Workwear British-Made Men's Overshirts — Voted by the Community

The overshirt is a shirt cut from heavier cloth and worn over other layers, often left open like a light jacket. The word has been in English since the early nineteenth century. In the early twentieth century, labourers on farms and railways and in towns wore loose outer shirts and shirt-jackets in wool or cotton. These kept them warm and kept dirt and soot off the clothes beneath. Military dress added another strand. Between the wars, the US Navy issued a heavy wool overshirt, known as the CPO shirt, to its chief petty officers. It was cut roomy enough to wear over thick knits, and surplus versions later passed into civilian wear. These workwear and military roots explain the overshirt's familiar features: sturdy cloth, chest pockets and a loose cut for layering. Because it works as both a shirt and a light jacket, it is useful in spring and autumn. British makers today produce overshirts in wool, cotton and other woven cloths, keeping the practical design for casual and smart-casual wear.