The Field Jacket

It's the chosen coat of Hollywood badasses like Travis Bickle and Serpico, but the M-65 field jacket began as a standard issue uniform for US soldiers in 1965. The mid-weight jacket replaced the earlier M51 during the Vietnam War and with its stand-up collar, oversized zippers and utilitarian pockets, slowly emerged as an icon of both American and military style. Originally introduced in "olive green shade 107," it's now offered in a dozen military fabrics, along with luxe fabrications like Boss Black's wool tweed or technical materials like Aether's waterproof cotton, originally developed for British pilots. Wear one a size smaller than you may be used to so it fits snug against your sweater or blazer (perhaps layered over an oxford shirt and a tweed vest). Of course, that doesn't mean it's not the perfect piece of outerwear whether you're snowboarding or simply kicking around the city.

FYI

Herringbone wool,
$595 by Boss Black

Waterproof military jacket,
$475 by Aether

Surplus M-65,
$66 at Army Universe

Field jacket,
$950 by Ian Velardi

Camo field coat,
$125 by Alpha Industies