If you’re on the lookout for some of the Best Men’s Denim Jackets, then look no further than this article. I not only show my top choices, but I also go through what colors and washes you should wear, how the jacket should fit, and show you some of the best mens outfits for denim jackets.
Jump to the best mens denim jacket buying guide
When you’re looking for the best men’s denim jacket, you’re on the search for the epitome of a men’s essential jacket. It’s so essential, that I even included it in my 33-Piece Minimal Capsule Wardrobe.
The Men’s Jean Jacket has been a fall season essential wardrobe item since the 50s. When the temperatures start to drop the first thing you’re going to reach for is your Jean Jacket. It’s a great lightweight jacket because it is so versatile. It can be worn with dark wash jeans, chinos, or even wool dress pants and pull each one off perfectly if done right. For the most part, you could wear a jean jacket every day because it works with any type of outfit.
It also goes with any body type whether you’re tall and skinny or short and stocky. The one thing I would keep in mind is denim jackets are transitional, they don’t offer a lot of warmth so when temps start dropping down into the 40s I would think about layering with a trench coat or a v-neck sweater.
How a Jean Jacket Should Fit on a Man
One of the biggest problems I had to overcome was coming to grips that I bought clothes that were way too big. I’m 5’10” and 180 lbs, when I bought anything I automatically went to a large. And for years I looked terrible in my clothes especially jackets.
The moment I went to a medium jacket I looked 10x’s better. A smaller jacket is obviously going to be tighter but denim stretches after a while and will eventually fit perfectly.
A jean jacket should fit snug on your arms and body and end right at your waist. Any bigger and you’re going to look sloppy. When you go shopping I suggest pulling your size and one size smaller. You’ll be surprised.
Men’s Jean Jacket Colors/Washes To Buy
In this section, I’ll go over the different washes for jean jackets and the clothing items they go best with. If I had to choose just one of these washes to have in my closet, I would go with a medium wash. It gives you the greatest versatility and thus the greatest room for error of the bunch.
Light Wash Men’s Jean Jacket
Yes, light wash jackets are a great addition to any man’s wardrobe. The one rule you’ll not want to break is that you want to make sure that you go with dark pants. A light wash jean jacket with light wash jeans is a big no-no. Olive or Navy chinos look great, along with dark wash jeans, and wool pants.
Medium Wash Men’s Jean Jacket
A medium wash jacket is probably my favorite on this list. It is also the most versatile. It will go with dark wash or light wash jeans as long as you try and keep from matching the jean color too closely you should be good to go. Medium Wash also goes great with chinos or wool pants. One of my favorite outfits with a medium wash jean jacket is a classic v-neck sweater and tie combination as.
Dark Wash/Selvage Men’s Jean Jacket
The dark wash men’s jean jacket is another one of my favorites, but it’s not as versatile as the medium wash. You can still get some great looks out of it plus if you’re a bigger guy it can make you look a lot slimmer than some of the other washes. I would pair a dark wash jean jacket with selvage or black jeans, any chino color would work olive, and navy being my favorites, and wool pants will look great as well.
Grey Or Black Men’s Jean Jacket
This is probably the least versatile of all of the washes, but if you want to go for the total badass look this is the jacket you’ll want to go with. You’d pair a grey or black jean jacket with a black or white t-shirt and black jeans or chinos. Keep your shoes black as well.
16 of the Best Men’s Denim Jackets
The brands below are all great options for men’s jean jackets. The price range for jean jackets is huge. Jackets on the lower end of the scales are going to mass produced where as those in the higher range in the designer options section will use a good selvage denim from a reputable mill like cone mills or Yoshiwa Mills in Japan and are sewn in the U.S. or other first world countries. That being said, if you get the proper fit and pair with the right clothing you’ll look great in any jacket on this list.
Designer Options
1. Acne Studios Tent Denim Jacket ($255)
2. A.P.C US Jean Jacket ($259)
3. Tellason Selvedge Jean Jacket ($260)
4. RRL 3RD Edition Denim Jacket ($269)
5. Freenote Classic Denim Jacket ($280)
6. Todd Snyder Made in Los Angeles Denim Jacket ($298) – Through traditional weaving techniques, the Todd Snyder Made in Los Angeles Denim Jacket rises far above the competition. Their classic silhouette is perfectly matched with innovative design for an easy to wear, comfortable jacket. This soon to be classic is cut from the U.S.A. selvedge Cone denim that has a light rinse for a softer lived in feel. As the name says it’s made in good ole Los Angeles, CA.
