Make It Vegan: The Shirt-Jacks

In the Make It Vegan series, we select the most inspiring fashion shows of the season and—while we regret that most runway looks are not made from animal-free materials—we take aesthetic inspiration from them to curate a selection of vegan items that fit the bill, both figuratively and literally.

The Coolest Shirt-Jacks at Berlin Fashion Week AW25

Berlin Fashion Week AW25 was all about pushing boundaries and infusing every concept—whether understated or experimental—with an extra edge. Amidst a sea of bomber jackets and deconstructed coats, it was the subtly refined yet undeniably statement-making shirt-jackets that truly caught our attention.

Also known as a jac shirt or shirt jacket, the shirt-jack (‘shirt’+‘jacket’) is a hybrid between a dress shirt and a jacket. It traces back to the Cuban guayabera (known as chacabana in the Dominican Republic and guayabel in Haiti)—a crisp, lightweight, untucked dress shirt. The traditional four-pocket version is rumoured to date back to the 1800s when a poor Cuban country seamstress sewed four pockets onto her husband’s shirt for his work in the guava fields, allowing him to carry both tools and fruit (hence the name).

Much like the Hawaiian shirt, the shirt-jack was a style imported to the United States in the 1940s and popularised by returning soldiers and Boy Scouts.

A traditional shirt-jack has seven distinctive features: lightweight fabric, a straight hem, four pockets, pleating or embroidery, a yoke around the shoulders, side vents, and decorative buttons. Originally worn as formal attire in Hispanic communities, it has been adapted for contemporary fashion, and is now all about a straight hem, a convertible collar, and a relaxed, tieless look.

A contemporary shirt-jacket can be made from a variety of materials, from lightweight to more structured fabrics, and can feature an array of textures and patterns. When worn without an outer jacket, as originally intended, it is often paired with matching trousers or skirts. Fun fact—while a total look of bold colours and patterns comes across as cool and edgy, opting for moderate colours might make one resemble a service industry worker, such as hotel staff. As iconoclastic as it may sound, some runway and editorial looks also style a shirt-jacket over another top garment to exercise some unexpected colour-blocking or mix of patterns and textures.

For our Vegan Fashion Repository readers, we took inspiration from the recent Berlin Fashion Week AW25 and selected nine standout shirt-jacks from vegan fashion brands.

You’re all welcome.

Discover more vegan alternatives to the shirt-jack in our Directory, featuring a curated selection of 100% vegan brands driving sustainable fashion!