1 J Crew field mechanic jacket | $176 at J Crew
2 Vintage French military jacket | via eBay – google for more options…there are LOTS ranging from $29 on up…
3 Velvet Erykah Waterfall parka | $179 at Velvet
4 Toad & Co organic cotton utility jacket | $138 at Rodale’s (sustainably/ethically made in China)
5 The Great swingy army jacket | $385 pre-order at Forward (made in the US)
6 Current/Elliot army jacket | $268 at Nordstrom (made in the US)
7 The Arrivals Artemis modular parka | $385 at The Arrivals (made in the US)
I’m a huge fan of military style jackets, in “olive,” of course, for just a little color. I always have one I love, right now it’s by James Perse, but I had a very simple Madewell jacket years ago I wore all the time (this new one is nice…). They come in all shapes and sizes, from cropped to oversized and everywhere in between. They can be practical for rain and cold weather (parkas…), or they can be just a simple lightweight layer for cooler temperatures. So may options…
I scoured some of my favorite shopping sites to find some olive military jackets I thought you’d love. I tried to focus on made in the US, and/or sustainable/ethical/eco-friendlier brands, but the choices are rather limited in that regard. Vintage is also a good option (R+R Surplus has some re-worked vintage French army jackets), and eBay has lots, as does etsy and even Urban Outfitters (although I’m sure they just buy in bulk from eBay and double the price…) online, and of course your local army/navy store is sure to be a terrific resource.
Do you wear military style jackets/parkas in cooler weather? What’s your favorite?
More favorites:
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I have a Textile Elizabeth and James jacket that is very similar to the Current/Elliot one, minus the weird hip belt. Madewell sold it a few years ago, and I could not justify the $300 price tag. However, none of the others I found were as good, and I eventually found it for sale for less than half the original price on some weird close-out sale site. It’s the perfect lightweight jacket for me, and I wear it with everything from jeans to work dresses–it has a way of going with everything (I think).
I’ve resisted buying any others, because I actually did find the _perfect_ one! (for me)
Hi!
I also love love love the olive utility jacket–its so versatile to style. Mine is an old Madewell one that is just the “right” degree of heavieness without bulk. I sometimes wish it had a hood, but only if said hood was removable (for those times you don’t want the extra fabric).
But Grechen, here is my question for discussion–what do you think of the jacket’s younger cousin-the olive utility vest? I’ve seen several that I like, and many Pinterest posts styled over dresses. I like this look, but sometimes I feel it is more trendy, not as timeless…therefore not as much something to invest in. Thoughts?
Oh! Are you as excited as I am about some of the new Everlane pieces coming out for fall! Ponte dresses!!!! Waitlist!
I am very excited about the new ponte pieces—the top, the short dress, and the long dress. If they work for me they will basically cover off the rest of my fall / winter wardrobe purchases.
here’s my thing with vests: if it’s cold enough to need a “vest” or jacket without sleeves, wouldn’t it be cold enough to need sleeves?? i love the way they look, especially the new longer ones now, but i have real trouble figuring out how to REALLY wear one. i could style one, and envision tons of outfits in my head with a great vest, but they’re just so impractical for me. or so i think…i even had the everlane turtleneck sweater/vest, and loved it, but never, ever wore it.
and yes, i’m always excited about new everlane launches. and fall is my favorite 🙂
but given their track record on me lately, i’m not very hopeful that things will work out on my body. i will, of course, order stuff to try, but i’m sort of expecting nothing to work. sadly.
love the ponte top and dress, but i’m thinking they’ll fit really strangely on me. i’ll try them anyway, duh. but i’m sure that top won’t be as cropped as i’d like it to be…
I love olive fall jackets as well! I purchased this one earlier this year when it was discounted for 50% off. Its lovely.
http://velvet-tees.com/women/velvet-tees-and-tops/jackets-and-vests/ruby-army-jacket.html
Can I love ALL of them?!? Haha! I feel like a kid in a candy store when I see a great military-style jacket. I’ve had the same one, found on a GAP clearance rack for $10 and I still love it as much as ever. It’s going to be a difficult item to replace when the time comes. If I had infinite money, and a teeny body, I’d get the one by Nili Lotan. I’m hooked on everything in her window…SO Grechen!
Chic!
Thanks for this post! I also LOVE this style of jacket – I don’t know what it is exactly but something about that olive color, when it is just right, really gets me, and the military/army style of jacket….it’s just so versatile like everyone is saying, But hard to pin down the right one. There are some here that I’d not seen so useful to know what is out there. I tried the expensive NLST oversized one which I love in theory but it did NOT work on my somewhat petite, curvy body – the fit was just all wrong. Sent back. Then I tried the one with the rolled up sleeves from urban outfitters (it had a different lining when I bought last spring) and loved it but left it on a plane and never got it back. UGH. Then I tried the Selia jacket from Velvet Graham and Spencer and liked it well enough but it was just meh on me. I don’t know why but did not do it for me – kind of tight in the hips and not enough pocket/military action going on for me. I like a lot of stuff on my army jackets. I also tried another expensive “fishtail” parka from The Great and it was awful on me — bought the smallest size and it was just ENORMOUS. Very unflattering. Finally I broke down and went to J.Crew, which has a pretty decent track record with these sorts of jackets, and bought the field mechanic jacket. This is the best on me so far – great fit, love the color. Will keep it if I don’t find anything else that is better! Sometimes the expensive fancy stuff just doesn’t work on me at all. Go figure. I do like the looks of that James Perse Yosemite jacket. Anybody have any experience with that one? Looks nice for cooler weather……Great post!