A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has

sleeve A sleeve ( ang, slīef, a word allied to ''slip'', cf. Dutch ) is the part of a garment that covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. The sleeve is a characteristic of fashion seen in almost every country and time period, acro ...

s, 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 fashion i ...

able, while others serve as

protective clothing Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elec ...

. Jackets without sleeves are

vest A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit), or vest ( US and Canada), is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. ...

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 ...

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

tunic A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin ''tunica'', the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome ...

. In

Modern French French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in No ...

, ''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 i ...

sometimes informally use the words ''jacket'' and ''coat'' interchangeably. The word is cognate with

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

''jaco'' and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

''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 Assyrian may refer to: * Assyrian people, the indigenous ethnic group of Mesopotamia. * Assyria, a major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire. ** Early Assyrian Period ** Old Assyrian Period ** Middle Assyrian Empire ** Neo-Assyrian Empire * 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 bomber jacket, also in leather

List of jackets

Bullet hit squibs hidden beneath the wardrobe

* Atilla, a fancy Hungarian shell-jacket or short coat, decorated with braided cord and knots * Ball jacket, 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 t ...

jacket or football jacket, a casual jacket with knitted cuffs, collar, and waistband and a zippered front *

Bed jacket The bed jacket is a lightweight jacket worn to cover the chest, shoulders and arms while sitting up in bed. Its short length and cape-like cut allows for it to be put on (or removed) while reclining. Originating in the 17th century as a garment wo ...

, a jacket made from lightweight material designed to be worn in bed *

Blazer A blazer is a type of jacket resembling a suit jacket, but cut more casually. A blazer is generally distinguished from a sport coat as a more formal garment and tailored from solid colour fabrics. Blazers often have naval-style metal buttons ...

, similar to but more casual than a suit jacket; single- or double-breasted of sturdy material, commonly with metal buttons. *

Blouson A blouson or blouse jacket is a jacket that is drawn tight at the waist, causing it to blouse out and hang over the waistband. Originating in military uniforms of the mid-20th century, versions continue to be used as part of military and poli ...

, 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

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 caraco is a style of woman's jacket that was fashionable from the mid-18th to early 19th centuries. Caracos were thigh-length and opened in front, with tight three-quarter or long sleeves. Like gowns of the period, the back of the caraco could ...

, 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 threads. This twill weaving produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. While a denim predecessor known as dungaree has been p ...

or other robust cloth, with large front pockets, originally a piece of workwear *

Dinner jacket Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element ...

, part of the black-tie dress code of evening formal wear. Also known as a ''Dinner suit'' and a ''Tuxedo''. *

Donkey jacket A donkey jacket is a medium-length workwear jacket, typically made of unlined black or dark blue thick Melton woollen fabric, with the shoulders back and front reinforced and protected from rain with leather or PVC panels. Originating in the ...

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

Down 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 ...

, 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 an ...

s *

Eisenhower jacket The Eisenhower jacket or "Ike" jacket, officially known as the Jacket, Field, Wool, Olive Drab, is a type of waist-length jacket developed for the U.S. Army during the later stages of World War II and named after Dwight D. Eisenhower. Intended ...

, 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

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, cla ...

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 The two components of an obsolete British military flak vest. On the left, the nylon vest. On the right, the several layers of ballistic nylon that provide the actual protection A flak jacket or flak vest is a form of body armor. A flak jacke ...

, 20th century armoured vest * Fleece jacket, a casual jacket made of synthetic wool such as

Polar Fleece Polar fleece is a soft napped insulating fabric made from polyester. Uses Polar fleece is used in jackets, hats, sweaters, sweatpants, cloth diapers (nappies), gym clothes, hoodies, pajamas, blankets, and high-performance outdoor clothing. ...

Flight 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 ...

, also known as a bomber jacket *

Gilet A gilet () or body warmer is a sleeveless jacket resembling a waistcoat or blouse. It may be waist- to knee-length and is typically straight-sided rather than fitted; however, historically, gilets were fitted and embroidered. In 19th-century dre ...

, a sleeveless jacket or vest. * Hacking jacket *

Harrington jacket A Harrington jacket (originally known only as a Baracuta jacket or a G9) is a lightweight, waist-length jacket made of cotton, polyester, wool or suede. Designs often incorporate traditional Fraser tartan or checkerboard-patterned lining. H ...

, 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" hoodie ...

, a zippered hooded sweatshirt (non zippered can be considered a sweatshirt only) *

Jean jacket A denim jacket, also called a jean jacket or trucker jacket, is a jacket made from denim. Introduced in the United States in the late 19th century, it has been a popular type of casual apparel with both men and women and has been described as an i ...

or denim jacket, a jacket falling slightly below the waist, usually of

, with buttoned band

cuff A cuff is a layer of fabric at the lower edge of the sleeve of a garment (shirt, coat, jacket, etc.) at the wrist, or at the ankle end of a trouser leg. The function of turned-back cuffs is to protect the cloth of the garment from fraying, an ...

s like a shirt and a waistband that can be adjusted by means of buttons. Also called ''Levi's jacket'' (see Levi's) *

Jerkin A jerkin is a man's short close-fitting jacket, made usually of light-coloured leather, and often without sleeves, worn over the doublet in the 16th and 17th centuries. The term is also applied to a similar sleeveless garment worn by the Briti ...

