War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. (Apart from your wardrobe.)

Much (if not most) of what you wear on a daily basis started out life doing battle. Your trusty white T-shirt, those chinos, that bomber jacket – all of these pieces have their roots in military uniform rather than designers’ moodboards, having gradually transitioned from war zones to civilian wardrobes over the years.

For 2016, it’s the field jacket that’s fronting the ranks. Lightweight, cut in a slightly boxy, resolutely masculine fit and proffering more pockets than you can shake an unpinned grenade at, it’s a lean, mean, style-enhancing machine. Which is probably why designers from Brunello Cucinelli to Craig Green have co-opted it in a bid to make it SS16’s must-own garment.

Sparing you the history lesson we’re not qualified to teach, the field jacket first emerged in 1938 (in the form of the olive drab-coloured cotton M-1938), with the subsequently released M-1941 and M-1965 jackets offering updates on the original design.

While you’ll still find faithful reproductions, they tend to come off a little too Taxi Driver to look contemporary. Instead, it’s designers’ current takes on the four-pocket, water-repellent M-1965 field jacket (widely used in the Vietnam War) that should be topping your hit list – whether that’s an authentic funnel-neck style or something that skews more safari jacket (a shirt-collared, sometimes belted variant of the field jacket).

(Related: Style lessons we’ve learned from the military)

What Should I Look For?

Liberated from its original olive green waxed cotton guise, the field jacket today comes in a slew of different colourways and fabrications to up your style threat.

“You should never scrimp on a jacket or coat,” says Oscar Pinto-Hervia, founder of, and Chief Buyer at, luxury Manchester-based store Hervia. “These are investment pieces – if they are poor quality, they won’t stand the test of time. Plus, if they start to look shabby, this will have a negative impact on your entire outfit.”