7. Rag & Bone Definitive Jean Jacket ($325) – Rag & Bone produces some of the top men’s fashions in the world and they’ve made a beautiful high-quality denim jacket with the Rag & Bone Definitive Jean Jacket. This jacket features a slim line design that reduces bulk for a clean looking silhouette. Sizing for Rag and Bone Definitive Jean Jacket comes in xx-small to x-large and the jacket comes in multiple colors including British khaki, Devon, and raw blue. Raw is pictured. Additional features includes a shell made from 11oz rigid Japanese selvedge denim, combo inside yoke and hang chain, button front closure, and slant side pockets. The whole kit is made in the USA from imported materials.
8. AMI Denim Jacket ($325)
9. J Brand Jeans Noah Denim Jacket ($398)
10. orSlow Selvedge Denim Jacket ($419)
Budget Options
1. Uniqlo Men’s Denim Jacket ($40)
2. Levis Denim Trucker Jacket ($70) – Levi’s is a company known for producing some of the most comfortable men’s jeans and that naturally translates into quality denim jackets as well. The added bonus of Levi’s Trucker Jacket is they’re available in a wide range of colors, from deep rich blues to lighter hues. The jacket comes in sizes ranging from small to xx-large. Additional features include a non-stretch denim shell, point collar, button front, and side hem adjusters.
3. Gap Icon Denim Jacket ($80) – 100% cotton construction ensures a comfortable finish to Gap’s Icon Denim Jacket ($80). The jacket is made from premium non-stretch denim in an indigo rinse. It features chest flap pockets, side welt pockets, and button cuffs on the sleeves. Sizes range from x-small all the way to xxx-large, so no matter your size, you can enjoy a high-quality denim jacket.
4. J. Crew Classic Denim Jacket ($98) – J. Crew understands what is involved in producing high-quality men’s fashion and that includes exceptionally crafted denim jackets. The J. Crew Denim Jacket comes in standard sizes from x-small to xx-large and has two color offerings. Medium worn wash is a lighter shade of denim while resin rinse is darker. Additional features include four-pockets and functional button cuffs.
5. Taylor Stitch Long Haul Denim Jacket ($188)
6. All Saints Beltar Denim Jacket ($198)
Men’s Jean Jacket Outfit Ideas – How to wear men’s denim jackets
Before I get to my outfit suggestions let’s take a look at all the items you can wear a jean jacket with. Like I said at the start a jean jacket is extremely versatile and can go with almost anything in your closet.
You can wear a men’s jean jacket:
- With Chinos
- With Jeans (Dark and Light Wash)
- With Grey Wool Pants
- With a V-Neck Sweater
- With a Plain T-Shirt
- With a Trench or Over Coat
- With a Dress Shirt and Tie
- With Joggers
- With a Hoodie
Mens Jean Jacket Outfit #1 – Light Wash
I love pairing v-neck sweaters and jean jackets. This would also go great with a nice navy striped tie as well. Remember the previous rule – if you’re going with a light wash jean jacket makie sure to go with dark pants.
1. Jacket: Levis Light Wash Jean Jacket
2. Sweater: J. Crew Navy V-Neck Sweater
3. Shirt: Alex Mill Overdyed Oxford Dress Shirt
4. Chinos: J. Crew 484 Olive Chinos
5. Boots: J. Crew Alden Indy Boot
6. Belt: J. Crew Brown Belt
Mens Jean Jacket Outfit #2 – Medium Wash
This outfit is focused around the pairing of the NWKC Hoodie and the Gap Icon Denim Jacket. I really like to go with tonal sneakers when working with a grey sweatshirt.
1. Jacket: Gap Icon Denim Jacket Medium Indigo
2. Sweatshirt: NWKC 003 Pullover Feather Grey
3. T-Shirt: Asket white t-shirt
4. Jeans: Rogue Territory Stanton Dark Wash Jeans
5. Sneakers: New Balance 1400 Grey
Mens Jean Jacket Outfit #3 – Dark Wash
This is a great outfit for transitioning into fall. Everything here is pretty classic – white button down dress oxford, faded khaki chinos, and all white sneakers from Oliver Cabell.
1. Jacket: Todd Snyder Made in Los Angeles Denim Jacket
2. Chinos: J. Crew 484 Slimfit Chino Faded Chino
3. Shirt: Alex Mill Overdyed Oxford Dress Shirt
4. Belt: J. Crew Brown Belt
5. Sneakers: Oliver Cabell Low White Sneakers
Mens Jean Jacket Outfit #4 – Black Wash
This is the badass nearly all black outfit I was talking about earlier. It features a black denim jacket from J. Crew, black stealth selvage jeans from Rogue Territory, and All Black Red Wing boots. The only bit of color comes from the white soles in the boots and the dark grey T-Shirt from Asket.
1. Jacket: J. Crew Denim jacket in washed black
2. T-Shirt: Asket charcoal grey t-shirt
3. Jeans: Rogue Territory Officer Stealth Jeans Black
4. Boots: J. Crew Red Wing Rover Boots Black
5. Sunglasses: ATTCL Aviator Sunglasses Black
