No American city* demands a finely made jacket as much as our own. Cross town and you might go from 79 and sunny for lunch in the Mission to 59 and foggy for drinks at Outerlands and then 85 the next afternoon hiking in the East Bay.
It’s a job we like to entrust to San Francisco’s own brands, led by designers who understand our unique climatological battle. So below, you’ll find the latest releases from five homegrown stars, which cover every wintry situation you can think up, from “Do I really even need a jacket today?” to “Are we in Tahoe or Hoth?”
Including one jacket so smart it can probably work for either.
*Yes, Portland and Seattle included.
Mission Workshop The Watchman
As good in the mountains as it is close to home, The Watchman is Mission Workshop’s warmest coat. That’s thanks to a laundry list of insulative materials, including PrimaLoft Gold boosted by Aerogel, a substance so fancy it’s worth its own science-centric webpage. The Dynamic Durable Water-Repellent finish, meanwhile, will hold off the driz.
Taylor Stitch Primrose Jacket
While their leather motorcycle jacket remains a classic, our seasonal go-to is the exceptionally versatile Primrose, which is equally at home on Monday morning (heading into a meeting) as it does Saturday night (heading out for drinks). The smart Taylor Stitch touches are there, like a cotton moleskin collar, taped seams, a camo-print interior, and a fully waterproof finish.
DSPTCH X 3sixteen BDU Jacket
This modified BDU jacket is a product of DPSTCH’s collaboration with New York brand 3sixteen (we’ve already mentioned how much we like the day bag from the same collection). The jacket mines that same functional-fashionable vein, with water-tough Ventile cotton and replica BDU buttons, plus more pockets than you’ll need for once.
Golden Bear’s Moto Jacket
A motorcycle jacket that accomplishes what so few in the niche do: provide a look without making anyone look ridiculous. That’s thanks to the paucity of embellishments, the not-overly-censorious cut, and the supple cowhide material.
Welcome Stranger’s Nu Safari Jacket
You go to Welcome Stranger for the excellent diversity of labels (from the Saturdays pants to the Morihata charcoal toothbrush — but stay for the shop’s own-brand goods. Top among them: the Nu Safari jacket, which masters the uniquely S.F. needs of going from oysters on Tomales Bay to Tahoe and back — three seasons in one weekend. You wouldn’t want to climb Everest in it, but other than that, you’ll be good.
Images via respective brands, main image via Mission Workshop
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