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With less than a month until fall’s official arrival, we’re starting to examine our seasonal wardrobe — that’s totally normal, right? — and it’s given us much to think about. What tonals we most want to bust out this year, how many pairs of corduroy pants are too many, whether our L.L.Bean Rubber Mocs will be physically glued to our feet by the time November rolls around. Stuff like that. But honestly, we’re most fixated on the return of shacket season. And in celebration, we thought we’d give our go-to for years, the Blanket Shirt for California-based Outerknown, a proper review, if only to convince you to buy one and join the unflappable ranks of Blanket Bros. (Yes, we came up with that ourselves.)
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One of everything, pleaseOuterknown’s Blanket Shirt: A Classic Since 2016
On the off chance you’re unfamiliar with the GOATed overshirt, the Blanket Shirt first broke waves way back in 2016 and has been a big part of Outerknown’s meteoric rise. Predicated on a reputation we’ve previously described as a beach blanket you can wear to a bar and a commitment to sustainability that was virtually unheard of at the time (the market has since saturated with greenwashing), it quickly became the brand’s top-selling item — the Blanket Shirt currently boasts a 4.8 rating off of a whopping 1,892 reviews on Outerknown’s website — and a tentpole staple of modern menswear.
How We Tested
We’ve owned countless Outerknown Blanket Shirts over the years (read: at least 4), and have worn ours religiously through the overshirt’s three-season viability. We recently got our hands on one of the latest colorways to refresh our memories, and though it’s a bit early for layers, we’ve worn the shacket on chilly morning dog walks, tepid summer evening outings and even on outdoor adventures in the unpredictable state of Maine. You’ll find our combined findings from the most recent model, as well as a lifetime of wear, below.
Outerknown Blanket Shirt: At a Glance
Size: XS-XXXL | Material: 100% Organic cotton | Fit: True to size | Colors: 26
Pros
Cons:
- Outerknown’s Blanket Shirt is ultra-soft from the first wear thanks to 100% brushed organic cotton.
- Produced in line with Outerknown’s cutting-edge sustainable standards.
- Two chest pockets, corozo buttons and over twenty plaid-heavy colorways deliver a classic workwear look.
- Fits true to size and wears comfortably under a jacket, or sizes up as a true shacket.
- The premium price tag is not for everyone.
- Sizing can be fickle across the product.
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The Blanket Shirt perennially ranks at the top of our best shackets ranking for a multitude of reasons, but there’s no doubt that at its core, the relaxed-fit button-down fabric is what separates it from the crowd. Made from 100% organic cotton twill (which uses less water and ages better than traditional cotton fabrics), the style is the most optimal blend of brushed comfort and lightweight warmth that we’ve tested, and it dominates as the competition when worn over a tee. The lining feels downright down comforter, with three-season warmth sans any itch that wool blends can cause.
Beyond a marshmallow fluff feel, the shirt is constructed in classic overshirt fashion, with a relaxed fit and room through the body and armpits for plenty of room. The Blanket Shirt gets all the little details right: it is wrinkle- and weather-resistant, and sports corozo nut buttons. Twin-flap chest pockets and side seam hand warmers all come standard to the style.
It’s also unmistakably rugged — the shirt comes in not one but twenty-six (mostly plaid) colors, each more lumberjack than the last — with enough room for a henley or waffle weave underneath, or even a hoodie, should you choose to size up. We own Blanket Shirts in both small (our standard size) and medium to maximize our layer capacities.
Other notables: Outerknown has recently expanded its sizing to include XS and XXXL, a win for guys of every size everywhere.
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No elbow grease requiredThe Not So Great: Dealer’s Choice Sizing and a Premium Price Tag
Our major hang-up with the blanket shirt comes down to sizing. Having owned a few over the years, we have noted some slight discrepancies in the physical sizing of the garments. The latest version certainly runs true-to-size, but be forewarned. Also worth noting on the size front, the Blanket Shirt still fits like a shirt; if you foresee a future utilizing the style as your outmost layer, we urge you to size up.
Also worth mentioning is the premium price tag — at $168 (up from $148, presumably due to universal rising prices in clothing retail), the Blanket Shirt is by no means cheap, and significantly more expensive than than direct competitors in Wax London or Uniqlo. We can vouch for the quality and durability of the style, and Outerknown’s sustainability practices speak for themselves, but we’re quick to acknowledge that it might be out of some tighter wardrobe budgets.
The Verdict: Is the Outerknown Blanket Shirt Worth It?
If you haven’t figured it out already (you really need to work on your context clues, boss) we’ll just come out and say it: the Outerknown Blanket Shirt is hands-down our favorite shacket style, and more than worth a purchase for fall and beyond. We’ve yet to find a better blend of rugged aesthetics and unmatched comfort; if we do, you’ll be the first to know. Shop a vaierty of Outerknown Blanket Shirts below.
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