How To Wear A Shacket: 22 Ways To Style An Overshirt

Has there ever been an uglier portmanteau than ‘shacket’? The word sounds like something you would use to describe a gastrointestinal accident, but it is in fact the term to describe the clever hybrid of a shirt and a jacket. It has emerged as one of the truly stylish utilitarian pieces of menswear in recent years, presenting itself as an elevated alternative to the chore jackets of old.

Born out of practicality, this innovative garment draws inspiration from workwear aesthetics, specifically garments such as the CPO jacket, lumberjack shirt and military field jacket. Its evolution over the years has seen it transform from a purely functional outer layer into a fashionable statement piece and an evergreen silhouette in our collective wardrobes.

Its appeal surely lies in its adaptability, helped no end by the diversity of the garment: it comes crafted in a wide array of fabrics including flannel, denim, wool and corduroy, not to mention a broad spectrum of silhouettes, from padded shirts four-pocket field coats and even minimalist blousons.

What’s more, styling the shacket couldn’t be simpler, finding itself perfectly at home worn with a simple white tee as it is layered over an OCBD or crew-neck sweater. Follow our straightforward guidelines below to get the most out of your overshirt collection.

How to wear a shacket: guidelines

Shape shift

When you want to introduce a boxy silhouette into your look, then the shacket is the ideal garment to do so with. Whether it’s more of an overshirt than it is a structured jacket doesn’t really matter, since you’ll typically wear both unbuttoned and open, which creates a broader, more boxy shape up top.

Styles that riff on field jackets are especially good at this, as are padded padded styles. If you want to wear your shacket as a layer below a bigger piece of outerwear, such as a thick winter coat, then opt for something with more of a lightweight structure, such as a flannel shirt.

Textural diversity

Where the shacket has an advantage over so many other menswear garments is the sheer diversity of fabrics that it is crafted in. Texture is the difference between a good outfit and a great one so the shacket becomes a not-so-secret weapon when trying to elevate the tactility of your look.

Think corduroy, linen, velvet, boiled wool, alpaca blends, fleece… you name it. If it has texture to it, you’ll be able to create a sophisticated fit that boasts real depth.

Checks appeal

Another hallmark of many shackets is pattern, particularly check motifs. While there are plenty of understated shackets in plain tones, combining pattern with texture really pays dividends, making your outfit more dimensional.

The Buffalo check of lumberjack overshirts has been a popular choice for streetwear aficionados in recent years, but if you want something more elevated, go for muted Prince of Wales checks or tonal plaids with a subtle accent of color running through them.

22 versatile shacket outfits for men

Beige plaid flannel shacket outfit

Flannel cotton or wool both have a beautiful textural handle, with a soft fuzzy nap that seems to bring out the best in plaid patterns, softening the edges of the lines.

This beige version is super relaxed with the chest pockets giving it a nostalgic workwear vibe. The contrast buttons are a nice touch too, making it easier to complement the shacket with dark pants.

Grey plaid flannel shacket outfit

A perfect example of the flannel shacket being incorporated into a casual streetwear look. The grey plaid is bold but keeps the outfit monochromatic with the help of the black hoodie and white sweatpants.

It’s a really simple and versatile look that anyone can pull off.

Navy shacket with shorts outfit

Shackets are versatile layering pieces all year round, and that includes summer. Worn open over a T-shirt, they work with tailored shorts for warm summer evenings as you transition from beach to bar.

Channel the safari look with a shacket designed like a field jacket. The breast pockets add some extra visual interest to your look, and also give you a handy place to store your sunglasses after the sun goes down.

Black cotton twill shacket outfit

At the smarter edge of menswear, the shacket can prove to be a vital tool in softening the formality of the look, as evidenced here.

Sophisticated and chic, the boxy overshirt adds breadth and tone to the look, and is nicely complemented by the dark slip-ons.

Chocolate brown wool shacket outfit

While that chocolate brown tone is stunning, it’s the texture of the shacket that does all the work here.

If it was rendered in flat cotton the outfit might fall flat, with all those dark autumnal tones, but the wool texture gives the look another dimension.

Olive green cotton shacket outfit

In a more rugged guise here, the olive green shacket comes in a slightly distressed cotton fabric and a neatly cropped silhouette akin to a trucker jacket, making for an edgy modern fit.

It serves as a great foil to the tapered cropped jeans and masculine combat boots.

Grey plaid wool shacket outfit

Workwear motifs commingle with streetwear silhouettes in this easy and relaxed rendition of a plaid shacket look.

The shacket itself is constructed from textural wool, which lifts the entire outfit, while the khaki green tapered chinos add an understated earthy tone to the otherwise black look.

