Don’t Underestimate the Overshirt

Like most guys, you probably have a closet full of button-down shirts. And like most guys, you probably haven’t had much cause to wear them over the last 12 months. With the return to full 9-5 office attire still out of sight for most of us right now, the idea of adding another button-down to your rotation might seem odd. The overshirt (aka the shirt jacket, or the “shacket”), however, is no ordinary button-down. Here’s why it deserves a prime spot in your spring wardrobe.

Its Function Is in the Name

As its name suggests, the overshirt is made to be worn over another layer, rather than under a suit jacket. As such, overshirts are not meant to be tucked in (hence their shorter shirttails) and can easily be worn unbuttoned. Their other common distinguishing feature is a set of buttoned breast pockets, which nod to the shirt’s military field jacket origins. A close cousin to the perennially-popular chore coat and the classic safari jacket, the overshirt’s utilitarian background lends it a rugged, masculine feel along with an impressive amount of functionality.

Shirt or Jacket? Why Choose?

More casual than a sports jacket, and more adaptable than a standard button-down, the beauty of the overshirt is its casual versatility. Typically cut from sturdy cotton cloth, but also found in rain and-wind resistant technical fabric, an overshirt is designed to offer an added layer of weather protection – which can be essential during the widely fluctuating weather of spring and fall. Better still, throwing it on over a t-shirt or henley does more than just add another layer of insulation. Thanks to the overshirt’s classical button-down silhouette, it also serves to smarten up your sneakers and jeans or add a military-inspired edge to your trousers and loafers.