10 of the Best Denim Jackets You Can Buy

Both versatile and a good value, denim jackets are a workhorse garment. Born out of practicality and function, they’re ready for years of use, and they get better as the color fades and creases fray. As a light jacket, they can be thrown over a t-shirt or a button-down equally well, and in the cooler months, they can function as the perfect layer under your parka. The designs of denim jackets are relatively similar, but brands like to tweak washes and colors, putting out garments that range from worn and faded to incredibly saturated. Find a hue and style that piques your interest, and invest in this wardrobe essential.

Trucker Jackets

Levi’s Trucker Jacket

This is the definitive denim jacket from the definitive jeans brand. If you’re gonna get just one, it should be this one.

Neighborhood Stockman Type-A Jacket

If you want to try your hand on some of that storied Japanese denim, Neighborhood is not a bad way to go. This version takes on the Type I style in rinsed indigo denim.

RRL Denim Zip-Front Jacket

It’s no secret that Ralph Lauren has a thing for vintage Lee denim. Perfectly broken-in using 11-ounce Japanese denim, this is the next best thing to an original.

Freenote Cloth RJ2 Denim Shearling

Freenote Cloth’s behemoth of a jean jacket weighs 20 ounces, nearly double that of the average denim jacket. And that’s just the denim. This one’s lined with real shearling and includes two hand pockets, a single chest pocket, Japanese hardware and a leather patch from the famed shoemakers at Red Wing.

Chore Coats

Lee Barn Jacket

This vintage-inspired barn jacket looks and feels like something a hardcore reproduction brand would make, but it comes straight from Lee’s mainline. With hardy raw denim waiting for you to fade yourself, spade patch pockets and relaxed fit, it’s one of the best things they make.

Carhartt WIP Michigan Denim Chore Coat

You can’t talk about chore coats without talking about Carhartt. Tried and true, its Michigan coat is a mainstay for the brand for good reason.

Tellason Coverall Jacket

Made in San Francisco out of heavy, 16.5-ounce raw selvedge denim, Tellason’s Coverall Jacket has more pockets than you likely need. But, hey, you never know.

Shirt Jackets

Buck Mason Two Pocket Field Shirt

Buck Mason’s Field Shirt feels like a trucker and a CPO shirt all in one, which only makes it more versatile.

Iron Heart 14.7oz. Eco Selvedge Denim Blanket Lined CPO Shirt

It looks like a shirt, but it’s heavier than your average pair of jeans. From the king of heavyweight denim, Japanese brand Iron Heart’s CPO Shirt really deserves to be in the jacket category, especially with the 14.75-ounce raw denim, blanket lining and hand pockets.

Veilance Cambre Jacket

Veilance’s entry into the denim world also places it in this best-of list. The futuristic jacket uses denim with polyester hollowcore fiber which makes it lighter and stronger without sacrificing denim’s natural fading properties. It has a clean silhouette and taped seam construction for a comfortable fit.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

These Historic French Shoes Have Achieved Cult-Like Status. Here’s Why

You’ve spotted it on the train, on the street during fashion week, in the window of a very niche store and in a Japanese fashion magazine: a shoe with a moccasin-style toe and a little green tag. Chunky is certainly an apt descriptor, but clunky suits the very senior-looking shoe far better. The brand, Paraboot, has been operating in France since 1908.

Before hiring his first employees, Rémy-Alexis Richard grew up in the small village of Izeaux at the foot of the French Alps during the late 1800s. He worked at factories that produced shoes for contractors in Paris. Richard eventually became a contractor himself and sold his designs for production in the very same factories. He would soon marry a wealthy woman named Juliette Pontvert and the two pursued the business together under the name Richard-Pontvert.

The First World War would pull him away from his shoe business for a few years: he built and repaired shoes for the French army. After the war ended, he bought a factory back in the same town of Izeaux as a means to better control the manufacturing process.

In 1926, Richard traveled to the United States where he encountered vulcanized rubber boots. He brought the innovation back to his Alpine factories and combined this process with his method for applying notched soles to mountain boots, which at the time were affixed to wooden soles. Notched soles provided more traction on the terrain and, when applied to rubber, produces even greater grip. Today, the company still produces its soles in-house, a distinct feature of Paraboot’s business. In fact, when Richard registered the name Paraboot in 1927, he named it after the Brazilian port of Para, where the brand still gets its latex rubber for its soles.

