Now that’s what I call working from home

Who doesn’t love a bit of workwear? Hard-labouring coats and jackets add personality to a mid-lifer’s wardrobe without trying to be the centre of attention. Since this staple owes its appeal to looking wellworn but cherished, my vote rests with authentic heritage brands.

Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress), the European arm of the Detroit brand founded by Hamilton Carhartt in 1889, ticks all the boxes.

Its Michigan coat, cut from 100 per cent organic 12oz Dearborn canvas and available in a variety of rinsed and aged colours, is a classic. My pick is the Dusty H in taupe, with its corduroy collar.

Dickies started life in 1922 making overalls for Texan ranch hands. Its dark denim Morristown jacket can be smart if worn with chinos or a suitable excuse to do “double-denim” if paired with some vintage-washed Levi’s. The woolblend Billton jacket from Penfield – founded in Massachusetts in the 1970s – is another standout.

Outside the US heritage brands, there are several niche British labels set on building their own legacy. I’d recommend Universal Works’ Warmus II in corduroy (it also comes in cottontwill), Albam’s Havana jacket, and Folk’s Alber coat, in a retro outdoorsy check.

The high street hasn’t excelled in workwear historically, but this is getting better. Next’s dark forest-green cord and Zara’s navy wool-blend coats come to mind, while Uniqlo has a great overshirt (although it does function more as a jacket) in jersey that has been washed to give the impression of looking well loved. Online, Mr Porter’s in-house Mr P range has just dropped a fresh batch of sturdy overshirts, doing the same job as a work jacket but light enough for spring. Perfect, if spring ever gets here.