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
A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either 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, toggles, a ...
, which is
outerwear. 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 fashion in ...
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 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 variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lan ...
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/
Assyrian and
Hebrew ''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 jacket or
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
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
Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...
, a very short jacket for everyone, originally worn by
matadors
*
Bomber jacket
A flight jacket is a casual jacket that was originally created for pilots and eventually became part of popular culture and apparel. It has evolved into various styles and silhouettes, including the "letterman" jacket and the fashionable "bomber ...
, 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
A chore jacket or chore coat is a jacket made of robust cloth such as denim, heavy cotton drill or moleskin, with up to four large front pockets.
This type of jacket was originally worn as workwear by farm workers and laborers in late 1800s Fra ...
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 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 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 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
Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, to o ...
)
*
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
In sports or activities in the United States, a letterman is a high school or college student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a varsity team.
Overview
The term comes from the practice of awarding each such parti ...
also known as a
letterman
Letterman may refer to:
* Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States
People
* David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host
** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...
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 until 1976 and at many other English schools, particularly choir schools
*
Motorcycle jacket, a leather jacket, usually black, worn by
motorcycle riders; originally to mid-thigh, now usually to a fitted waist
*
Nehru jacket
*
Norfolk jacket
*
Parka
*
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
*
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 activity, 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 (skin), hide, ...
,
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 (N. American, Japan) or windcheater (UK)
*
Tracksuit jacket
*
Wamus, also called a "roundabout," a traditional American term for a short jacket.
See also
*
Sweater
*
Sweatshirt
A sweatshirt is a long-sleeved pullover shirt fashioned out of thick, usually cotton cloth material. Sweatshirts are almost exclusively casual attire and hence not as dressy as some sweaters. Sweatshirts may or may not have a hood. A sweatshirt w ...
*
Trousers
*
Skirts
References
External links
{{Authority control
History of clothing (Western fashion)