The Incredibly Simple Outfit I’ll Be Wearing All Season

Including 13 ways to pull it off yourself.

On a trip last month to elite-tier menswear outpost (and certified danger to my wallet) CHCM, I came across a rather unique version of a classic Type III trucker jacket. Instead of the typical denim, this one was done up in what I can best describe as a brushed, featherweight chino. I tried it on, and instantly fell in love with the cropped fit and airy feel of it. It was mere moments later, however, that I clocked a pair of painter pants, hammer loop and all, rendered in the exact same fabric. Seeing both of these items next to each other, it hit me that while either would be a welcomed, versatile, breezy addition to my spring rotation, if worn together they could become more than the sum of their parts. Frankly, once the idea to wear the items as a matching set entered my mind, I could no longer imagine them as solo garms. After 15 minutes of pondering (mostly the price), I decided, well, fuck it, and I copped the whole kit.

Now, I wouldn’t blame you for viewing the whole me dropping $1,000 on a trucker jacket and painter pants thing as just another ridiculous purchase (or purchases, I suppose) in what is a long personal history of such occurrences. But now that a few weeks have passed, I can with total confidence say that this jacket and pants combo has become not just an all-star in my wardrobe, but my absolute #1 favorite outfit to put on right now when the occasion calls for, well, putting that shit on.

Photo by Denny Balmaceda

For starters, a matching set is a matter of ease. Other than shoes and accessories, it essentially takes the need for coordination out of the picture (which, as a chronic outfit overthinker, I sometimes need). And yet, despite the simplicity of execution, wearing garments that match down to the Pantone also exudes an air of precision about getting dressed. But we’re also not talking about your traditional suit, and it’s the casual nature of these specific items that ultimately creates an outfit that’s both stylish and simultaneously totally un-fussy. It’s no wonder then that I’ve worn my particular light tan combo to parties, meetings, dinners, and basically any time so far this season the weather has allowed me to.

Image via Aaron Levine on Instagram

Don’t just take it from me, though. Recently, the style kingpin himself Aaron Levine took to Instagram to show off his eponymous brand’s “cropped service jacket,” which he said he loves to match with the label’s black single pleat trouser. “If I had to wear one rig for a couple weeks, this would be it,” he wrote in the caption. Now, while our so-called “rigs” are different, we’re in total agreement when it comes to the idea of matching sets as fits we’d gladly wear for weeks on end.

If you’re ready to embrace peak outfit ease in the form of your own matching set, below I’ve linked my own personal combination and rounded up a bunch (12!!!) more I think also look great. Enjoy!!!

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