The perfect jacket is a tough thing to find. It’s a near impossible task, actually. One has materials that are too thin, another is too beefy and overpriced. Something from a workwear brand looks a little too tough, something from a fashion brand a little too soft. But it’s time to stop searching. We made the perfect jacket—or at least we think so—by teaming up with the folks at Bespoke Post’s in-house brand Line of Trade to put our touches on the damn perfect Montana fleece-lined corduroy trucker jacket.
Esquire x Line of Trade Montana Fleece-Lined Corduroy Trucker
Esquire x Line of Trade Montana Fleece-Lined Corduroy Trucker
It Looks Damn Good
The look isn’t anything revolutionary. A brown jacket—be it suede, waxed cotton, or in this case corduroy—has always been a menswear staple, and music-loving men the world over have thrown them on in hopes of looking like they’re on the cover of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. But while it’s not a new idea, our friends at LoT have perfected the form.
Let’s work out-to-in on this thing. First, thing you see is that it’s a classic trucker. It’s a bit workwear-y, not cropped but lands at your natural waist, and it’s got that structured stitching on the front—a look that flatters every body type. Instead of going for denim, we did it up in a 100 percent cotton corduroy that gives the jacket a softer hand feel and a lovely rich caramel color. After that, you’ve got a pretty standard sherpa fleece lining. But instead of the typical off-white, it’s gotten dyed a deep shade of brown, giving the jacket a much more presentable tonal look. That fleece gives the jacket some beef, and makes it warm enough for cooler fall days. But instead of running throughout the length of the jacket, the fleece is only in the torso, and the sleeves have quilted insulation. Which leads straight into the best part about this jacket.
Buy $140, bespokepost.com
It’s My New Transitional Weather Workhorse
On its own, over a tee, it’s a great fall jacket. It’ll be able to take me through October, being warm enough for those nights in the 40s, but cool enough for those days when we might hit 70. The real best thing about it is that the fleece lining is not carried all the way through the arms.
Listen, I’ve owned some of these sherpa-lined truckers before, and they almost always get dumped out of my wardrobe because of all the fleece they put in those things. One you have it in the arms, you can’t really wear your jacket with anything besides a long sleeve tee. Trying to layer with a sweater or sweatshirt? Good luck! You’re either sweating through it, or you’re stuck trying to stuff your arm through all that fleece.
But on the Montana Trucker, the arms only have that quilted insulation. Add to that a traditional cut and a slick and smooth polyester lining, and you’ve got the perfect piece for fall layering. Sweaters, be they thin cashmere or big cable knits, slide straight through the arms, as do my thickest workwear sweatshirts. So instead of just being a jacket I can wear over a tee when the weather gets cool, I’m going to be wearing this thing up until the nastiest days of winter when I finally break out the techy parka. Anything less harrowing than that and I’m throwing on the Montana.
Buy $140, bespokepost.com
One Jacket for the Rest of My Life
So let’s recap. This thing takes its cues from traditional workwear, with a classic cut and the highest-quality classic corduroy. On top of that, it’s got a great sherpa lining that—unlike every other jacket out there—is actually optimized for layering. If I’m smart, I can wear this jacket from late September, through the dead of winter, and into spring. I don’t say this lightly, but give me one jacket for the rest of my life… I’m taking this Montana Trucker.
Buy $140, bespokepost.com
Luke Guillory
Associate Commerce Editor
Luke Guillory is the Associate Commerce Editor at Esquire.
