David Connolly
Oct 6, 20183 min
Updated: May 29, 2021
Spending hours or even weeks tracking down your version of the perfect denim jacket is task you won’t regret. It might hurt a little bit at the time (and yes, we’re talking about your bank balance) but once finally you take home “the one”, it’ll change your style for the better every day of the week. Your t-shirts will magically turn into outfits, your work clothes will appear cooler by association, and your collection of cool pants will finally get the partner in crime they deserve. Honestly, it’s probably the most important purchase you’ll make all year (other than, you know, health insurance). So, roll up your sleeves and start matching. Here, 20 GQ-approved options to get you started. Warning: There’s a Saint Laurent in there that may cause heart palpitations.
This jacket is cult-loved for a reason: few brands nail distressed denim quite as well as John Elliott.
This one's for diehards: Yankees fans, Gucci loyalists, and denim collectors.
This clean, classic, minimalist jacket is finished with a graphic patch in the back (it’s Raf Simons’ stamp of approval).
Cropped fit, off-white color, contrast stitching. This isn't your average trucker.
The OG trucker is still one of the best money can buy. These days we’re into light washes and Sherpa collars for a ‘70s feel.
The perfect medium blue, no bells, no whistles denim jacket. You are officially a cowboy.
This has the round, tapered cut you love in a Champion hoodie, with the all-American flavor of a Levi’s trucker.
Show your dedication to style with this sold-out, patched-up swerve of a jacket.
J.Crew's new lower prices make this denim jacket one of the best bang-for-your-buck options on shelves right now.
Just like your dad's anicent black denim jacket, except this one says Balenciaga.
Green corduroy panels separate your trucker jacket from everyone else’s, for starters.
This thick-collar, dark-wash jacket feels just as substantial as your favorite leather jacket, and for half the price.
Acne hasn't been making denim jackets for hundreds of years, but they could have fooled us.
Todd Snyder isn't about spray paint, patches, and statement collars when it comes to your tried-and-true denim jacket. And that's what we dig about him.
With a collar this thick, you may not even need a winter jacket.
Buy it for the label, the Warhol connection, or because it's just a really great jacket in a hard-to-find color.
Think about it this way: If you wear this jacket 1,490 days in a row (and you most certainly will), it only costs a dollar per day.
If you wear more dress shoes than sneakers, this streamlined, raw-wash jacket is probably your speed.
If you like the Saint Laurent but can't swallow the price (even with cost-per-wear rationalizations), this is a good trade.
This jacket already looks like a precious vintage artifact.
Author: Megan Gustashaw
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