The Best Men’s Overshirts To Keep Warm

Capable of being worn underneath a shell as a mid or base-layer, on top of a garment as an outer layer, or as a standalone button-up, overshirts are unquestionably one of the most versatile items in the men’s clothing space. And this, coupled with the immense utility and largely timeless appearance possessed by overshirts and shirt-jackets make these pieces bonafide essentials that every guy should have at least one of in their wardrobe. Unfortunately, not all overshirts are created equally, and some boast markedly more durability, allowing them to serve their wearer year after year.

With so many available offerings in the space, it can be difficult to sort through the seemingly endless slew of catalogs and online clothing stores to determine which overshirts are truly built to last and which are mere fast-fashion style pieces with single-season shelf lives. And it’s this former category that we’re going to be focusing on today, rounding up the most rugged and versatile offerings in the space to bring you our best men’s overshirts guide.

The History of Overshirts

What we’d call an overshirt today dates to at least 90 years ago — in the 1930s when the U.S. Navy issued thick wool flannel coats to its Chief Petty Officers. These Chief Petty Officer (or CPO) jackets were somewhat stiff but warm nonetheless. After being in service for a few decades, returning Navy personnel came home and popularized the garment in civilian circles. From there, it wouldn’t take long for workwear manufacturers to start producing CPO shirts. And while today, there are companies that offer more contemporary takes on the classic shirt-jacket, by and large, the garment has mostly gone unchanged since its introduction.

What to look for

Because overshirts are typically an amalgamation of long sleeve button-ups and full-on jackets, they boast some unique properties, and as such, there’s a handful of areas that you’ll want to consider when in the market for a new shirt-jacket. Below, we’ll briefly touch on half a dozen of the most crucial aspects to take into account.

Intended Use: This first area is arguably the most important as it serves as the jumping-off point that will guide the rest of your decisions, how you plan to use your overshirt will help to determine how thick and warm you want it to be, the fitment, and style. Asking yourself when and where you plan on utilizing your shirt-jacket should ultimately get you pointed in the right direction.

Warmth: While all overshirts are going to be warmer and more robust than your average hoodie, button-up, or flannel, there’s still a pretty immense spectrum of warmth offered by the overshirts that we’ve recommended below. Factors such as the shell material, construction techniques and/or baffling, and the presence of insulation all play pivotal roles in how warm a given overshirt will be.

Construction Techniques: Alongside their warmth and unparalleled versatility, one of the main selling points of overshirts is their immensely durable, built-to-last nature, enabling them to stand up to years of abuse and wear and tear, and in some cases, even be passed down to the next generation. It admittedly can be difficult to determine the quality of a garment’s construction from looking at it online, though manufacturers that employ more premium construction techniques – such as welded seams or reinforced stitching — tend to advertise these aspects of their wares, so be sure to keep an eye out for that when shopping.

Materials: Even more so than construction techniques, the materials used to make an overshirt play a massive role in determining its overall warmth and durability. For constructions like cotton and wool, manufacturers will often list the material weight (typically in ounces), though more modern materials such as CORDURA have become increasingly common in the overshirt space.

Sizing: Unlike regular shirts or jackets that you’d regularly purchase in your given size, overshirts can be worn as outer shells or mid-layers, and as such, if you plan on primarily wearing one over a sweatshirt or puffer, then you’ll likely want to consider going at least one size up. Likewise, if you intend to primarily wear your shirt-jack a la carte as a traditional button-up, then sticking with your regular size is probably your best bet.

Style: Though you really can’t go wrong with a classic CPO-style overshirt or a traditional wool or flannel shirt-jack, today’s market includes a growing number of more modern and novel takes on the timeless garment, with some companies opting for more tactical, military-inspired items while others go for a more streamlined, technical interpretation of the men’s workwear staple.

Overshirt vs. Shirt jacket

Really these two aren’t much different, but you’ll sometimes see shirt jackets lean toward the thicker side and offer more features, while overshirts are closer to classic button-down shirts and are often used as layers.

how to Style an Overshirt

You can’t go wrong with a pair of denim jeans, a simple tee, and maybe some sneakers or boots. Overshirts are quite versatile and offer a lot of styling options, so you can really make it your own.

