In the last month, we’ve waxed eloquent on waxed jackets and gone long on long coats, but one impenetrable staple has remained conspicuously absent from our coverage: the CPO shirt. It’s time to rectify that mistake, pronto—right now, the near-century-old jack-of-all-trades layer looks more rugged and effortlessly refined than ever.
Let’s dive into some history real fast: CPO shirts were first issued in the 1930s to Chief Petty Officers in the Navy, hence, y’know, the otherwise inscrutable acronym. Originally crafted from naturally insulating wool, they were designed to layer over hardy sea-ready sweaters (we call that “major foreshadowing” in the biz). As a result, they were cut boxy enough to avoid constricting movement, beefy enough to handle a punishing ocean breeze, and often included a duo of crucial welt pockets at the waist to keep your hands toasty when they weren’t otherwise occupied—in addition to the now-signature flap pockets at the chest.
To say the design worked is a bit of an understatement. Not only did CPO shirts become immensely popular among the enlisted, they were so warm, so comfortable, and so easy to wear that they became a mainstay of civilian life when those officers returned home. 90 or so years later, they’re still as warm, comfortable, and easy to wear as ever—maybe even easier, in fact, especially if you’re the itchy type, given that the silhouette is now available in sharp, crisp cottons, and lullaby-soft cashmere blends, too.
How would we suggest wearing one? Like a lightweight jacket, to start. Despite their name, CPO shirts tend to fit boxy enough to nestle a hoodie or a big ol’ sweater underneath, but once they break in and relax a bit, they won’t flare out. (Looking for a jacket that can actually hang from one of those little hooks beneath a bar? Look no further.)
The most classic versions come in goes-with-everything navy blue—like, say, Schott’s all-time riff or Buzz Rickson’s stitch-for-stitch repro stunner—and will positively crush it paired with earth-toned pants, to say nothing of washed jeans. When the temperatures climbs up a smidge, the slightly trimmer ones—like the superlative Buck Mason or Todd Snyder joints above—can “transition jacket” as hard as any true transition jacket out there, over a simple white tee, flecked gray crewneck, or any other jersey-knit in your usual rotation.
So if you find yourself between jackets, between climates, or just hankering for a layer that layers better than most, make like Steve McQueen, at least 2 GQ editors in our line of vision, and countless other style gods before you and reach for a CPO shirt of your own. We promise the water’s lovely.
