The Shearling Vest

Our new Shearling Vest is a substantial piece of outerwear, with a suede outer face, and a toasty shearling interior.

When Bill Callahan sang about a shepherd in a sheepskin vest (on his excellent 2019 album of the same name), was this the vest he had in mind? Most likely not, but nevertheless this is a garment fit for a man of Callahan’s rugged credentials: a drifter, a drover, and a dreamer.

It matters little if you’ve never ridden a chestnut colt across the American interior, or pensively plucked at a nylon string guitar, our shearling vest is perfect for desk jockeys and actual jockeys alike. It’s also no issue if you’re more likely to wear this for a stroll around town than a voyage into the wilderness: it has a dash of what our friend Bruce Boyer might call urban élan.

Dark Green Suede Shearling Zip Front Vest

Taupe Glen Check Casentino Wool Blend Raglan Sleeve Overcoat

At its core, this is a deceptively simple piece of clothing. Cut from a premium slice of heavyweight suede, we have kept the material’s reverse shearling side intact, which acts as a toasty lining to sit close to the body and preserve warmth. Angled handwarmer pockets grace the garment’s front, and it fastens with a two-way zip.

Yellow Brushed Shetland Wool Crew Neck Jumper

Fawn Tuscan Tweed Jacket

As these images illustrate, the Shearling Vest can be worn in a number of ways: under an overcoat, over a tailored jacket, or as a standalone piece of outerwear. This makes it indispensable if you live in a climate that’s as unpredictable as a British autumn: like early spring one day, and late winter the next.

It’s impossible to know what Mr. Callahan envisioned when he conjured the image of a sheepskin vest in his mind’s eye (even by the standards of enigmatic singer-songwriters he is something of a closed book), but I would like to think it looked a little something like this.  

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