I once had a boss that I despised. The man was awful and that's not an opinion, it's a fact. Yet, when I had my one and only shot to make his life a little less pleasant, I didn't take it.
It occurred one afternoon when a colleague made a mistake on materials that went out to a client. My boss uttered the following words, “I'm going to hunt that b****rd down” and immediately, I knew that I had my opportunity to strike. Bad language was perfectly acceptable in the workplace, but the “hunting down” part, if taken literally, would not be taken lightly given the number of wackos out there in the world. So, because I am incredibly good at appearing to be sincerely stupid while actually just being an ass, I was set on calling building security and warning them of the “threat.” Though I would probably get away with it, I decided not to, but the next day, I didn't show up to work in my normal suit and tie. Instead, I showed up in a shooting jacket (I had other clothes on as well) and told him that I was ready to “hunt.” From that point forward, he was never rude to me again.
Now the interesting part of the story is that I lived in New York City at the time, had never gone hunting or planned on doing so, and hate guns, yet owned a shooting jacket. I didn't purchase it the night before. I purchased it months, or even years, before. A logical question would be, “why did you own a shooting jacket if you never have or will shoot anything?”
Well, because it's awesome. Because it looks good...and because while clothes can be practical and useful, they don't need to be. The only thing that clothes should be is...worn.
So, why is the shooting jacket awesome?
Shooting jackets were originally intended to be worn while shooting and hunting and the design of the jacket reflects the intent.
Shooting jackets are typically durable yet comfortable. The cut isn't overly relaxed, but does provide for sufficient mobility, particularly in the shoulder region.
Furthermore, the shooting jacket has more than ample pocket space. As the intent of the jacket was to be worn while shooting and hunting, the two front pockets of the shooting jacket are huge and allow me to hold off on the bi-yearly “cleaning of my George Costanza-esque wallet.”
Furthermore, a lot of shooting jackets, including my own, was made to withstand the elements, regardless of what they may be. So, they are often waterproof yet breathable and can easily be worn over a sweater a light jacket.
Finally, while my shooting jacket is made out of wool, you can find them in almost any material. And when you find the one that catches your eye, don't think twice about where and when you'll wear it because you will wear it. They're just too awesome not to.