Corduroy Jacket Outfits for Men: How to Wear It
How to choose a corduroy jacket, wide vs fine wale, the best colours, six outfits and how to care for corduroy.
Corduroy is back, and properly this time. A good corduroy jacket has texture, warmth and a slightly old-school feel that works for almost every age and style. Here is how to choose one and how to wear it.
Why corduroy works
Corduroy is cotton woven with raised ridges called wales. The ridges catch the light, which gives the fabric depth even in plain colours. It is warm, hard-wearing, and it softens and fades nicely over time.
Wide wale vs fine wale
- Wide wale (chunky ridges) is more casual and textured, best for jackets and outerwear.
- Fine wale or needlecord (thin ridges) is smoother and dressier, better for shirts and trousers.
For a jacket, wide wale is the classic choice.
The best colours
Forest green, chocolate brown, tan, navy and cream. Earthy colours suit the fabric's texture. Bright colours can look like a costume.
Six corduroy jacket outfits
1. With a hoodie
Corduroy jacket over a grey or cream hoodie, dark jeans, boots. The easiest weekend look.
2. With a knit
Over a cream crewneck, with grey wool trousers and suede shoes. Smart casual for dinner.
3. With a graphic tee
Over a heavy cotton tee with a small print, like the École de Ski tee, with stone chinos and sneakers.
4. Tonal
Forest green corduroy with forest or cream pieces underneath. Tonal outfits look considered with almost no effort.
5. In the mountains
A down-filled corduroy jacket over an alpine sweater, with cord trousers and snow boots. See our après-ski guide.
6. Under a coat
When it gets very cold, a lighter corduroy shirt jacket works as the mid layer under a wool overcoat.
Corduroy with down: the best of both
A plain corduroy jacket is a spring and autumn piece. Fill it with down and it becomes a real winter jacket that still looks like a shirt jacket, not a puffer. That is the idea behind our corduroy down jacket: wide-wale cotton corduroy, quilted with down, with a small chalet patch on the sleeve. It is made in a numbered run of ten.
Caring for corduroy
- Wash inside out, cold, to protect the wales.
- Do not iron directly on the ridges. Steam instead.
- Brush gently in the direction of the wale to lift flattened areas.