* Kilt jacket, one of several styles of traditional Scottish jacket worn with the

kilt A kilt ( gd, fèileadh ; Irish: ''féileadh'') is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish ...

, including the Argyll jacket, the Prince Charlie jacket, and a type of

tweed Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...

jacket *

Leather jacket A leather jacket is a jacket-length coat that is usually worn on top of other apparel or item of clothing, and made from the tanned hide of various animals. The leather material is typically dyed black, or various shades of brown, but a wide r ...

, also known as a motorcycle jacket * Letter jacket also known as a letterman or

varsity 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 ...

Mackinaw jacket The contemporary mackinaw jacket, also known as a mackinaw coat, is a short double-breasted coat made of a thick heavy wool material, generally with a red-and-black plaid pattern. Etymology The word "mackinaw" is derived from the Odawa Ojibwe la ...

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 Mess dress uniform is the most formal (or semi-formal, depending on the country) type of uniforms used by military personnel, police personnel, and other uniformed services members. It frequently consists of a mess jacket, trousers, white d ...

and formerly as the school uniform of boys under 5'4" at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

until 1976 and at many other English schools, particularly choir schools *

Motorcycle jacket A leather jacket is a jacket-length Coat (clothing), coat that is usually worn on top of other apparel or item of clothing, and made from the leather, tanned hide of various animals. The leather material is typically dyed black, or various shad ...

, 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, cruising ...

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

Nehru jacket The Nehru jacket is a hip-length tailored coat for men or women, with a mandarin collar, and with its front modelled on the Indian achkan or sherwani, a garment worn by Jawaharlal Nehru, the prime minister of India from 1947 to 1964. History ...

Norfolk jacket A Norfolk jacket is a loose, belted, single-breasted tweed jacket with box pleats on the back and front, with a belt or half-belt. It was originally designed as a shooting coat that did not bind when the elbow was raised to fire. Its origin is un ...

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 Inuit ...

Peplum jacket A peplum jacket is a jacket with a short overskirt An overskirt is a type of women's short skirt which is draped over another garment, such as a skirt, breeches, or trousers. Although peplum is often used as another term for overskirt, it shoul ...

, a jacket featuring a short

overskirt An overskirt is a type of women's short skirt which is draped over another garment, such as a skirt, breeches, or trousers. Although peplum is often used as another term for overskirt, it should not be confused with the ''peplos'' or "peplum dress ...

* Puffer jacket or Puffa jacket, a type of padded jacket popular in the 1990s * Rain jacket, a short

rain coat A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant garment worn on the upper body to shield the wearer from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats with long sleeves that are waist-length. A rain jacket may be combined with ...

* Reefing jacket or reefer, a type of

pea coat A pea coat (or peacoat, pea jacket, pilot jacket, reefer jacket) is an outer coat, generally of a navy-coloured heavy wool, originally worn by sailors of European and later American navies. Pea coats are characterized by short length, broad la ...

* 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 shirt o ...

* Sailor jacket * Satin jacket, a type of ball jacket made of

satin A satin weave is a type of fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves alongside plain weave ...

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 A smoking jacket is an informal men's style of lounge jacket originally intended for tobacco smoking, designed in the 1850s. A classic-styled smoking jacket comes in a shawl collar, turn-up cuffs, toggle or button fastenings, or simply be closed ...

* Spencer, a high-waisted jacket dating to the

Regency period The Regency era of British history officially spanned the years 1811 to 1820, though the term is commonly applied to the longer period between and 1837. King George III succumbed to mental illness in late 1810 and, by the Regency Act 1811, h ...

Sport coat 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, ...

(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/antler, ...

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

Suit jacket A suit jacket, also called a lounge jacket, lounge coat or suit coat, is a jacket in classic menswear that is part of a suit. Single and double-breasted Most single-breasted suit jackets have two or three buttons, and one or four buttons are unu ...

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 develope ...

, a loose sleeveless outer garment *

Tunic A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin ''tunica'', the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome ...

, 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. ...

(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 shorts ...

jacket *

Wamus A wamus is a type of jacket worn in the United States. The term is applied to several different types of upper-body garment. Early American history One of the more consistent uses of wamus is to describe a fringed leather tunic that slips over the ...

, also called a "roundabout," a traditional American term for a short jacket.

References

External links

{{Authority control History of clothing (Western fashion)

Etymology

List of jackets

See also

References

External links