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Home / Blog / Clothing and Style

7 Best Men’s Spring Jackets for 2023 (and Beyond)

Published on February 21, 2020 by Brock McGoff · Clothing and Style May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

Is your wardrobe ready for spring? In this post, we’re looking at seven of the best spring jackets for men.

Brock wearing Core Temp jacket
The best spring jackets are lightweight and at least a little bit water resistant. | t-shirt | pants | shoes | jacket (sold out)

Before we get into the list, we have to ask: what makes a great spring jacket?

First, it should be lightweight. Early spring can be cool, especially at night, but this transitional season is mostly pretty mild – never too hot or too cold.

So a great spring jacket is lightweight and can be worn as a single outerwear layer. It shouldn’t be so insulated that you overheat while wearing it during spring days.

Second, the best spring jackets can handle a little rain. In much of the world, spring is generally a rainy season, and spring rainstorms can come and go unpredictably.

So it’s nice to know your jacket won’t be ruined by some light sprinkles. Think nylon, not suede.

Finally, I recommend buying jackets that are relatively timeless. Obviously, men’s fashion is extremely subject to trends, and it’s totally fine to experiment with these.

But if you’re going to spend your hard-earned money on a piece of outerwear, I think it makes sense to buy something that will hold up and look great for a many years.

With all that in mind, let’s look at seven of the best men’s jackets for spring (in no particular order).

#1: Harrington

Recommended Brands:

  • $ – H&M or Uniqlo
  • $$ – J. Crew
  • $$$ – Baracuta

In a lot of ways, the Harrington is the quintessential spring jacket. It’s just perfect for this time of year.

Brock wearing Harrington jacket

Lightweight, but more substantial than a windbreaker, and easy to dress up or down, the Harrington checks a lot of boxes.

A classic Harrington will have reverse flap button pockets, patterned lining, umbrella yoke, a standing collar and double front zipper.

Baracuta G9 Harrington Jacket
Baracuta G9 Harrington Jacket (the original Harrington)

It’s a shorter jacket that hits right below the belt, near your hips, and it looks great with a wide variety of outfits.

James Dean wearing a classic Harrington jacket
James Dean wearing a classic Harrington jacket

There’s something classic and undeniably cool about the Harrington jacket, and it’s one of the best choices for plenty of men out there.

#2: Bomber

Recommended Brands:

  • $ – H&M or Uniqlo
  • $$ – Bonobos
  • $$$ – Ted Baker

These days, many brands are selling their modern take on the Harrington, which is basically a bomber jacket.

In fact, the line between these two styles has blurred to the point where people sometimes use “Harrington” and “bomber” interchangeably.

Both styles are great for spring – it just depends what details you’re looking for. The original bomber jacket was made for the U.S. military by Alpha Industries.

Alpha Industries bomber jacket
Alpha Industries bomber jacket for J. Crew

Most modern bombers lack some of those classic Harrington details, such as the standing collar, plaid lining and reverse flap pockets.

Uniqlo bomber jacket
This bomber from Uniqlo is a stripped down, slim fit version of the classic military jacket.

It’s sort of like a streamlined, contemporary version of a Harrington, which makes it a great choice for younger guys.

With a shorter length and ribbed hem, bombers are especially great for casual outfits (jeans, chinos, t-shirts, polos and casual button ups).

#3: Field Jacket

Recommended Brands:

  • $ – H&M or Gap
  • $$ – J. Crew
  • $$$ – Barbour

If the bomber is street and the Harrington is classic, then the field jacket is rugged.

Brock wearing navy field jacket

Slightly heavier than a cotton bomber, the field jacket provides plenty of warmth for spring, especially if you layer up with a sweater or vest underneath.

Of course, field jackets can be worn on their own over t-shirts, henley shirts, polos, sweaters and casual button ups.

Field jacket with jeans and chukkas

The most versatile colors are navy, olive and tan. Any of these colors will go with pretty much anything else in your wardrobe.

Field jackets are a bit longer than bombers and Harringtons, and they’re made from heavier material.

They also have more details, like chest pockets, sleeve buttons and flap side pockets.

