Field Jacket

A mid weight shell with the pockets on the outside

The field jacket is the cotton or polycotton coat cut for working outdoors: four patch pockets on the front, a drawcord at the waist and another at the hem, a stand collar, and a zip closed over by a press stud fly. The jackets here are new production in olive, navy and black, most following the M65 pattern, several with a water resistant finish and a hood stowed in the collar.

Which markers identify the M65 pattern?

M65 names a pattern of coat rather than a brand, and it is the shape most people picture when they think of military jackets. Its markers stay consistent: two chest pockets and two lower cargo pockets under flaps, a full length zip behind a stud fly, adjustable cuff tabs, epaulettes and a hood rolled into a zipped compartment behind the collar. The waist drawcord changes the silhouette most, since pulling it turns a straight box shape into something closer to a blouson.

How warm is one on its own?

Not very, and it was never meant to be. The shell blocks wind and light rain while the warmth is expected to come from underneath, which is why the body is cut with room to spare. A fleece jumper under the shell covers most of a British autumn, and a quilted liner extends it further. For deep winter, a longer insulated coat from the army parka range does a job this cut cannot.

Which parts of a field jacket are worth comparing?

• Fabric weight: heavier cotton hangs better and takes abrasion, while lighter blends pack down small and dry faster after a soaking.
• Zip and fly: a moulded or metal zip behind a storm flap is the part used most and the part most likely to fail.
• Pocket closure: press studs pull open under a strap where buttons hold, so check which the cargo pockets use if a bag is worn over the coat.
• Hood arrangement: a stowed hood keeps the collar clean but adds bulk at the neck, so decide first whether it will ever come out.
• Cuff adjustment: tabs let a sleeve close down over a glove, which a plain elasticated cuff cannot do.

How should it fit over layers?

Fasten it over the thickest jumper that will realistically go underneath, then raise both arms. If the hem lifts above the belt line or the shoulders bind, the size is short. This cut is supposed to look slightly large over a shirt alone, and sizing it to a shirt leaves no room for the layer it exists to cover.

How is the water kept out?

The finish on a treated cotton shell wears off at the shoulders and the forearms, where a bag strap and the sleeves take the friction. Once rain soaks in rather than beading up, wash the coat on a gentle cycle and treat it again with a proofer made for the fabric. Where rain rather than wind is the main concern, a taped seam design from the military waterproof jacket range is the more direct answer.