In 1945, as factories were closing or pivoting to cheaper production methods involving plastic, glue and lightweight materials, Paraboot decided to stay the course and continue making shoes using Norwegian welt and Goodyear welt construction. It was at this time Paraboot had developed its iconic Michael shoe, a Tyrolean-style shoe originating from the Alpine region of Tyrol built for traversing the mountainous terrain. This hefty shoe is likely the style you’ve seen on the feet of industry insiders and tastemakers.

Paraboot’s popularity spread from farms and postal routes to extreme sports like mountain climbing, cross-country skiing and motorbiking. But the brand’s ascension eventually came crashing down to bankruptcy in the 1970s. Thankfully, that wasn’t the end of the story. As slim dark suits and sleek shoes fell out of fashion in the 1980s, the Michael came back into vogue and saved Paraboot.

It was around this time that Paraboot first made its way to the United States at a legendary store known as Louis’ of Boston. Gary Drinkwater, founder and owner of menswear retailer Drinkwater’s, was working for Louis at the time and was instrumental in bringing the shoes Stateside.

“The unique quality of Paraboot,” Drinkwater notes, “is that they have a long-lasting, enduring quality to them because they were originally built for the field, they were built for sports, for industrial reasons. Then they pivoted to being a pedestrian brand offering styles like the Avignon, the Chambord and the Michael.”

Michael by Paraboot $527

As far as materials are concerned, a shoe’s upper is the most important and Paraboot’s selection of leathers is among the finest. The brand prides itself on using leathers from France as well as shell cordovan from the United States. Often, a brand new pair of boots will appear dusty, even dry. During the tanning process, the leather is impregnated with tannins, waxes, oils and fats. These ingredients help give the leather its strength and resilience while also helping it to resist water, a valuable property to have when trekking through the alps. These fats will often rise to the surface of the leather in a process known as ‘blooming’ and is a sign of the leather’s health. The fats will buff out with a few swipes with a shoe brush.

Paraboot has a distinct advantage over many other companies because of its vertical production. While other shoemakers source their soles from companies like Vibram, Dainite and Cortina, Paraboot produces its own rubber soles as it’s been doing since the early 20th century. Having in-house production of its own materials means Paraboot has greater control over the quality of the product, ultimately resulting in a better shoe.

Though not a Paraboot invention, the Norwegian welt is a hallmark of the brand’s most-loved styles and is often associated with the brand. Like the famed Goodyear welt, the Norwegian welt is a construction method that attaches the shoe’s upper with its sole and allows the style to be easily resoled. Unlike the Goodyear welt, which is a flat welt that reaches beneath the shoe’s upper, the Norwegian welt attaches entirely to the exterior of the shoe. This technique prevents water from reaching into the crevice between the welt and the upper.

Avoriaz by Paraboot $605

This waterproof design is often incorporated into sportswear-related shoes like hiking boots which demand greater protection from the elements. Admittedly, the Norwegian welt is less discreet compared to the Goodyear welt, which is fitting for outdoor shoes. Though the chunky profile and dense rubber outsole wouldn’t win any points against other walking shoes, Paraboot was marketed toward hikers and avid walkers since the beginning.

Paraboot’s range of styles is vast swinging from terrain-prepared hiking boots to beach-ready sandals to boardroom appropriate dress shoes. But its bread-and-butter continues to be chunky walking shoes. The Michael and Chambord are two of the brand’s most popular styles and often sit on store shelves next to Alden and Red Wing. While Alden evokes a dressier sensibility and Red Wing holds strong ties to workwear, Paraboot squarely occupies the space in-between.

“The sole is so chunky, the Norwegian welt, the scalloping — it’s got its own personality,” says Phillip Yi, founder and owner of Totem Brand Co. “Originally, they were meant for walking and hiking in the French Alps. It’s definitely a hybrid that plays between both of those two worlds of dress and workwear.”

In the last two decades, Paraboot has built up another wave of popularity, cementing itself further as a cult classic. Ever ahead of the trends, the Japanese market has been longtime fans of the French bootmaker, frequently featuring its shoes in magazine spreads in publications like Fudge Magazine the now-defunct Free & Easy. The Michael has been a point of inspiration for countless brands, eliciting imitators from Clarks, Padmore & Barnes, Mephisto, Kleman and more. But the brand’s cachet draws collaborations with notable brands in seasons past including Arpenteur, Aime Leon Dore, Barbour and Beams.

