Welcome back to “DEEP DIVE,” where we look at the inspiration behind some of our favorite Engineered Garments pieces. This edition focuses on the “CPO Shirt Jacket,” a rendition of the jacket issued to the Chief Petty Officer’s of the US Navy.
The CPO shirt traces its origins to the U.S. Navy in the 1930s, where it was issued to Chief Petty Officers as a practical layer for cold and unpredictable conditions at sea. Constructed from dense navy wool flannel, it bridged the gap between shirt and outerwear, designed to move easily while retaining warmth. The first models featured a single scalloped chest pocket and a straight hem. By the 1940s, the design had evolved into the more familiar two-pocket configuration, sometimes with a slightly longer body for improved coverage on deck.
After World War II, surplus stock and private reproductions carried the CPO ashore. The garment’s clean silhouette, functional pockets, and durable fabric made it ideal for both labor and leisure, helping it migrate from ship to city. It became a symbol of practical American dress, quietly linking military and civilian wardrobes. By the 1970s, its presence in everyday life was well established. Al Pacino’s worn, slightly oversized flannel overshirt in Scarecrow (1973) is often read as a civilian echo of the naval CPO, translating its utilitarian roots into a uniform for transience and resilience.
Engineered Garments has revisited this archetype across nearly two decades. The CPO embodies the hybrid character central to the brand’s design philosophy: garments that are neither strictly military nor purely workwear, but strike a balance between function and form. The EG version retains the structure and stance of the Navy original while expanding its interpretation through material, proportion, and detail.
Typical to EG’s approach, the pattern has been rethought rather than redrawn. The collar features a snap throat latch that can close against the wind or lay flat as a camp collar. The placket features a snap closure and asymmetrical chest pockets. Additional zip pockets along the sleeve and side seams extend storage while maintaining a clean shape. The curved hem, a departure from the original’s squared edge, helps the shirt jacket drape naturally over trousers, underscoring its adaptability as either outerwear or a mid-layer.
Fabric selection plays a defining role in how the CPO functions within each Engineered Garments collection. The current iteration appears in wide-wale corduroy and heavy twill plaid, materials that highlight texture and pattern without sacrificing structure. In lighter cottons, the piece reads as a true overshirt; in wool, it gains the weight and presence of a short jacket.
Viewed across its history, the CPO’s evolution from naval workwear to Engineered Garments staple reveals a through-line of adaptability. It began as a tool for men working in salt air and cold light. It became a symbol of quiet independence in mid-century America, worn by laborers, travelers, and actors alike. Here, it continues that lineage, updated with new fabrics and pattern logic but still grounded in the same principles of function.
The CPO Shirt Jacket is available in:
- Dk. Navy Heavy Wool Elastique
- Dk. Grey Wool Striped HB
- Navy 8W Corduroy
- Khaki 8W Corduroy
- Charcoal CP Weather Poplin
- Gold Wood Camo Jq.
Now available at Nepenthes Los Angeles.