These Basic Blue Collar Chore Coats Can Be Worn Anywhere

Taylor Stitch's Ojai Jacket has seen incredible success since its launch via the company's Workshop hub, where buyers can fund an item's production (and receive their own in return). This iteration opts for Indigo-dyed cotton, which was washed for a soft, broken-in feel from the first wear. It takes cues from classic French work jackets while being wholly original still.

Carhartt WIP reinvents classic Carhartt designs for a style-minded audience. This Michigan Coat remains largely unchanged from the original, except for its organic cotton corduroy construction, luxe cord collar and trimmer fit through the body.

I'm consistently impressed with Rhythm's quality to cost ratio. They make great linen shorts; solid T-shirts and affordable outerwear. Everything carries a clear surf influence, but there's a little workwear in there, too. The brand's Classic Chore Coat is proof. They made it their own with this soft white herringbone fabric.

Of all the jackets on this list, this is the one I'd probably feel best about really getting dirty in. It's made from Patagonia's Iron Forge Hemp, a fabric the brand says is "25% more abrasion resistant than conventional cotton duck canvas." Plus, it doesn't need broken in. The pockets on your hips button shut, while the chest one is high enough that nothing will fall out.

Chore coats, in my opinion, are an apt blazer replacer, if you will, but this Wallace & Barnes (aka J.Crew) option is quite literally a blazer. But it's obviously adopted the chore coat's defining features: open pockets, a curved bottom and a traditional workwear hue.

Based on the original bleu de travail, a category-defining French coat from the 19th century, Todd Snyder's aptly titled Blue French Chore Coat is made using imported Japanese indigo provided by Brooklyn textile company Three Looms.

The 100 percent cotton construction is sturdy and super vivid, but be warned: this jacket will bleed, whether into a white shirt you wear underneath or other lighter colors you wash it with. It's best to keep it separate until it stops crocking (leaking color).

Made from soft, enzyme-washed French linen, Alex Crane's Kite Jacket is the ideal chore coat for summer, courtesy of its lightweight design and "Lines" colorway, which recalls hickory stripe while being far brighter.

Chore coats aren't all work. There's plenty of relaxing to be done in Faherty's Stretch Terry Chore Jacket, which is as soft as sweatpants but far more, well, presentable. Pair this with smart chinos or textured jeans and you're good to go. It's natural looking with a sportswear feel.

There are certainly chore coats that can stand in for a blazer. This Buck Mason one may be the easiest switch, if I'm being honest. Made from boiled Merino wool, it's soft, boasts the same shape as a blazer, and has a lapel collar to boot.

New for this season, Wellen's Blanket Chore Coat is built from a mix of polyester, wool, nylon, acrylic and rayon, a blend that's both soft but also pretty durable. It strikes the right balance between flannel shirt and sturdier jacket, while being a little more sensible. The pockets close and the cuffs come with two sets of buttons.

Named after Universal Works founder David Keyte’s Dad, "who was a Baker and always wore a simple chore jacket while working," the brand's Bakers Jacket comes cut from 100 percent cotton flannel. Brown all over save for contrasting buttons and a single black angled buttonhole, it's a basic top that can be worn casually or dressed up.

There's a big difference between a chore coat and this. This is chore sweater, with a front button placket, a soft, spread collar and three sizable pockets. It buttons up to look more like outerwear, but when undone, it's far more casual.

Interested in the workwear look without the workwear crunch? Unlike a classic Carhartt chore coat, for example, Todd Snyder's chore coat is made from a lightweight Italian wool. It'll keep you warm in the winter, but it won't do much good on a worksite.

Made from recycled denim, Alex Mill's garment-dyed Work Jacket proves durable, but also modern. Tailored, taut in the shoulders, and not too long, it's an option that can be elevated for more formal occasions. Plus, it comes in a suite of colors.

French work jackets are the pinnacle of the chore coat category. Vintage ones are traded often; deadstock editions are rare — and expensive. Plenty of modern chore coats are based off them, but Imperfects' The Cunningham Coat might be the best homage. It's made from 100 percent organic cotton canvas, has brass tack buttons and three pockets on the outside.

Sort of built like a blazer, Portugese Flannel's Labura Chore Jacket has a curved bottom, a relaxed front and spaced out buttons. The hip pockets are low and wide, which matches the bottom hem, while the chest pocket is tall and skinny. This one fits more like a shirt, to be fair, and the collar can't quite cover the neck like some others do.

Dickies just celebrated its 100th anniversary. This jacket didn't exist when it was founded, but the chore coat is core to the brand now, albeit less so than the Eisenhower Jacket or their iconic work pants. This style in particular is a fairly basic, but stonewashed for a worn-in look and feel. It'll hit right at your hips for a classic fit.

An evolution of American Giant's Roughneck Pant, the Roughneck Chore Jacket, which is made from the same material but in new garment dyed colors, like brown, blue, gray and off-white. If you want a basic chore coat, this is it — it's as basic as it gets.

14 ounces is a lot of selvedge denim. It won't weigh you down or make your shoulders sore, but it's heftier than Todd Snyder's linen chore coat, that's for sure. The denim will fade and crease and fray as you wear it in, especially if it's for work. This Japanese-made jacket looks just as good brand new, though.

Like I said before, I truly do think you can replace a blazer, or at least a sport coat, with a chore coat and lose very little. Rogue Territory, knowing this, calls its waxed chore coat an Explorer Blazer. It has three pockets on the outside, one on the interior and raglan sleeves for better mobility. Take your normal size for a standard fit or size up for more room.

California brand General Admission isn't that big, making each one of their chore coats a little more special than the mass-produced ones you'll find from Carhartt or Dickies. It's made from 100 percent khaki-colored cotton, with splashes of burgundy corduroy throughout — including one of the zipper pockets across the chest.