You’ll have seen the word a lot this season: shacket. But what exactly is it? What makes it different from an overshirt? And how are you supposed to wear it? Answers here.
A shacket fuses the best of two staples – it wears like a shirt but is thick enough to keep you warm like a jacket.
If it’s not already, it’ll be one of the hardest-working items in your wardrobe. You’ll easily trade a coat in for one when it’s cool but not cold, or use it as a layer to build up your look when you need extra warmth.
We can’t go any further here without ironing this out: in truth, shackets and overshirts are widely interchangeable by name and you’ll find either word used for the same sort of styles by different brands.
Our take is that a shacket leans more on the jacket end of the scale with thicker fabrics, a weightier hand-feel and more jacket-like details. Whereas an overshirt feels much more like a shirt but has a more relaxed fit than your usual button-up so you can layer it over other pieces.
Whichever term you land on, they’ve both got a utilitarian feel that’ll make a smart outfit feel more casual and smarten up a casual look. Magic.
It won’t surprise you that men’s shackets and overshirts come in all sorts of forms. From lightweight and layerable to weighty and warm, there’s a style to cover all of your outerwear needs.
A wool shacket is a true shacket by our book. Ours comes in a mid-weight fabric that offers equal parts structure and drape. It’s got all the properties of wool too (heat-regulating, anti-stain and breathable to name a few).
For something lighter a linen shacket is a breathable take on the look that will make a nice contrast worn over knitwear and imply you’ve put some thought into your outfit. Otherwise, a relaxed overshirt offers the sort of ease of wear that means you can throw it on and go live your life, whereas the more refined profile of a tailored overshirt will instantly pull your comfy joggers and a jumper together as an intentional look.
And finally, a checked overshirt is a men’s casual staple that adds a shot of pattern to your lineup. We’ve made ours with 20% wool, taking it to almost jacket-weight so it’s easily warm enough to layer over a roll neck and forgo a coat for that bit longer.
The simple answer? Wear it with just about anything. You’ll find a shacket or overshirt as versatile as your favourite denim – and it’ll go with pretty much anything your jeans do too.
For the most layering potential, look for a boxier fit and a longer line than your standard shirt. Wear yours to wrap a casual look up into something that bit more refined, like with a merino-blend zip neck and a pair of coordinating joggers for an easy weekend outfit. Or try an overshirt with a pair of tailored trousers and leather loafers for a hybrid smart/casual office look.
If it hasn’t done enough to earn its spot in your wardrobe already, know you can use a shacket as a light layer over a jumper or T-shirt in spring and autumn. Then, when it’s properly cold, use a mid-weight overshirt as an extra layer to trap air between a knitted jumper and your winter coat.