Carhartt Loose Fit Ripstop Shirt Jacket

The Best Budget Overshirt: It really is hard to go wrong with almost any workwear-style item from Carhartt, and the brand’s Ripstop Solid Shirt Jac is by no means an exception, with a 7oz cotton ripstop shell backed by a flannel lining. Incredibly durable thanks to triple-reinforced stitching at the main seams, this jacket also boasts two-button adjustable cuffs, a pair of snap-closure chest pockets, a snap-button spread collar, and front handwarmer pockets. This overshirt is also manufactured in five color options, as well as in Big & Tall sizes.

Everlane The Heavyweight Overshirt

The Best Cold Weather Overshirt: One of the twelve items that constitute Everlane’s “Uniform” everyday basics collection, the plainly yet aptly-named Heavyweight Overshirt is made from a soft yet durable 8oz heavy cotton twill. From afar, this understated item resembles your typical flannel, though when viewed up close, the shirt sports a myriad of subtle touches, such as the textured pattern of the twill construction. Protected by a year-long warranty, this overshirt is also produced in navy, charcoal, heathered green, and black.

Anian Twill Overshirt

The Sustainable Pick: ANIAN’s Twill Overshirt combines the timeless appearance of a button-up with the hardwearing properties of a classic work shirt. Made in small batches in Canada, this high-end yet affordable shirt from ANIAN boasts a rugged twill weave that’s backed by a heavyweight cotton construction which was sourced entirely from recycled products. The inside of this unlined overshirt has been brushed, making the interior incredibly soft to the touch, while the exterior sports a classic pair of button-secured chest pockets and an ANIAN patch at the hip.

Taylor Stitch The Maritime Shirt Jacket

The Best Wool Overshirt: Taylor Stitch’s Maritime Shirt Jacket encapsulates everything that we love about overshirts. It offers a timeless and elegant appearance, is wildly comfortable, incredibly versatile, boasts an immensely rugged construction, and is thoroughly built to last. Possessing a top-shelf fit and finish that you can literally feel, the shirt is made from a heavy-duty 15oz wool blend and is decorated with dark horn cats’ eye buttons. Taylor Stitch also offers the Maritime Shirt Jacket in numerous other color options, including a tobacco brown and a deep navy.

Outerknown Blanket Shirt

The Softest Outershirt: Outerknown’s all-time best-selling style and (aptly) described by the company as “the coziest damn shirt ever made,” the Blanket Shirt is true to its name with a wildly soft and comfortable brushed organic cotton construction that’s just one step down from being wrapped in a blanket or robe. The tremendous success the blanket shirt has experienced has not only prompted OuterKnown to produce 30 different pattern and color variants of the ridiculously-comfy shirt jacket but has even released an actual throw blanket made from the exact same construction (and patterns).

American Giant Redwood Fleece Overshirt

The Best US-Made Overshirt: Another less bulky and more streamlined interpretation of a shirt jacket, American Giant’s Redwood Fleece Overshirt is made in Middlesex, North Carolina, from 13oz cotton using double-needle straddle-stitching and high-strength thread throughout. This lightly-textured overshirt also features a full cotton twill lining, and American Giant-branded bespoke metal snaps running up the main chest closure, securing the flapped chest pockets, and at the wrists.

Aether Apparel Hubble Jacket

The Best Lightweight Overshirt: Most overshirts are more robust versions of traditional flannels or rugged workwear-style button-ups, though AETHER took things in a novel direction with its Hubble Jacket, modeling the garment more closely after more formal business casual dress shirts than outdoor or labor-focused items. Further distinguishing it from other shirt jackets is its stretch cotton construction, a zig-zag quilted detail concealed under the collar, hidden zippered chest pockets, concealed-entry hand pockets, a shirttail hem cut, and a contrast pop-color bartack at the center-front placket hem.

Todd Snyder Italian CPO Shirt Jacket

The Best Premium Overshirt: Todd Snyder’s Italian Herringbone CPO shirt is modeled after antique naval overshirts and bestowed with TS’s signature top-shelf touches. Made in Italy and boasting a slim fit, the jacket is made from a double-layered cotton wool blend with contrasting interior and exterior colors, two button-secured flapped chest pockets, genuine horn buttons throughout, and genuine Italian calfskin suede oval overlays across the elbows. Double-needle stitching at the seams affords added durability and bolsters this item’s shelf-life.

The Best Quilted Jackets for Men

Want to check out another hand-picked selection of men’s wardrobe staples? Then be sure to head over to our guide to the best quilted jackets for today’s best stitched and baffled coats.