Transitional layering is a necessity in between seasons – especially as the crisp mornings and spontaneous snow showers continue to dictate our daily dress. As temperatures slowly – painfully slow, that is – begin to creep up, the days of heavy layering are becoming obsolete and the need to strategically layer outfits comes to the fore. In London, where the OPUMO HQ is based, the art of ‘transitional layering’ is more of less of a year-long challenge, so it’s fair to say we know what we’re talking about here.
The best place to start is with a reliable mid-weight jacket. As usual, there is not one single type of jacket to be wearing this spring, but rather a range of different options instead. To illustrate our point, we have picked out five of the best jackets for spring – and how to wear them well.
Sunspel Dark Olive Cotton Drill Harrington Jacket
Sunspel describe this Harrington Jacket as ‘the ultimate outerwear staple’ which is all you need to know, really. Light enough to throw on over a jumper but substantial enough to be worn every season, the lightweight jacket has all the hallmarks of the iconic Sunspel Harrington – slanted welt pockets, interior side pockets and a smart collar with simple zip enclosure – to sit nicely in between workwear and tailoring. Which means its clean shape goes perfectly well with a pair of tailored trousers as it does with a classic white t-shirt in summer.
A Day’s March Navy Original Overshirt
With an aim to ‘perfect the essentials’ and an ambition to ‘make one exceptional shirt than three mediocre ones’, it is no surprise that A Day’s March lays claim to one of our top five jackets for spring. The brand’s original overshirt is the jacket that has really caught our eye, as it pleasingly treads the line between smart and casual. With its classic back pleat which gives the overshirt a more refined appearance, the overshirt also comes complete with all the trappings of a piece of workwear-inspired outerwear (turn-down collar, patch pockets) but it also manages to look incredibly sick, with its restrained colour palette and heavyweight cotton construction.
Schnayderman’s Black / White / Yellow P.O.W Check Coatshirt
Sifting through the latest collection from Schnayderman’s and its clear to see why the Swedish-based brand is at the forefront of men’s shirting, as the brand brilliantly captures the versatility of the button-down across a variety of different designs. For SS18, however, the brand has moved a little bit further away from the classic Oxford to produce the Coatshirt; a lightweight virgin wool jacket that is defined by its elegant cut, Prince of Wales checks, notched collar, jet side pockets and black sanded corozo buttons.
YMC Blue Interceptor Jacket
This one is easy to explain, really. The YMC Blue Interceptor Jacket not only looks good – in the way all lightweight double-zip jackets do – but it also feels great courtesy of its crisp polyamide construction. It’s the type of jacket that looks good without even trying and it’s the type of jacket that you’ll grow to love for that very reason – plus the colour, of course. Just look at it.
Wax London Indigo Khaki Navarino Waxed Mac
The words ‘new’ and ‘improved’ often come accompanied by recipes for dog food, washing up liquid the shampoo you've been using for the past two years – but not here. Wax London’s best-selling signature Waxed Mac has been thoroughly updated and is well-deserving of its all-new ‘Waxed Navarino 2.0’ title. Boasting new shower-proof, harder-to-crease cotton, and rattle-free silver snaps the Waxed Navarino is incredibly comfortable as its lightweight unlined design will act as the essential top layer to any outfit.
Shop the latest spring jackets at OPUMO.
Be sure to read our ultimate guide to men’s coats and jackets.