Beige cotton shacket outfit

Overshirts are a perfect replacement for blazers if your style doesn’t call for a lot of traditional tailoring. They are inherently smart-casual, meaning you can wear the same one over a T-shirt or a smarter shirt.

This look takes a modern approach to smart-casual dressing; the sneakers at one end and the dapper scarf at the other. The overshirt is the connecting piece, and it creates a considered, layered outfit over the crisp white shirt.

Burnt orange shacket outfit

Without the vibrant burnt orange overshirt, this look is a somewhat one-dimensional pairing of black pants and a white T-shirt, but the shacket completely lifts the mood of the outfit.

Shackets like this work best when they have a textural finish to them, so look for options in micro-cord or flannel.

Beige shacket outfit

We really love the simple tonality of this look, which takes an all-white outfit and layers over a beige cord overshirt to give it an additional level of sophistication.

Bonus points for complementing the shacket with sneakers featuring beige accents.

Cream cotton-jersey shacket outfit

This shacket is cut from a soft cotton jersey, which almost looks and feels like a fleece fabric. Hence it has a very casual, off-duty feel about it that you could easily complement with sweatpants and sneakers, but in this case, tailored tapered navy trousers have been used to create a modern minimalist aesthetic.

Blue textured shacket outfit

The good ol’ white tee/black pants combo is a failsafe place to start when constructing a look, and the shacket makes an excellent addition since it can introduce a nice layer of color or pattern to break up the monochrome.

This shacket brings an understated tone of blue combined with a subtle textural finish. If you want to dress it down a touch, simply swap the trousers out with a pair of selvage denim jeans.

Olive green cotton shacket outfit

Olive green is an underrated color to introduce to predominantly black looks when you want to keep the overall outfit dark and minimalist.

This style is cut from a fairly lightweight cotton so you could just as easily layer over a trucker, field or bomber jacket on colder days.

Teal cotton shacket outfit

Super casual when teamed with joggers, soft cotton shackets like this one are a great way to dress up an athleisure look, thanks to the smart color construction.

The teal tone is playful and nicely set off against the neutral-tone pants.

Blue textured wool plaid shacket

There’s a lot to love about this shacket, starting with the boxy, slightly oversized silhouette, as well as the textural wool handle and eye-catching blue plaid.

It’s a statement piece for sure, and could be layered over just about anything, but the navy hoodie and cropped beige pants are the perfect pairing for a contemporary streetwear aesthetic.

Military green shacket outfit

Sometimes (read: most of the time) keeping things simple with your outfits will reap rewards, not to mention be less of a headache when getting dressed.

This look is the perfect example: cream and navy – a timeless pairing – combine via crew neck and tapered pants, while the ever-versatile khaki green shacket adds the third tone to complete the look.

Plaid flannel shacket outfit

For an outdoorsy vibe, opt for big bold checks and seek out an overshirt made from flannel cotton or wool. This version riffs off the traditional lumberjack shacket, giving the look an instant injection of rugged workwear.

Layered over a tonal green tee is a nice detail, while the navy blue pants complement the tones in the check. It goes to show that just two or three colors are all you really need to create a compelling look.

Blue plaid shacket outfit

Classic rinsed denim jeans meet the dependable white T-shirt, and if you left it like that then you’ve got a nice, if not basic, look.

The addition of the navy blue plaid shacket elevates the outfit, however. The plaid gives the shacket the illusion of texture and depth, without the need to complicate the look with another colour.

Black cotton shacket outfit

All-black looks are often favored because of their inherent smartness, but the clever thing about this outfit is that the boxy silhouette of the shacket lends a more relaxed and easy-going attitude.

The hint of a tan crew neck layered below the shacket is a clever touch to break up the palette.

Black wool shacket outfit

Much like the example above, this black shacket has been combined with charcoal wool flannel trousers and a black turtleneck sweater to create a really sophisticated outfit.

A black or charcoal blazer could be used if you wanted to formalize the look, but the cropped silhouette of the shacket ensures a relaxed attitude.

Tan cotton shacket outfit

This vibrant tan cotton shacket is cleverly used to break up the tonal blue elements in this look.

A navy shacket would have been a more muted (and easier) option, but the rich tan tone lifts the aesthetic and is complemented by the neutral tone canvas high-tops, as well as the sliver of tan leather belt. It’s the type of thing that separates novices from menswear masters.

Navy check wool shacket

A great example of melding different neutral tones together, this workwear-inspired outfit combines tapered chinos with a simple cotton crew neck. But the cherry on the cake is the navy plaid shacket, which injects a subtle dose of pattern and texture to create something altogether more interesting.