This year marks the 111th anniversary and the 75th anniversary of its quintessential Michael. And though Drinkwater doesn’t expect the brand to ever be as popular as Red Wing, Dr. Martens or Alden, he thinks it will always occupy a unique place in the market. He bought his first pair over three decades ago and still wears them to this day. He says, “1985 to today, where can you really find a pair of shoes that lasts that long?” For a brand that’s survived two World Wars, a bankruptcy, countless fashion trends and, for Drinkwater, 35 years of wear, Paraboot is here to stay.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The Best Serums to Brighten and Refresh Dull, Tired Skin

Here’s the truth about serum: It’s the biggest secret to having younger-looking, radiant skin.

You know all the other steps to staying healthy—and showing it: wearing SPF, and applying retinol. You stay hydrated and eat healthy foods. You get lots of exercise and plenty of sleep. But, are you applying serums? They can give your skin some of the most immediate and impactful benefits.

Serum seeps into all three layers of your skin to work its magic at deeper levels than moisturizer ever could. Those moisturizing creams merely sit atop your skin. They’re equally important, and shield skin from toxins, but they do little to reverse dark spots and smooth wrinkles. Serums, on the other hand, can correct hyperpigmentation and puffy eyes.

Serum brightens your skin complexion, and can preserve moisture levels in ways that moisturizers never could (funny, given its name). No two serums are alike in terms of ingredients and overall benefits, but almost all of them brighten your skin and smooth complexion. Here are seven of our favorite serums; apply them to clean, dried skin before moisturizers, SPFs, retinol or night creams.

SkinCeuticals Corrective Gel Serum

If your skin suffers from redness or discoloration, then look for a corrective serum. SkinCeuticals’ gel serum uses thyme and cucumber extract to soothe irritation, as well as mulberry extract to even skin tone and gently hydrate the skin. If most moisturizers make your skin break out, then this is a gentle and top-notch moisturizing alternative.

Glossier Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin C is one of the best ingredients you can apply to skin for brighter, more even complexion. Glossier’s serum is packed with it, along with magnesium, for an instant pick-me-up for tired or dull skin. Use it daily to preserve a fresh face, and to get ahead of the inevitable hangovers or early mornings.

OSEA Eye Serum

The skin around your eyes is more sensitive than the rest of your face, and is much thinner, too — hence why you quickly show signs of tiredness. (It’s fluid buildup from a lack of rest, shining through your skin.) So, target the eyes with a special-blend serum that tightens and brightens at the same time. In OSEA’s eye serum, hyaluronic acid preserves firmness and moisture levels, grape-seed-derived resveratrol shields this thin skin from toxins, and algae extract plumps and nourishes tired eyes (and alert eyes, if you’re plenty rested already — everyone benefits). It also prevents and helps reverse fine lines and other signs of aging.

Brickell Night Serum

Some serums are best worn during the day — those that focus on hydration and pure brightening. Others, like corrective and exfoliating serums, are often best suited for bedtime so that they can sync with your body’s circadian rhythm to boost cellular turnover (and in turn guarantee that you wake up looking rested and more youthful). However, some serums cover both bases: Brickell’s night serum is ultra-hydrating — so much so that its impact is maximized by wearing it overnight. It’s loaded with plant stem cells, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, and promises to magnify the benefits of a full night’s sleep. Your friends and colleagues will notice the difference within days. (Assuming you aren’t pairing it with a lovely binge-drinking or chain-smoking habit.)

Herbivore Exfoliating Serum

There’s an entire family of serums that focuses on exfoliation, by using ingredients that dissolve dead skin cells and reduce hyperpigmentation (dark spots and discoloration). Herbivore’s serum does so with alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids, all of which are naturally derived, despite their sciencey-sounding names. They’re extracted from things like willow bark and sugar maple, and in turn leave skin bright, while minimizing pore size and smoothing skin texture.

Caudalie Radiance Serum

It’s hard to categorize Caudelie’s skin-brightening serum, since it uses the brand’s proprietary blend of ingredients (Viniferine, derived from grape vines) — but they seem to deliver on their promise to brighten skin “62 times better than Vitamin C”. All around the globe, this is what Caudelie’s spa customers pay top dollar for, and you can enjoy the same complexion-smoothing effects for less than a buck a day (assuming you just use a couple drops daily).

PCA Skin Peptide Smoothing Serum

If your skin texture needs attention just as much as your skin tone, then look for a corrective and smoothing serum. This one from PCA Skin is pumped with peptides, and it waxes poetic on your skin to undo signs of aging (like the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and acne spots). It also helps skin retain moisture thanks to the inclusion of hyaluronic acid, rice bran extract, squalene, ensuring firmness and brightness.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.