A jacket is a

garment Clothing (also known as clothes, garments, dress, apparel, or attire) is any item worn on a human human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin s ...

for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. Jackets without sleeves are vests. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a

coat A coat is typically an outer garment for the upper body, worn by any gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners (AKA velcro), ...

, but both are outerwear. Some jackets are

fashion Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...

able, while some others serve as protective clothing.

Etymology

The word ''jacket'' comes from the French word ''jaquette''. The term comes from the

Middle French Middle French () is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the mid-14th to the early 17th centuries. It is a period of transition during which: * the French language became clearly distinguished from the other co ...

noun ''jaquet'', which refers to a small or lightweight

tunic A tunic is a garment for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name deri ...

. In Modern French, ''jaquette'' is synonymous with ''jacket''. Speakers of

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...

sometimes informally use the words ''jacket'' and ''coat'' interchangeably. The word is cognate with Spanish ''jaco'' and Italian ''giacca'' or ''giacchetta'', first recorded around 1350s. It is ultimately loaned from Arabic ''shakk (شكّ)'', which in turn loaned from

Aramaic Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...

and

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

''shaḳḳ (שַׁקּ)''.

List of jackets

* Heated Jackets *

Atilla Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central Europe, C ...

, a fancy Hungarian shell-jacket or short coat, decorated with

braid A braid (also referred to as a plait; ) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strand ...

ed cord and knots * Ball jacket, often specified as a

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

jacket or

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

jacket, a casual jacket with knitted cuffs, collar, and waistband and a zippered front * Bed jacket, a jacket made from lightweight material designed to be worn in bed *

Blazer A blazer is a jacket worn as part of a smart casual or business casual look. Similar to a sport jacket, a blazer is not part of a formal suit, and the terms "sport coat" and "blazer" may be used interchangeably in daily life. A nautical bl ...

, similar to but more casual than a suit jacket; single- or double-breasted of sturdy material, commonly with metal buttons. * Blouson, a military-style waist-length jacket. * Bolero, a very short jacket for everyone, originally worn by

matador A bullfighter or matador () is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter, and describe all the performers in the activ ...

s * Bomber jacket, a blouson originally designed for US aircrews in leather or nylon. * Brunswick, a two-piece woman's gown of the mid-eighteenth century. * Caraco, a woman's jacket of the 18th century. * Cardigan, a sweater worn like a jacket. * Chef's jacket * Chore jacket or chore coat, a jacket made of

denim Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more Warp (weaving), warp threads. This twill weave produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. Denim, as it is recognized today, was f ...

or other robust cloth, with large front pockets, originally a piece of workwear * Dinner jacket, part of the black-tie dress code of evening formal wear. Also known as a ''Dinner suit'' and a ''Tuxedo''. * Donkey jacket *

Doublet (clothing) A doublet (; derived from the Italian language, Ital. ''giubbetta'') is a snug-fitting jacket that is shaped and fitted to a man's body. The garment was worn in Spain, and spread to the rest of Western Europe, from the late Middle Ages up to th ...

* Down jacket, a quilted jacket filled with

down feather The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Very young birds are clad only in down. Powder down is a specialized type of down found only in a few groups of birds. Down is a fine thermal insulator and p ...

s * Eisenhower jacket, a waist-length, fitted, military-inspired jacket with a waistband based on the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

British Army's Battle Dress jacket introduced by General Dwight Eisenhower * Field jacket, a jacket that is worn by soldiers on the battlefield or doing duties in cold weather. The field jacket came about during World War II with the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

introducing the M-1941 and the M-1943 field jacket and issued the jacket to their troops. The most well-known and the most popular type of military field jacket that is on the market today is the M-1965 or M-65 field jacket which came into US military service in 1965. * Flak jacket, 20th century armoured vest * Fleece jacket, a casual jacket made of synthetic wool such as Polar Fleece * Flight jacket, also known as a bomber jacket * Fracket, disposable outerwear for college parties * Gilet, a sleeveless jacket or vest. * Harrington jacket, a lightweight waist-length jacket *

Hoodie A hoodie is a type of sweatshirt with a hood that, when worn up, covers most of the head and neck, and sometimes the face. The most common 'pullover' style hoodies often include a single large knife pocket or muff on the lower front, whil ...

