Field jackets may have first earned their stripes during the Vietnam War, but they’ve found their spiritual home in the UK. A few weeks of spring weather is enough to remind you that, from one moment to the next, you could be basking in sunshine or bracing yourself against Storm Dave.
For conditions like these, the field jacket is about as versatile as menswear gets. Its only real drawback is that it can sometimes skew a little too utilitarian for day-to-day life in the City.
That was, at least, until Patina’s latest release. The Belfast brand has just unveiled a new Wax Field Jacket that delivers all the weatherproofing you’d expect, but with a welcome degree of fashion-conscious detailing.
Better still, each one is reworked from recycled materials.
As Patina founder Jon-Joe Rogers explains: “Our Wax Field Jackets are built entirely from repurposed vintage waxed cotton jackets, sourced from across the world and reconstructed into a new silhouette. Each piece carries the marks of its previous life, from subtle wear to deeper patina, making every jacket completely one of a kind.”
These limited-edition jackets are incredibly time-intensive to produce. Original garments are painstakingly deconstructed, with usable panels carefully set aside before being rebuilt into a cropped field jacket silhouette with a distinctly contemporary fit.
“No two jackets are ever the same,” says Rogers. “There are variations in tone, texture and finish depending on the source material. With wear, each jacket continues to evolve, developing a character unique to its owner.”
Produced in deliberately small batches, each run is finite and will not be repeated in quite the same way.
So head over to the Patina site now – before Dave decides on a return visit.
Prices from £210. Find out more at Patina World.
