The Coach Jacket.

Coach Jackets have always been the unsung hero of track and field. Whatever the weather, these press-studded, hardy perennials have kept sports professionals looking smart for almost half a century. Fans of Universal Works already know that where there’s heritage, there’s magic, so it’s no wonder there’s a modernised version of it up for grabs in the AW21 collection.

More sophisticated than your traditional windbreaker, this popper-front wonder comes in three knockout shades of Mowbray wool Melton (like ‘Fuzzy Felt’ for grown-ups). Cut with ease for chucking on over a jumper, sweatshirt or your favourite hoodie, the slightly slouchy, boxy fit makes it a smart fix no-brainer on blustery days. Engineered from super-soft, deceptively dense fabric with elasticated cuffs, drawcord hem and pockets-a-plenty, the UW Coach Jacket promises to take you through the grimmest parts of autumn with all the charm and sporting prowess of a 1950s baseball superstar.

To tell us why the AW21 reincarnation comes in sturdy wool Melton instead of the usual pack-a-mac polyester, UW Founder David Keyte takes us to first base and explains, “I wanted to do a take on the classic ‘coach jacket’ but winterise it by turning it into a simple wool layer instead. It has its roots in the sports stadiums of 1960s and 1970s USA (which was why some people referred to them as ‘stadium jackets’) and usually it was in the team colour and made from Nylon, with the word ‘COACH’ emblazoned across the back in big block capitals, so you knew who the big boss was amongst a sea of team members.

These days though, it’s a streetwear staple. For me though – it still had to have the snap button closures, pointy collars, loose shape and angled front pockets to feel authentic. For those of you who really want to get into the sporting spirit, maybe we could even print the word COACH on the back for you!”