The Worker Jacket or Chore Coat
French Workers Jacket, Chore jacket or the Chore Coat as we know them were first worn by labourers in France in the late 1800s, originally known as the bleu de travail.. although I have read the correct term for the jacket is Veste (Jacket) de Travail as Bleu de Travail means workers’ blues, however the terms bleu de travail or Chore Jacket are the most synonymous to refer to the iconic French work jacket.
Traditionally produced in a rich, vibrant French benzoate based blue dye, the jacket, easily distinguished by that vibrant shade of azure blue probably used in the early days because it was already a fashionable colour in the early 18th century for the military: sailors, & across the trades of craftsman, farmers, mechanics & railway workers. Black was the preferred choice for carpenters, but some other workers would also keep a black version for church on Sunday. (Cheap suit!)
As a tough piece of outerwear made from durable cotton canvas or moleskin (a combed cotton), the chore coat was perfect for tough physical & dirty work.
Chore jackets were deliberately oversized to allow for freedom of movement or to wear them on top of overalls & had buttoned cuffs to enable roll back of the sleeves. In addition to being a sturdy external layer, the 2, 3 or 4 patch pockets were used to carry everything a worker would need such as tools, lunch or smokes.
Originally, these jackets were fabricated with a lapel, more like a blazer, but more modern versions include a coach jacket collar which has not only made this garment more practical in poor weather as you can turn the collar up on the neck, but has greatly helped elevate the appeal of the jacket as a streetwear essential.
The chore coat was being favoured by workforces on both sides of the Atlantic.
In France, Le Mont Saint Michel 1913, Vetra 1927 & Le Laboureur 1950 were producing & supplying workmen with their bleu de travail chore coats, while over in the United States, workwear label Carhartt began t production of their chore coat in 1923.
The chore coats of America weren’t of the same rich blue as their French work jacket, but the construction remained very similar.
Initially known as the Engineer Sack Coat Carhartt’s chore jacket was first produced in blue denim in 1923 before the introduction of the classic duck brown canvas version. This version added more features with the needs of railroad workers in mind, Carhartt added corduroy to the collar, triple stitched the seams, reinforced the pockets with copper rivets & lined them with wool blanketing for extra warmth in colder conditions.
The Japanese also had a version, although much earlier in the 16th century, called Noragi which were worn by rural workers such as jackets, vests & pants originally sewn from fibres such as hemp, linen, then cotton later in the 17th century.
Noragi were completely handmade using traditional techniques such as Indigo dying that were passed down through family generations.
Chore jackets happily will behave like a pair of raw denim jeans, moulding to the wearer and fades, honeycombs & whiskers at points of wear.
Ultimately many of our favourite items of clothing were once pieces of workwear designed to withstand daily abuse from physical labor & the chore jacket is no exception & has since evolved into a utilitarian classic.