Insulated Duck Chore Coat

The chore coat is the oldest shape in workwear and the argument for it has not changed: a straight body, a plain collar, and pockets you can get a hand into while wearing a glove.

Duck is the right shell for it, because a chore coat gets leaned against things, and duck takes that better than anything softer. This one is insulated, which moves it out of the barn-jacket category and into something you can wear through a real winter. Black and brown duck are the two colours, and brown duck is the one that will look better in five years than it does now.

Wear it over a hoodie or a flannel and expect it to become the coat you reach for by default. Chore coats do not date, so buy it to fit properly rather than to fit a trend, and take a size that allows for the layer underneath.