Gap Finally Has a Great Workwear Jacket

Mall brands have been one of the most popular ways to shop over the last two years, and Gap is no stranger to tile-ridden foot traffic, but recently they have been steadily outpacing the rest of the competition. The brand has managed to chisel away at the hardened menswear masses through thoughtful collaborations, viral marketing campaigns (like it’s the ’90s again), and consistently well-fitting garments.GapDenim Boxy Workwear JacketAside from Gap’s tried-and-true mainstays, like its ’90s loose jeans, tees, and khakis, the brand has been spending some time in the workwear lab. It started with a retro-inspired Type II jacket, and now it’s followed up with its own take on the Detroit jacket.Gap’s Denim Boxy Workwear Jacket feels like an amalgamation of a denim jacket with a not-so-subtle wink to all the codes that make the classic Carhartt-Dickies-Ben Davis workwear jackets so special. It's been a long time since we've seen something like this from Gap, and save for a couple gems on eBay, we're not sure it ever fully existed.It's made from a hefty 95-percent cotton and 5-percent recycled cotton blend, it’s relaxed through the arms and body, with a cropped finish at the bottom hem. The one thing it doesn’t have is the classic corduroy collar, which is a hallmark you'll often see on these types of workwear jackets.Omar Atwan Omar Atwan I opted for a size small, which is typical for me when it comes to Gap outerwear, and it’s available in seven sizes, along with a tall option, so you have a pretty good shot at dialing in your ideal fit. I really love the jacket’s blackish-blue tint, especially because I know it’ll take on a beautiful fade over time. The collar also has some structure to it, which I’m a stickler for. I can’t stand when collars droop all over the place or flap up whenever the slightest breeze rolls through. There are also waist adjusters if you want to cinch it in for an even more cropped look. The two front slanted welt pockets are also spacious enough to handle the usual EDC without spilling out of your jacket pockets.Omar Atwan Omar Atwan I’ve been wearing mine with a tee, ecru pants, and boat shoes, and I’ll probably throw a hoodie underneath once the leaves start to hit the ground. There are even matching baggy baggy double-knee carpenter pants if you want to go knee-deep into the workwear bag.Obviously, this jacket doesn’t have the workwear bonafides and history like something from Carhartt, but you get to skip the rough break-in process. Gap has found a sweet spot for shoppers, managing to hold onto its mall-brand DNA and still dropping clothes you actually want to keep wearing.