There’s something about a big, black heft of outerwear that draws us in like moths to a flame. Our predisposition towards a great jacket feels almost innate, and it only intensifies the bigger and blacker they get. It doesn’t matter how skint we are or how bulging our wardrobes might be – we’ll always find the money, and somehow the space, for one more big black jacket.
It’s almost tribal – an ancient instinct, perhaps, and a way of measuring one’s worth against the rest. In 2000 BC, you might have boasted to your fellow hunters about the fish you’d hauled in that afternoon. Fast-forward 4,000 years, and the same primal urge manifests itself in the size, weight and blackness of the jacket on your back.
And just as our prehistoric ancestors scoured the ocean for their next meal, we scour our favourite retailers and brands for hours. Hours are spent poring over new arrivals, filtering religiously by colour: black. If only there were a filter for big.
Here are our favourite big black jackets available right now. Because, when it comes to outerwear, you can’t get much better.
C.P. Company – Leather Mixed Mille Jacket
How do you make a goggle jacket stand out even more than it already does? By covering it in all black Italian leather. We’d wager this Leather Mixed Mille is one of the best items C.P. Company have ever put out – and we have nothing but respect for anyone who can pull it off, let alone afford it.
Nanamica – Plas Nylon Twill Field Coat
If you thought Field Coats looked good in their typical military green paintjob, you’ve obviously never laid your eyes on this black Nanamica version. This incredibly coat comes with all the typical functional stylings of a field jacket, but with an added layer of stealth and steeze.
Snow Peak – GORE-TEX Waterproof Down Jacket
If, like us, you love the smell of GORE-TEX in the morning, then this Snow Peak coat should send your dopamine receptors into overdrive. Down-filled, 100% waterproof and equipped with two of the largest front pockets we’ve ever laid eyes on, this is not a jacket to joke about.
Nanamica – 2L GORE-TEX Down Coat
Now this is a serious smother. You can always rely on Nanamica to put out a good black coat every season, but frankly, this 2L GORE-TEX Down Coat takes the piss. Big, black and covered in buttons, it’s got every box ticked.
Battenwear looked at big black coats and wondered how they could make them even better. The answer, they decided, was to bang a massive pocket slap bang in the middle of one. And you know what? We can’t fault the logic. This Scout Anorak is an absolute beauty.
Balmacaan might sound like something you rub on your body when you get a weird rash, but it actually refers to a loose-fitting overcoat. Here, TDR have taken the classic silhouette and made it even better by making it big, black and out of Bordura. Sorry – we mean Cordura.
Haven – Spectre GORE-TEX Jacket
This Haven jacket genuinely reminds us of a stealth bomber plane. Everything about it is so sharp, angular and symmetrical that it looks as though it’s been assembled by a team of elite engineers. Only, instead of metal, they’ve worked with GORE-TEX Pro – which, arguably, is an even more impressive feat.
