A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has
sleeves, and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a
coat, which is
outerwear
Outerwear is clothing and accessories worn outdoors, or clothing designed to be worn outside other garments, as opposed to underwear. It can be worn for formal or casual occasions, or as warm clothing during winter.
List of outerwear
* Academic ...
. Some jackets are
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fash ...
able, while others serve as
protective clothing. Jackets without sleeves are
vests.
Etymology
The word ''jacket'' comes from the French word ''jaquette''. The term comes from the
Middle French
Middle French (french: moyen français) is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the 14th to the 16th century. It is a period of transition during which:
* the French language became clearly distinguished from t ...
noun ''jaquet'', which refers to a small or lightweight
tunic. 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 varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and in most circumstances ...
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
Aramean
The Arameans ( oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; syc, ܐܪ̈ܡܝܐ, Ārāmāyē) were an ancient Semitic-speaking people in the Near East, first recorded in historical sources from the late 12th century BCE. The Aramean ...
/
Assyrian and
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
''shaḳḳ (שַׁקּ)''.
Nylon , also in leather">bomber jacket, also in leather
List of jackets

*
Atilla
Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and ...
, 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 two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair.
The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...
ed cord and knots
*
Ball jacket
A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used fo ...
, often specified as a
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...
jacket or
football 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, 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 activit ...
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 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)
*
Down jacket, a quilted jacket filled with
down feathers
*
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, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
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 land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, c ...
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 fleece jacket (or simply a fleece) is a lightweight casual jacket made of a polyester synthetic wool such as polar fleece.
A fleece jacket will typically have a zipper up the middle, rather than buttons or other fasteners. It will provide ...
, a casual jacket made of synthetic wool such as
Polar Fleece
*
Flight jacket, also known as a bomber jacket
*
Gilet, a sleeveless jacket or vest.
*
Hacking jacket
A sport coat, also called a sport jacket (or sports coat or sports jacket in American English), is a men's smart casual lounge jacket designed to be worn on its own without matching trousers, traditionally for sporting purposes. Styles, fabrics, ...
*
Harrington jacket, a lightweight waist-length jacket
*
Hoodie
A hoodie (in some cases spelled hoody and alternatively known as a hooded sweatshirt) is a sweatshirt with a hood. Hoodies with zippers usually include two pockets on the lower front, one on either side of the zipper, while "pullover" hoodi ...
, 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
denim, 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
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
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 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 in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...
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, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruisin ...
riders; originally to mid-thigh, now usually to a fitted waist
*
Nehru jacket
*
Norfolk jacket
*
Parka
A parka or anorak is a type of coat with a hood, often lined with fur or faux fur. This kind of garment is a staple of Inuit clothing, traditionally made from caribou or seal skin, for hunting and kayaking in the frigid Arctic. Some In ...
*
Peplum jacket, a jacket featuring a short
overskirt
*
Puffer jacket
The down jacket, known more commonly in the fashion industry as a puffer jacket or simply puffer, is a quilted coat which is insulated with either duck or geese feathers. Air pockets created by the bulk of the feathers allow for the retention of ...
or Puffa jacket, a type of padded jacket popular in the 1990s
* Rain jacket, a short
rain coat
* Reefing jacket or reefer, a type of
pea coat
* Riding jacket, part of a
riding habit
A riding habit is women's clothing for horseback riding.
Since the mid-17th century, a formal habit for riding sidesaddle usually consisted of:
* A tailored jacket with a long skirt (sometimes called a petticoat) to match
* A tailored shi ...
*
Sailor jacket
* Satin jacket, a type of ball jacket made of
satin and popular in the 1950s
*
Smart jacket
Smart or SMART may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Smart'' (Hey! Say! JUMP album), 2014
* Smart (Hotels.com), former mascot of Hotels.com
* ''Smart'' (Sleeper album), 1995 debut album by Sleeper
* ''SMart'', a children's television seri ...
, 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) or Sports jacket (UK), a tailored jacket, similar in cut to a suit coat but more utilitarian, originally casual wear for
hunting
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/ tusks, horn/ a ...
,
riding, and other outdoor sports; specific types include a shooting jacket and hacking jacket
*
Suit jacket
*
Tabard, a loose sleeveless outer garment
*
Tunic, a thigh length coat or jacket worn with a wide range of military and civilian uniforms
*
Windbreaker
A windbreaker, or a windcheater, is a thin fabric jacket designed to resist wind chill and light rain, making it a lighter version of the jacket. It is usually of lightweight construction and characteristically made of a synthetic material. A ...
(N. American, Japan) or windcheater (UK)
*
Tracksuit
A tracksuit is an article of clothing consisting of two parts: trousers and a jacket usually with front zipper. It was originally intended for use in sports, mainly for athletes to wear over competition clothing (such as running shirt and sh ...
jacket
*
Wamus, also called a "roundabout," a traditional American term for a short jacket.
See also
*
Sweater
*
Sweatshirt
*
Trousers
*
Skirt
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts ar ...
s
References
External links
{{Authority control
History of clothing (Western fashion)