At first glance, chore coats and sportcoats don’t seem to share much in common. On the outside, chore coats have outerwear-style spread collars rather than lapels, and feature triple patch pockets including a large pocket at the chest. And on the inside, chore coats are made without the canvassing that give sportcoats and suit jackets more structure and a three-dimensional character. 

And yet, the two seem complementary, almost like cousins. Why? Because each can be considered a “third piece”: the element you add to a simple ensemble like a button-down shirt and chinos to turn it into something more. And what exactly that “more” is will depend on whether you’ve chosen a chore coat or sportcoat for third piece duty.

Reasons to wear a chore coat

• You want to pull on another layer for errand runs or travel that will provide extra storage space but doesn’t have to be treated too delicately.

• You’d like to break out of the basic chinos-button-down-vest mold but think a sportcoat may be too dressed-up for your casual workplace.

• You’re more likely to be wearing jeans and a tee and want a third piece that works with casual clothing.

Reasons to wear a sportcoat

• Your work in an office or professional environment that calls for tailored clothing.

• You’d like a piece of tailored clothing that can be worn in more ways and in more situations than a suit.

• You enjoy the look of classic tailoring, and are just as likely to wear it with jeans on the weekday as you would with chinos during the work week.