Your Favorite Trucker Jacket, but Warmer
SHOP DARK WASH TRUCKER $98, levi.com
Welcome to The Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash.
Way back in 2017, when we launched this iteration of the Esquire Endorsement (it once lived in the magazine, even further back in history), we had to think hard about what item to start with. You want it to be cool, stylish, enduring, affordable—all that good stuff. You want something that's great now and will still be great in 10 or 20 years, and that speaks to a lot of guys with different ideas about how to approach this whole "personal style" thing. Naturally, we chose the Levi's trucker jacket.
Now, it's 2020. It's winter. And we're back to the Levi's trucker jacket. Except, instead of just denim, this one brings in a fleece lining. A cozy, cozy fleece lining that keeps you warm and looks good while doing it. It has many names, but we'll call it faux shearling. Or just call it cool (but, you know, warm). Here's why you need this beefed-up trucker in your closet.
It's damn cool.
I know, I know. Saying a denim jacket is cool is kind of like saying the Earth is round. Most people agree with you based on the irrefutable evidence provided by their lived experience, plus a pretty good feeling that it's just plain correct. The rest? Well, we can let them believe what they want to believe. Still, it's worth stating once more for the record: A good denim jacket is very cool, and will extend all that coolness to the other stuff you wear it with. Useful!
SHOP MEDIUM WASH TRUCKER $128, levi.com
It's also really warm.
I hope I'm not destroying any long-held illusions here, but denim is not the ideal material for outerwear. It's sturdy, sure, but it's not made to keep you warm. That's where the all-important lining comes into play. That shit is made to keep you warm. It's like wrapping yourself in a big ol' blanket (except it's a trucker jacket). Pair that with the aforementioned denim, which provides a bit of a shell, helping trap the heat and keep out the worst of any winter winds, and you have a surprisingly effective piece of outerwear.
It's beyond the trend cycle.
The OG Type 3 trucker jacket dates back to 1967. Since then, the design has persisted with only minor modifications. That's a testament to timeless style if ever there was one. I don't subscribe to the notion that one's wardrobe must be out of time and always unimpeachable. Hell, making a few era-appropriate missteps is part of the fun of getting dressed. But when you find an icon—and one that can keep you warm, to boot—you'd best recognize it and appreciate it. This jacket is an icon. And that's why you should have one in your closet.
Prop styling by John Olson.
Photography by Timothy Mulcare.
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