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Buy now $275, huckberry.com
Welcome to The Esquire Endorsement. Thoroughly researched. Thoroughly vetted. These tips are the best way to spend your hard-earned money.
Every man needs a good work coat. This feels like a style rule from the “guys dress themselves and post about it on online forums” era of #menswear, but I believe it.
And I don’t believe that because I’m trend-chasing. I’m not really interested in every one of you going back to work jackets, beanies, and Red Wings. I believe that because there is no more versatile men’s clothing item. Nothing else is as functional and nothing else looks as good on a wide range of men.
When I consider the question of which brand of work jacket to buy, I default to my usual answer: the classic version. In this case, it is the French brand Le Mont St Michel, which has been producing this jacket since 1913.
It can mean many things to many people.
My style tends towards Americana. I think I’m the Americana nostalgia guy from the Esquire office. I usually wear Wrangler Jeans, Hanes T-ShirtsAnd Lucchese boots. I’m like a wannabe Bruce Springsteen wearing his American-born look of the most American guy. My uniform would look more like a RRL Trucker or a Dickies Eisenhower. But there’s something about this damn work coat from Le Mont St Michel… It can simply do more.
To continue with the dated Americana references, think of Rowdy Herrington’s original Street Housenot the souped-up remake. In black, which Huckberry does not have in stock, must get it from the source— my look can rock Sam Elliot in the role of Wade Garrett. (Oddly enough, one of my top style inspirations.) Spruce up the jacket, maybe patch a hole or two and roll up the sleeves. That makes it perfect. But it can also pull off the #menswearguy look where you give it a patina on purpose. It can pull off the simple Bill Cunningham “I wear this because it’s functional” look. It looks good on farmers, strategists, and bikers. It’s a chameleon jacket. In an age where brands are usually tied to trends (Are my sunglasses brat?Is my Carhartt jacket Blue Collar Stolen Valor?), a work coat from Le Mont St Michel still goes effortlessly unnoticed.
Buy now $275, huckberry.com
It’s work clothes, just a little more buttoned up.
As versatile as this work coat is, it’s still workwear. It can and should still take a beating. The one in this photoshoot is (obviously) brand new, but I think that’s how you should buy it. I normally love vintage, but here I think it’s fun to transform a piece of clothing from cradle to grave. Don’t buy a vintage coat that’s all battered because a French winemaker owned it for 20 years. Buy a new one, boost the economy, and batter it by making it yourself. work.
If you work as a “creative leader,” “experiential marketer,” or “journalist,” it’s great for that, too. Brand new, it’s more formal than most things you wear to the office these days. If your workplace is more formal, it’s great for a casual look. But I’d really urge you all to find a real hobby – gardening, ceramics, woodworking – and wear it for that. It’ll still play the role of a casual layer, but the super-dense moleskin fabric is dense, durable, and nearly waterproof. It’s made to take a beating.
Buy now $275, huckberry.com
Buying is easier than ever.
The reason I wrote this story was because Huckberry now carries these jackets. I know this sounds like a #paid #advertisement, but it is absolutely not. In the past, you couldn’t easily buy these jackets in the US. A few small retailers had them, but you had to pay an insane markup. Since the late 90s, the brand has modernized, and the Le Mont St Michel website technically worked in America, but the buying experience just wasn’t good. And now? It’s in stock in the US and you pay about the same price you would if you bought it tax free on holiday in France. It’s beautiful.
As a diehard Made in USA fan, that’s perhaps the biggest recommendation I can give this piece. Rather than looking for something denim-like, tight-fitting and frivolous in my own country, I prefer to buy something French and sophisticated here. Does that mean I can only wear it to drink wine and read Proust in untranslated form? No, I’ll wear it in my garden like a damn American, and that’s the beauty of this jacket. Whether you’re a true French worker, an American menswear guy, or just a guy looking for a style upgrade, it will complete your outfits, every single one of them.
Buy now $275, huckberry.com
Photos by Joe Lingeman. Prop styling by Heather Greene.
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