my three chore coats

two from Vetra, one from Drake's

I shouldn’t have three of these. Chore coats are better the more you wear them in; therefore, they’re kind of better the fewer you have. I have three, and a lot of other outerwear.

Vetra

Vetra was kind enough to send me two chore coats, one in a mid brown and the other in the classic French blue moleskin (French “moleskin” is not our “moleskin,” theirs is a sateen fabric). I’m trying to cut down on my outerwear, because my closet is stuffed, but these are both so good in different ways.

The brown one is a crucial building block of a basic American workwear wardrobe. I think most men who want to get away with one jacket should just get one of these. It helps that the moleskin collar sits so stiff, I can really putz around with it. But I do need to see how it will wear in.

Then, the classic French “bleu de travail.” Vetra calls this color “Hydrone.” The subject of my first episode of “how the hell do I style this.” Personally, I find this shade of blue very hard to wear. But I love a challenge, especially when that challenge comes from an absolute classic piece such as this. An outerwear collection like mine just wouldn’t be complete without a French blue chore coat.

Drake’s

Drake’s makes famous, good, expensive chore coats. This one is much less classic, in a very heavy burgundy linen, but the weight and softness of the linen are just so nice, and it’s wearing in very nicely.

This jacket was… maybe my first good piece of outerwear? Actually, I got it on the same day as my navy cashmere overcoat from Shane, so, yeah, around there.

At first, I didn’t love the way the collar sat. This was not a problem for too long, as it started to curl out. The linen is heavy enough that it creates these soft rolls instead of crisp, crinkly wrinkles. a few points are starting to fade, but you can still appreciate the deep burgundy originally intended. Michael Hill is so good at color…

For its beauty, comfort, and sentimental value, I need to keep this jacket until it decomposes to the point of being unwearable, some 700 years from now.

So… I guess will never have fewer than three chore coats.

Somebody send me an armoire.