, a zippered hooded sweatshirt (non zippered can be considered a sweatshirt only) * Jean jacket or denim jacket, a jacket falling slightly below the waist, usually of

, with buttoned band cuffs like a shirt and a waistband that can be adjusted by means of buttons. Also called ''Levi's jacket'' (see Levi's) * Jerkin * Kilt jacket, one of several styles of traditional Scottish jacket worn with the kilt, including the Argyll jacket, the Prince Charlie jacket, and a type of tweed jacket * Leather jacket, also known as a motorcycle jacket * Letter jacket also known as a letterman or varsity jacket * Mackinaw jacket *

Mess jacket The mess jacket is a type of formal jacket that ends at the waist. It features either a non-fastening double breast cut or a single-breasted version that fastens.

or ''eton jacket'', similar to a tailcoat but cut off just below the waist. Worn as part of mess dress and formerly as the school uniform of boys under 5'4" at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

until 1976 and at many other English schools, particularly choir schools * Motorcycle jacket, a leather jacket, usually black, worn by

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

riders; originally to mid-thigh, now usually to a fitted waist * Nehru jacket * Norfolk jacket *

Parka A parka, like the related anorak, is a type of coat (clothing), coat with a hood (headgear), hood, that may be lining (sewing), lined with fur or fake fur. Parkas and anoraks are staples of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from Reindeer, cari ...

* Peplum jacket, a jacket featuring a short overskirt * Puffer jacket or Puffa jacket, a type of padded jacket popular in the 1990s * Quarter Zip, or 1/4 zip, a jacket with a partial zipper extending down from the collar * Rain jacket, a short rain coat * Hardshell jacket, a wind and waterproof jacket typically made of breathable synthetic materials, lacking insulation and fabric softness * Reefing jacket or reefer, a type of pea coat * Riding jacket, part of a riding habit * Sailor jacket * Satin jacket, a type of ball jacket made of

satin A satin weave is a type of Textile, fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back; it is not durable, as it tends to snag. It is one of three fundamen ...

and popular in the 1950s * Smart jacket, with built-in heating elements on the chest, hands and back. It keeps the wearer warm in cold weather. It comes with special sensors to let the wearer adjust the heat output as per his convenience. * Smoking jacket * Spencer, a high-waisted jacket dating to the Regency period * Sport coat (US), also called a sports jacket (UK) or hacking jacket, a tailored jacket, similar in cut to a suit coat but more utilitarian, originally casual wear for

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

, riding, and other outdoor sports; specific types include a shooting jacket and hacking jacket *

Suit jacket A suit jacket, also called a lounge jacket, dress jacket, lounge coat or suit coat, is a jacket in classic menswear that is part of a suit. History The jacket was originally a work jacket that came into fashion due to the French Revolution. It ...

, also called a lounge jacket, a general term for jackets used in traditional suits, such as sport coats, blazers, dinner jackets and smoking jackets. *

Tabard A tabard is a type of short coat that was commonly worn by men during the late Middle Ages and early modern period in Europe. Generally worn outdoors, the coat was either sleeveless or had short sleeves or shoulder pieces. In its more developed ...

, a loose sleeveless outer garment *

Tunic A tunic is a garment for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name deri ...

, a thigh length coat or jacket worn with a wide range of military and civilian uniforms * Windbreaker (N. American, Japan) or windcheater (UK) * Tracksuit jacket * Wamus, also called a "roundabout," a traditional American term for a short jacket. Bomber jacket.jpg, Nylon bomber jacket, also in leather Jacket, mess (AM 1979.59-1).jpg, A

mess jacket The mess jacket is a type of formal jacket that ends at the waist. It features either a non-fastening double breast cut or a single-breasted version that fastens.

Leather Jacket (51011162080).jpg, A leather jacket FILA-Daunenjacke.JPG, A down jacket Hard-shell-jacket.jpg, A waterproof jacket DustyRoyParka.jpg, A

parka A parka, like the related anorak, is a type of coat (clothing), coat with a hood (headgear), hood, that may be lining (sewing), lined with fur or fake fur. Parkas and anoraks are staples of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from Reindeer, cari ...

References

External links

{{Authority control History of clothing (Western fashion)

Etymology

List of jackets

See also

References

External links