Get a collarless one

By Lester Fang

I was once so in love with the denim trucker, I owned eight of them. But after a while, I stopped wearing them. As the outdoor heat intensifies, year after year, there is absolutely no reason to throw on an outer layer, even less so if they are in denim. These days, I would even avoid wearing a shirt if I don’t need to don one. But I understand that there are times when we need a jacket that is not a blazer. Or, something less dressy so that you won’t look like you’re attending your best-friend-from-primary-six‘s wedding. And I don’t mean a hoodie. The denim trucker (which, I’ve been repeatedly told, Levi Strauss first to created) is just one of those articles of clothing that can really be dressed up or done, depending on how you style it or what you pair it with.

Recently one denim trucker really caught my eye—a version by Prada that the brand calls “blouson jacket”. It would be a regular (relative term, of course) trucker if not for the missing collar. And therein, for me, lies the unabashed appeal. Some guys may think that without the collar, the jacket looks like a blouse. Interestingly, when Levi’s created the first denim jacket, it was known as a Levi Blouse. Seriously. Then it became known as Type (I—3). The trucker that we know today is based on the Type 3. I read somewhere that it was the Japanese—denim aficionados, as you know—who named the Type 3 the trucker, which clearly sounds better, just as perfume wouldn’t seem nice if it is named after a number, unless, of course, it is from Chanel.

Anyway, back to the Prada blouson jacket. Truth is, I already own a collarless trucker. It is a vintage-y piece from Wrangler that I found in Tokyo before the COVID pandemic. I liked wearing it over a shirt and under a puffer, but that was when temperatures were hovering above zero. As much as I like the Wrangler, I wish it was not so traditional in shape. I like the slimness of the Prada and also that it is somewhat elongated. It is also slightly tailored, but with a very relaxed shoulder. The vintage wash, showing a worn shoulder and the similarly treated V-shaped front, is very appealing too. But what is not is the price. I am due to replace my existing smartphone. And the one I am eyeing does not need me to default on my insurance payment.

Prada blouson jacket, SGD2,950, available at Prada stores and online. Product photo: Prada