Tribeca Field Jacket olive

I really love field jackets and find myself reaching for them a lot during those crisp early spring days and nights.

They pair especially nicely with rugged shoes like camp mocs and boots.

#4: Windbreaker

Recommended Brands:

  • $ – H&M or Uniqlo
  • $$ – lululemon
  • $$$ – Arc’teryx

If you grew up in the 90s like I did, the term “windbreaker” probably reminds you of those brightly colored nylon pullovers from Nike and Umbro.

Umbro jacket retro
If you grew up in the 90s, you might be feeling a bit nostalgic right now…

While those might be cool again every 10 years or so, I prefer going with something a little more subdued.

For example, I get a ton of wear out of this nylon windbreaker from J. Crew.

Green nylon windbreaker

Unfortunately, it’s pretty old, and I can’t find it anywhere online, but you can find something similar from other brands like H&M.

This one from Uniqlo also looks great and is available in smaller sizes.

A light green windbreaker is perfect for spring. It goes nicely with light blue, brown, khaki and navy.

Green nylon windbreaker

This type of jacket is super lightweight compared to the field jacket, but it does cut down on wind a little bit.

Unlike other jackets, you can totally wear this with shorts. It’s almost like a hoodie in that way (some even have a hood built in).

Putting on windbreaker

If you don’t have a lightweight windbreaker, I recommend picking one up. You’ll probably reach for it more often than you expect.

#5: Raincoat (or Mac Jacket)

Recommended Brands:

  • $ – Uniqlo or J. Crew Factory
  • $$ – Everlane (casual), J. Crew (casual) or Club Monaco (dressier)
  • $$$ – Bonobos

I wouldn’t call the raincoat essential. I didn’t have one for most of my life, and I got along just fine.

But when I finally picked one up, I found myself wearing it all the time, especially when packing for a trip.

Tan raincoat olive chinos

A good raincoat is lightweight and water repellent. The best colors are tan and navy.

I think navy is the safest choice for most men, especially if you’re worried about looking too classic.

What’s great about the raincoat is its versatility. Much like a topcoat, it’s surprisingly easy to dress down.

Brock wearing raincoat

Sure, it can be worn with a full suit and tie, but it also feels right at home with joggers and a sweatshirt.

Tan Raincoat With Joggers

Some raincoats have a zip out lining that provides a decent amount of warmth when needed. When you remove the lining, the raincoat becomes a sort of waterproof windbreaker.

If it’s light enough, it can even be worn during rainy summer days and nights.

#6: Denim Jacket

Recommended Brands:

  • $ – J. Crew Factory
  • $$ – Everlane
  • $$$ – Rag & Bone

A denim jacket almost wears like a very heavy button up shirt or work shirt. It’s sturdy, durable and gets better with wear.

Barron wearing denim jacket
@effortlessgent wearing a denim jacket in spring

Denim jackets are great for spring because they’re not too heavy – somewhere between a windbreaker and field jacket.

They’re easy to wear over any base layer, from OCBDs to polos to long sleeve henley shirts.

If you only buy one denim jacket, medium or dark blue is a good choice. These darker blue hues go with pretty much any colors you’ll find in your closet.

J Crew Factory denim jacket
J.Crew Factory Denim Trucker Jacket

Denim jackets are a casual garment, but if you’re careful, they can be dressed up in smart casual and even business casual settings.

Denim jackets have gotten more popular over the past few years, but they’re still sort of rare, compared to something like a field jacket.

So if you’re the type of guy who likes to stand out a bit, pick up a denim jacket this spring.

#7: Lightweight Vest

Recommended Brands

  • $ – Amazon Essentials
  • $$ – J. Crew Factory
  • $$$ – Bonobos (preppy) or Carhartt (rugged)

Some guys aren’t into vests, and I totally get that. To be honest, I never wore vests until I picked up the J. Crew Factory Walker Vest a few years ago.

J Crew Factory Walker Vest navy
Brock wearing the J. Crew Factory Walker Vest

I fell real hard for this vest. I ended up grabbing two more colors, and these are some of the most worn articles of clothing I’ve ever owned.

