Perfect for the time of year, these are my 10 of the best trucker jackets, covering most finishes and a range of prices.
There are plenty out there, too, so it’s been hard isolating this down to 10. But that seems like a good number to work with. It’s a good thing to have in your wardrobe too at this time of the year. The weather is getting a touch warmer, and we are getting into jacket weather rather than big coat weather. And the trucker jacket is always a good option.
What you go for depends on your personal taste, your budget and what’s on the racks. Sadly, there’s no sign of the classic Levi’s jacket in white denim returning just yet, but there’s still time and we live in hope. Also, there is an alternative to that in the rundown.
But do check out the best of what is out there. I’ll keep this listing updated as new designs are released and others go out of stock.
1. Suede Type II suede jacket at Aero Leather Clothing
Certainly not the cheapest option, but this one is pretty much quality all the way through.
Aero Clothing is superb at this kind of design. An attention to detail that comes from making each one to your personal specification. Like most of the jackets in this rundown, they are designed for the long term and to age beautifully.
This take is an unlined jacket in a golden suede, finished with a stud closure and stud cuffs, and with two chest pockets and a choice of leather and suede collars.
£900 for this and a slight wait as it’s made to order.
Find out more at the Aero Leather Clothing website
2. Real Hoxton leather trucker jacket
Different colours available for this one, but all great value for a leather trucker.
Which is pretty much what Real Hoxton does. They remake the classics but don’t charge a fortune. And they make their clothing well, from personal experience.
It’s a handcrafted jacket with a generous fit, brass-tone buttons down the front and on the adjustable sleeve and waistband cuffs, a button-flap chest pocket, welt side pockets, two inside pockets, and a pointed collar.
Good value at £175 and a touch cheaper at Stuarts of London because it has a 15 per cent discount running.
Find out more at the Real Hoxton website
Also available with the discount at Stuarts of London.
Note that Levi’s did a similar jacket, but that’s not currently in its range.
3. Levi’s Vintage Clothing 1961 Type III denim jacket
If you can find it and afford it, this is the best denim jacket on the market.
There are two similar jackets on the shelves right now, with the one above based on the company’s 1961 design and faithful in detail to the jacket that first appeared over six decades ago. So, a non-stretch denim jacket with a ‘Two Horse’ leather patch, distinctive double pleats on the front, adjustable waist tabs, and the signature Big ‘E’ Red Tab.
It sells for £385, which is expensive, but it isn’t stopping some sizes from selling through already.
Find out more at the Stuarts of London website
The alternative and more widely available is the Levi’s Red Tab Trucker Jacket. It has a similar look and similar detailing at a glance, based on the 1967 design. All sizes are available for this, with a much cheaper price tag of £130.
Find out more at the End Clothing website
4. Lois Tejana cord jacket
A bit of a throwback label and a throwback to the 1970s and 1980s. However, the Spanish label Lois is still producing denim and cord designs, and this one is a staple of the range.
Again, plenty of colours to choose from, and a design that has barely changed in years. So a ‘Western’ trucker jacket with front pleats, buttoned tab adjusters at the hem and four pockets – two buttoned flap pockets at the chest and two side pockets. There are also branded gold-coloured buttons, some suede signature branding to the hem at the front left, and some woven tab branding on the left-hand chest pocket.
Prices are between £110 and £120, depending on what you go for. Again, like most designs at Stuarts, there’s a 15 per cent discount running on top of that.
Find out more at the Stuarts of London website
5. Lee 101 Rider denim jacket
I’ve always been a big fan of Lee’s 101 range of denim, with this jacket showing just why it is a heritage classic.
Lee will always miss out to Levi’s, but this one has a lot of fans. The Beatles were also famously photographed in a version of a jacket, too, a replica of which was issued back in 2007.
The current version uses much the same template as the original, with an angled yoke, front seams and zig-zag stitching through the placket. It’s another that ages well as the years pass too. It sells for around £300.
Find out more at the Lee Jeans website
6. Danny suede jacket by Nudie Jeans
A less obvious label choice, but this is a good-looking design with little obvious branding on it. For me, that’s always a plus.
There are a few options for suede in this rundown, with your choice perhaps dependent on the colour and the matching details. If you go for this one, you are looking at a ‘soft, supple’ goat suede leather, and a timeless design with two-needle fell seams along the front and back.
There’s also welt pockets and flap chest pockets, a leather collar and gunmetal logo buttons – about the only visible branding here. And even then, you’ll have to look closely.
£449 if you like the look of this one.
Find out more at the Stuarts Of London website
7. Levi’s cotton linen jacket
Remember earlier when I said it wasn’t possible to get a white denim jacket from Levi’s currently? Well, this is the closest thing you can actually pick up.
It isn’t white—it’s slightly off white—and it also has a more relaxed fit than some others in this listing. The construction differs, too, with a cotton/linen mix. But most of the classic details remain.
At £100, it isn’t bad value for a Levi’s jacket either.
Find out more at the Levi’s website
8. Affordable cord trucker jackets by Fuzzdandy
I have mentioned these in the distant past, and although prices have drifted a little, they are still popular and affordable options.
Plenty of sizes and plenty of colours for a functional cord trucker jacket that packs all the details you would expect, from the button front and chest pockets right down to the waist adjusters.
Prices are around £44.
Find out more at the Amazon website
Note that there is also a range of cord Type III trucker jackets at Real Hoxton too. Similar concept, some interesting colours (like the one above), but as a handmade jacket, a little more expensive. But still not breaking the bank at £85.
9 Gene white trucker jacket by Anglozine
At last, an actual white jacket. But this being Anglozine, it’s not quite as you might expect, which is a good thing.
Part of the label’s new range, this is a chalk white jacket with original 1960s detailing and trim. Construction is 100 per cent cotton twill and Bedford cord trim by Brisbane Moss, with Bedford cord pocket flaps and collar, tonal buttons, two front slant pockets, button cuffs, full lining, an inside pocket and a flag tab on the left pocket flap.
It has the trucker ‘look’ but with enough uniqueness to catch the eye too. £250 for one of these and limited numbers too.
Find out more at the Anglozine website
10. Leather Type III jean jacket by Aero Leather Clothing
Let’s end where we began, with a made-to-order classic from Aero.
This time it’s their take on the leather Type III that Levi’s used to make but no longer produces. As I said, a nice version from Real Hoxton is available, but if you have the money (and can wait 10-12 weeks), this one is a gem.
A vintage design, it has a stud or button closure, the usual two pockets, waist-level button/stud side adjusters, and a choice of leathers to pick from. The joy of made-to-order.
But with a base price of £1,080, it is a considerable investment.
Find out more at the Aero Leather Clothing website
And one that’s not quite a trucker jacket…
Levi’s Vintage Clothing 1960s suede jacket
I wasn’t sure whether to feature this one as it’s not quite a classic ‘trucker’. But it isn’t far off, and it’s a gem of a design.
It’s also what Levi’s Vintage Clothing does so well. Part of a collection based around Bob Dylan’s early wardrobe, it’s a limited edition of 200 pieces and a remake of a classic jacket worn by Dylan back in the day.
It has two chest pockets, a classic snap button-up front and a suede construction. In terms of detailing, less is more. That doesn’t apply to the price, though, with this one retailing for £1,050. Ouch.
Find out more at the Levi’s website
