Versatile jacket that can be dressed up or down

[Sammy371]

Howdy gentlemen!
Frequent business traveler here who prefers packing light. I often need to switch between staying relatively warm and comfortable (on planes and at airports) to dressing things up with a dress shirt and tie for meetings in business casual environments. Any suggestions on a light to mid weight jacket that can be multi-purpose without adding too much weight to the carry-on? I've been eyeing Relwen but the price point of their jackets is too expensive.

Appreciate any thoughts from the dappered community.

[holmes10]

If you're looking for something to wear on planes and in chilly offices, I would definitely go with a knit jacket rather than a typical woven jacket. Not only is it more comfortable, but you will avoid looking like you're wearing outerwear indoors. Billy Reid and Ted Baker often have very nice knit full-zip jackets with various materials and collar styles, but they may be just as expensive as Relwen if not more.

On the less expensive side, Nordstrom's house brand or Banana Republic might work. I recall Banana usually doing a bunch of knit jackets. I used to be a big fan in general, but I feel like their quality has declined over the past few years while prices have stayed constant, and the % off the sale section of the website has become a lot more stingy. If you go with Banana definitely buy in-store in early January when prices are cut and then usually 60% off the reduced price.

Another option may be a beefy shawl-collared cardigan. They can usually stand in for a jacket if you're not worried about rain/wind and just want a light layer. Also not too casual for business meetings.

[LesserBlackDog]

For travel I would recommend something lightweight and packable like the Patagonia Down Sweater or similar. I brought one plus a similar REI brand down vest with me on a plane to Minnesota recently where it was 5-25F the whole time I was there. I was plenty warm wearing them over a shirt and sweatshirt. And they stuff down pretty small when you need to put them away in your carry-on.

[kongmw]

I think a chore jacket might work for you. In a more muted/neutral color, it can be dressed up with shirt and tie, or lose the tie and you would still look put-together. Fabric wise I would pick something either with more texture (in the weave) or knitted.

[mochi123]

How about something like this?
https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/1011212...ack&sp=1&size=

Lightweight and packable for portability. Clean, minimalist design with a hood that can be hidden for a polished look, especially with black, gray, or navy. You should be able to get by just fine with a sweater underneath for most late fall/early winter weather. Currently 50% off to make it $50.

[mebejoseph]

When I worked in an office I would sometimes wear something like this chore jacket on casual Fridays. Not sure that I would wear it with a tie, though. Maybe you could find one a bit dressier?


https://bananarepublic.gap.com/brows...p-page-content


Maybe this one from Bonobos would work better?

https://bonobos.com/products/wool-ch..._id=2905792760

[emynd]

Howdy gentlemen!
Frequent business traveler here who prefers packing light. I often need to switch between staying relatively warm and comfortable (on planes and at airports) to dressing things up with a dress shirt and tie for meetings in business casual environments. Any suggestions on a light to mid weight jacket that can be multi-purpose without adding too much weight to the carry-on? I've been eyeing Relwen but the price point of their jackets is too expensive.

Appreciate any thoughts from the dappered community.

I have a navy Barbour quilted jacket that looks similar to this, and it's my go-to travel jacket. I wear it over suits and sport coats, or just with a t-shirt and jeans. It's not insanely warm, but with a scarf and a sport-coat, it's warm enough for most winters. With just a t-shirt, it's light enough for spring/fall. And, it rides the line between dressy and casual pretty well.

There are plenty of similar style quilted jackets out there from a variety of brands.

[mebejoseph]

How about this one from another thread? I think it would work quite well with a tie.

https://threads.dappered.com/showthr...l=1#post316102

[smitty]

I bought this jacket last year. The dark brown suede looks even better in person.

https://bananarepublic.gap.com/brows...p-page-content

[mark4]

Howdy gentlemen!
Frequent business traveler here who prefers packing light. I often need to switch between staying relatively warm and comfortable (on planes and at airports) to dressing things up with a dress shirt and tie for meetings in business casual environments. Any suggestions on a light to mid weight jacket that can be multi-purpose without adding too much weight to the carry-on? I've been eyeing Relwen but the price point of their jackets is too expensive.

Appreciate any thoughts from the dappered community.

A few more specifics would help...are you looking for something along the lines of a travel-friendly sportcoat/blazer? Or something that leans more towards outerwear - like a field jacket/bomber/chore coat? It sounds like you want something that would handle cool to chilly rather than the deep cold of winter? If you like Relwen but are scared off by the price (I don't blame you) I would check out the outerwear section of Huckberry.com. They're sort of an online menswear boutique that curates several brands, one of which is Relwen. None of what they sell is exactly cheap, unless you get lucky on an end of season sale, but Relwen tends to be on the higher end of their price range, and there may be something you see on there from one of their more affordable brands that is similar to the Relwen jacket you like but at a cheaper price point.

[idvsego]

A few more specifics would help...are you looking for something along the lines of a travel-friendly sportcoat/blazer? Or something that leans more towards outerwear - like a field jacket/bomber/chore coat? It sounds like you want something that would handle cool to chilly rather than the deep cold of winter? If you like Relwen but are scared off by the price (I don't blame you) I would check out the outerwear section of Huckberry.com. They're sort of an online menswear boutique that curates several brands, one of which is Relwen. None of what they sell is exactly cheap, unless you get lucky on an end of season sale, but Relwen tends to be on the higher end of their price range, and there may be something you see on there from one of their more affordable brands that is similar to the Relwen jacket you like but at a cheaper price point.

post is a little over a year old. I dont think OP is looking anymore.