I wrote a whole post about wearing these lightweight vests, but I’ll give you a few reasons why I think they’re great for spring:

First, you’re not going to overheat in a vest. They don’t have sleeves. You can wear one over a button up shirt or henley, and it provides just a tiny bit of extra warmth and visual interest.

Vest casual outfit

Second, they’re perfect for layering. This type of vest looks great under a field jacket, for example.

Sharp Casualwear grey v-neck layers

Third, you don’t have to worry about the sleeves being too long. High fives to short guys everywhere!

If you want to test drive the vest without spending a ton of money, pick up a Walker Vest on sale (which is pretty much every weekend).

Closing Thoughts

You don’t need all of these spring jackets, but any of them will get plenty of wear as you transition out of winter and into summer.

What’s your favorite jacket for spring? Let me know in the comments section below!

Clothing and Style Buying Guides, jackets, outerwear, spring

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About Brock McGoff

The Modest Man founder, Brock is an aspiring minimalist who enjoys working out, spending time with his family, discovering new brands and creating great content.

Background: Brock McGoff has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a professional background in digital marketing. He believes that men's fashion is just one facet of self-improvement, and he started The Modest Man to help regular guys feel more confident by improving their appearance.

An east coast native, Brock currently lives in Arizona with his wife and daughter. When he's not working, he spends time with family, training BJJ, reading/listening to books and podcasts, and unsuccessfully trying to decide which movie to stream.

Expertise: Brock has built a men's lifestyle YouTube channel with over 400k subscribers. He's also worked as the creative marketing manager in a men's apparel startup. Brock has been quoted in, mentioned by or featured in publications like Esquire, Huff Post, Men's Health, WWD and Forbes.

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    Got questions? Want to share your opinion? Comment below!

  1. Kerry says

    December 23, 2022 at 12:53 am

    Hi Brock, thank you for this article, but the many items that you recommanded in the article were sold out already. I’m specifically looking for a field jacket; can you update the links for that?

    Reply
  2. William Lewis says

    May 4, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    Hi! In the ‘Raincoat’ section what brand is the tan coat you’re wearing in the first and third photos? Also some of the links are no longer working for recommended brands. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Victor G. Hudson says

    March 2, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    My most worn spring jackets are definitely the nylon jacket and the Harrington jacket. I’m interested in investing in a mac coat. Which brand do you buy Brock?

    Reply
  4. Epic says

    February 27, 2020 at 7:47 am

    Hi Brock,

    I would take the Chore/Worker Jacket over the Denim Jacket (although I love a well fitting denim trucker jacket!). This is because the Chore/Worker Jacket can be worn with literally everything!) Unlike the denim jacket which you will have some reservations in wearing with your jeans, the chore jacket does it all!

    Wear it dressed up, dressed down, to work, and to dinner. There’s not a situation it wouldn’t be well-suited to fit. They’ll shield you from harsh weather, save you from carrying a bag around, and look good with everything from shorts and a tee to a button-down and tailored trousers in lieu of a blazer.

    Chore Coats is good to wear during the spring.

    Chore Coat is one jacket you’ll be bringing into summer.

    Chore Coat will be your new favorite autumn jacket.

    Come winter, chore coats are good mid-layer.

    I am actually considering to buy a new chore jacket. But which color will give me the most bang for the buck. Perhaps you can help?

    Reply
  5. Pushan says

    February 25, 2020 at 4:27 pm

    I personally love the Harrington. Got the beige and Navy. Goes dressed up or down. BTW, I think you mean ‘Denim’ not Demon 🙂

    Reply
  6. Richard says

    February 21, 2020 at 9:37 pm

    I have a question re: the JCrew Walker vest . I’m 5’5″ and slim 130 lbs , should I order the xsmall or will the small be a better idea , especially if I need to layer under it? I find most xsmall clothes are fine but the Gap xsmall jean jacket for example is great but no room to layer at all.

    Reply
  7. Caroline Filler says

    February 21, 2020 at 11:46 am

    Field jacket most worn spring garment, by far, I have an olive one and a denim one both of which I got on sale at the Gap, wear them a ton

    Reply

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