Help me find a waterproof jacket I can wear with my suit

September 25, 2014 6:43 PM

I am looking for a shell-weight jacket I can wear with my suits, but is not a shell.

I am sort of sick of my trench coat. I used to have a Patagonia 3/4 length black jacket which worked for this but it lost its waterproofing several years ago. My suits run the gamut from grey flannel to navy blue pinstripe. I am covered for the winter so this is really for Spring and Fall in New York. I am a big guy, so no modern, slim fits.

The ideal jacket would be 3/4 length, probably black and be waterproof.

(I have seen this question and the answers are a little too far on the technical shell end of the spectrum).

posted by shothotbot to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

No great ideas here, but maybe a field jacket like this one? This is probably too casual though.

I'd also consider getting some additional colors on your trench coat to mix things up a bit. Black, grey and tan are the common colors.

Maybe a topcoat, like these from Bonobos?

Penfield makes a ton of jackets, so there might be one there.

There are definitely budget versions of the jackets above, if you're looking for something more reasonably priced.

Edit - sorry - these aren't really shell weight, but I figured I'd leave them anyway.
posted by cnc at 7:20 PM on September 25, 2014

Could you rewaterproof your current jacket with NikWax?
posted by Grandysaur at 7:42 PM on September 25, 2014

Response by poster: Could you rewaterproof your current jacket with NikWax?

No, I brought it back to Patagonia hoping to get it re-waterproofed but they said they couldn't fix it. They gave me a new shell to make up for it so: yay! But it doesn't solve the problem at hand.
posted by shothotbot at 7:46 PM on September 25, 2014

Budget? Hood or no? Brooks Brothers has a few lovely options, but they're NOT CHEAP. Macy's website has some good looking options.
posted by mollymayhem at 9:28 PM on September 25, 2014

Best answer: If you have the cash for it, Veilance has the perfect 3/4 length, form/function wise. That said, I have it on good authority their stuff is not as well made as it was say two years ago, but it'll still live forever and beat the hell out of nearly anything else. Except of course this...

...if you can find one.
posted by digitalprimate at 1:20 AM on September 26, 2014

This one?
posted by iviken at 2:36 AM on September 26, 2014

One time I put a thin polartec fleece beanie through a water repellant wash. When it came out it was so water repellant that you could fill it to the brim with water and it wouldn't leak. This was straight 100 weight fleece with no other fabric or backing. So don't underestimate wash-in waterproofing and what you can and can't waterproof.
posted by ryanrs at 4:52 AM on September 26, 2014

Best answer: Some folks have predictably freaked out because Arcteryx have started manufacturing some pieces in China. The good doctor has several Veilance pieces from various seasons, and while they're expensive, they're all well-made and of very good quality.

Acronym is really quite fantastic, and designer Errolson Hugh's also been busy working on the Laminar line for Herno and the Stone Island Shadow Project. There are several pieces in there you might like.
posted by evoque at 7:57 AM on September 26, 2014