. Filson’s been mastering cold-weather gear since your great-great-grandfather was in short pants, and this work jacket continues that legacy. Based on the brand’s original 1914 Cruiser, it’s cut from 24-ounce Mackinaw wool — a tightly woven twill that truly blocks wind, sheds rain, and stays warm even when wet. Without being mean, it’s built to outlast even you. Pricey? Sure. But it’s the kind of thing your kids will remember you by (and fight for) someday.
Best Hooded Work Jacket: Patagonia Iron Forge Canvas Jacket
Patagonia
Iron Forge Canvas Jacket
Pros
- Tough 12.9-oz hemp-cotton canvas that Patagonia says outlasts standard duck canvas.
- Insulated with 100-gram Thermogreen 100% recycled polyester
- Adjustable hood seals out wind and cold.
- Lots of pockets: eight in total!
- Made in a Fair Trade Certified factory.
Cons
- Not fully waterproof.
- Costs more than your average workwear jacket.
Obviously known for outdoor gear, Patagonia’s unsung Iron Forge workwear subline has some of the biggest heaters the brand offers. Here the design team has taken a classic work jacket and tweaked it just enough to make it theirs. The heavy hemp-cotton-poly canvas is more durable than standard duck cotton, is insulated with recycled polyester, and—as you might have sussed by now—has a Fair Trade Certified fabrication, which is nice. It also has more pockets than you’ll ever remember to use.
Best Fancy Work Jacket: Buck Mason Italian Doeskin Station Jacket
Buck Mason
Italian Doeskin Station Jacket
Pros
- Made with refined Italian doeskin
- Versatile understated colors
- The silhouette makes it casual, but the more elevated cloth makes it more upmarket colors and
Cons
- Higher price point
- Mid-weight jacket makes it great for fall, less ideal for winter
- Doeskin requires more care than a rugged canvas or denim.
Buck Mason’s archive is full to bursting with vintage pieces from decades past, which explains why its collections are filled with absolute bangers these days. Here the brand has taken a mid-century work jacket and remade it, tweaking the fit to make it a touch more relaxed, and using a soft Italian doeskin cotton fabric that’s more plush than anything a worksite would have issued back in the day. There’s even more to love in the details: Shoulder pleats for easy movement, real horn buttons on the chest pockets, and a dressy point collar.
More Work Jackets We Love
What to Look for in a Great Work Jacket
These days, work jackets seem to have an undeniable stranglehold on the imagination of guys who spend all day staring at their keyboards. (There’s a political element to this, of course. Whether or not you act in solidarity with your fellow laborers under capitalism, a work jacket allows you to look the part of the everyman.) But also, they’re just a great jacket for busy lives! There’s a generally accommodating cut that doesn’t restrict your movement, plenty of pockets, and hardy materials that can easily handle a snag, or sudden shower.
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Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
