The Overshirt Guide
When it comes to versatile wardrobe staples, few pieces rival the men's overshirt. Though nearly a century old, it's only in the last year or so that guys have started paying attention to this classic garment.
The overshirt is a peculiar item that combines a shirt and a jacket. Sturdier than your office poplin and lighter than a jacket, the overshirt (or "shacket" as some folks are wont to call it), sits at the intersection between a shirt and outerwear. Its got casual jacket features – like additional pockets, larger buttons, and squared hems – and comes in a broad swathe of heavier fabrics including cotton gabardine, melton wool, and cashmere.
The modern overshirt's nebulous identity owes something to the fact that it shares genetic material with four other garments.
The most obvious relative is the 20th Century bleu de travail chore coat. A humble jacket typically consisting of a boxy silhouette with revere collars, three patch pockets, and a squared hem, the chore coat was a purely practical garment worn by mechanics, craftspeople and artists during the Industrial Revolution. It was worn over their "real clothes" saving their wives time and headaches, when doing the laundry.
Another contributor is the military shirt. Begotten by the British Army, they were designed to help troops survive. Four bellow pockets could store essential items such as knives and firearm cartridges. At the same time, the shirt's heavy construction (in either cotton drill or flannel) would protect soldiers if they ever compromised their jackets. The safari shirt, a derivative made of lightweight khaki twill, had breast pockets for holding small flasks and shotgun shells on the African savannah.
Still, it’s impossible to discuss the overshirt without mentioning its American precursors. Whether in the form of the melton wool CPO shirt, the BDU uniform, or the iconic Vietnam War fatigue jacket, the American military distributed the overshirt worldwide. With military surplus trickling into teenage subcultures, American overshirts became oft imitated by department stores chains capitalising on the cult of youth.
Since then the overshirt has enjoyed a comfortable civilian life, from the cotton flannel varieties worn by Kurt Cobain to more refined cashmere versions worn by the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal. But the overshirt's recent renaissance seems more related to the fact that our wardrobes are sliding into increasingly casual territory. While the blazer still reigns supreme for smart-casual occasions, men are looking for stylish alternatives for chilling out. The overshirt's loose-fit and functional details probably won't see battle anytime soon (unless you decided to drop by the toilet paper aisle of your local Woolies), yet it’s hard to resist its rugged charm. A sharp overshirt can smarten up your home-office ensemble without making you feel self-conscious about wearing a suit during a conference call. And for quick essentials-only outdoor adventures, an overshirt will protect you from any weather, if not necessarily from the prying eyes of paranoid neighbours.
Suffice to say the pain is worth it. The overshirt is ridiculously easy to style.
As a garment with workwear and military origins, the overshirt looks best when worn as a light jacket. With a polo, merino knit, and cotton chinos, its loose fit lends a casual air without looking too studied and adds a touch of sophistication to t-shirt and jeans.
For a more formal affair, the overshirt can be worn with tailoring and a button-up shirt too. However, a few caveats. Under a coat the overshirt should function a bit like a waistcoat, providing visual interest, just avoid wearing one with a suit. With smart casual chinos or a simple button-up shirt, you can roll up the sleeves up for an elegant off-duty look.
With its hybrid identity, the overshirt is easy to dress up or down. It looks contemporary and classic at the same time, it's functional yet elegant, and it's more dignified than walking around the house naked.
Of course, this doesn't mean it'll replace the blazer anytime soon. The blazer is a timeless garment that has seen empires rise and just as many fall. But in this age of sartorial and social uncertainty, the sturdy utilitarian overshirt might offer us, and the blazer, a modicum of respite. I think we could all use that, even if only temporarily.
