I have a jacket problem. I鈥檝e 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 realized听the 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 国产吃瓜黑料, I tested every jacket I could get my hands on.
Nowadays听I鈥檓 on the other side of my obsession. I鈥檝e tested so many puffies, shells, fleeces, and midlayers that I鈥檝e lost track. Unless a jacket truly stands out, it just blurs together with the hundreds I鈥檝e already worn. My closet has been culled, and only a few remain.听
One jacket that鈥檚听earned a permanent spot听in my collection听is the .听I鈥檝e听had it听for a couple of years, and听it鈥檚 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鈥檝e used it to听saw down trees, clean my yard, haul trash, and听perform听all kinds of other random jobs, none of which put the jacket in any real danger of nicks or tears. In fact,听a bit of wear and tear听only make it look better. That鈥檚 because waxed cotton, like leather, takes on a patina over time. The more you use your jacket, the more uniquely yours it becomes.听
Several companies make unlined waxed coats, and I鈥檝e 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 interior听keep听me comfy, even as temperatures approach freezing. If it鈥檚 really cold outside, all I need is a thick sweater underneath. I don鈥檛 use the Trucker when I鈥檓 skiing or hiking, because it doesn鈥檛 breathe as well as a fleece midlayer or听an听air-permeable shell. But it鈥檚 perfect for nearly everything else.
You鈥檒l 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鈥檚 style. The patina goes听well with jeans and boots, and it also looks great over a button-down shirt. I haven鈥檛 had the chance to wear this piece into work often,听but once things open back up, it鈥檒l 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)听are equally classy.
At $240, the Trucker isn鈥檛 cheap. But you get what you pay for. Sewn in Los Angeles and cut from materials made in New Jersey, you鈥檒l have this jacket for years to come and will wear it so often that the price tag will start to sound like a bargain.听