Men's Harrington (Outerwear)

The harrington takes its shape from a collar that stands rather than folds, plus elastic at the cuffs and hem and two slanted flap pockets at the hip. The first version appeared in 1937 as a golf jacket, and the design has barely moved since. That standing collar is the identifying feature, because it holds its own height instead of lying flat. That keeps the neckline clean once the jacket is zipped.

Across the back sits an umbrella yoke, a pointed panel of fabric layered over the shoulders and left open at the sides so water running down the back drains outward instead of soaking through. The body is usually a cotton-polyester blend, light enough to fold into a bag and dense enough to stop wind. Inside, the traditional version carries a checked lining, normally a red and green tartan. That flash of check at the cuff is how people recognize a good one. Elastic at the hem and cuffs pulls the jacket snug to the body, trapping a thin layer of warm air and keeping the outline tidy.

Bombers finish the neck in a ribbed knit band instead of a stand collar, which softens the line and reads more casual. Truckers are denim, unlined and cut with a yoke seam, so they look like workwear rather than sportswear. Field jackets carry twice the volume, four pockets and no shaping at the neck. This is the neatest of the group. It sits well over a knit polo or an oxford shirt where the others would fight the collar underneath.

Think of it as a shirt jacket for mild days, worn over an oxford or a fine-gauge knit and nothing bulkier. Navy, stone and olive go with almost any trouser, and the short hem suits a taller frame better, since the elastic band draws a hard line across the body at the hip. Pockets are its weak point, so leave it alone if you need to carry anything past a phone. Below about 50 degrees Fahrenheit it gives no useful warmth on its own.

Zip it to the throat first. A proper collar holds its height, while a limp one folds flat against your neck and the jacket loses the line it is built around. Stretch the hem elastic and release it, since a slack band leaves the whole jacket flapping. Wash cold and hang to dry, because a hot dryer damages the elastic and the lining shrinks at a different rate than the shell, which puckers the hem permanently.