How to Style the Type III Denim Jacket for Basically Everything

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Here Are 8 Ways to Wear This Super Adaptable Denim Jacket from Tellason All Year Round

The year is 1962; Ferrari is introducing the 250 GTO, and the Type III denim jacket makes its debut. One of them now lives in museums and billionaires’ garages—the other still looks right at home in the streets.

The Type III is the distillation of decades of workwear know-how into a jacket that feels both familiar and modern at once. It struck a balance that made it the blueprint for every denim jacket that followed.

Part of the jacket’s lasting success is how effortlessly it fits into almost any outfit; layered in winter, thrown over a T-shirt in summer, or worn like a “blazer” when you need to look a little more put-together.

To prove it, I’ve put together eight outfits with Tellason’s Type III as the anchor. 

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Why a Type III … and Why Tellason’s

When it was introduced in the early 1960s, it was a deliberate evolution. The old Type I and Type II were boxy, short, and built for work. The new one was longer and trimmer, shaped for a generation that was trading the ranch for the road.

That silhouette is what makes it so easy to wear. It’s got enough length to work even with today’s mid-rise jeans—that’s where the older types really struggle. The slimmer torso means you can wear it under heavier outerwear without feeling like you’re bursting at the seams.

Compared to its predecessor, the Type III lost the pleats and gained those V-shaped darts on the front, along with the pointed chest flaps. It looks cleaner, less vintage, more everyday. That’s why it’s the one I’m recommending to anyone buying their first piece of denim outerwear. It’s instantly classic but not trapped in nostalgia.

Tellason’s version stays true to that idea. It’s made in San Francisco—the city that gave birth to the original—cut from raw, Japanese selvedge denim.

I’ve reviewed their lined 16.5 oz. version, but for this guide, I’m using the 14.75 oz. denim; solid enough to feel substantial, soft enough to break in fast. (But you can also get it in the 12.5 oz. selvedge and the 16.5 oz. heavy denim.)

It’s got hand-warmer pockets, which purists love to hate but people actually use. The fit is not slim, not boxy—just right. It’s roomy enough for a flannel underneath but trim enough to pass for a smart jacket when needed.

What follows isn’t a set of dress codes—it’s eight ways to make that jacket yours.

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Double Denim: Uniform of the Faithful

Start with a broken-in pair of raw selvedge jeans—heavy fades, honeycombs, and whiskers that tell your story—and top them with the crisp structure of a new denim jacket.

Add a white or grey melange T-shirt and a pair of sturdy brown boots. Rough-out leather works great here; it mirrors kind of the texture of the denim.

If you’re feeling it, throw in a bandana. You can tie it around your neck for a touch of cowboy, or leg it hang from your back pocket.

The result is effortless and honest—workwear roots made wearable, built on the contrast between new denim and the stories it collects over time.

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Poolside: The Denim Jacket on Holiday

Okay, maybe not literally poolside, but think relaxed summer evenings with barbecues and cold drinks. The trick is lightening the outfit. So swap your jeans for olive fatigues, tuck in an oxford shirt, and kick off the heavy boots for suede chukkas.

The jacket adds structure to what’s otherwise an easy-going look. It’s the thing that keeps you from drifting into holiday sloppiness. Roll your sleeves, unbutton the cuffs, maybe grab a drink with an umbrella in it. You’ve earned it.

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Mediterranean: Denim Goes Continental

I was considering calling this the Riviera look. Or the Italian. But you don’t need to be Italian or at the Riviera to pull this off. But you might need to step out of your denim comfort zone.

So you pair the Type III with white jeans. They’re bold, but not loud. To balance out that contrast and give the look some depth, you add a washed-down denim shirt or a chambray. Finish with dark-brown loafers and a braided belt.

This is the kind of outfit you’d wear to a seaside dinner somewhere warm, the jacket there for when the night finally cools off. It’s denim gone continental—still rugged, but with espresso instead of truck-stop coffee.

If you’re looking for an oxford shirt, Tellason makes a killer one. Read my review of it here.

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Fades and Flannel: Denimhead’s Workwear

This one’s uniform of the dedicated denimheads. A heavy flannel shirt—like an ombre plaid or a buffalo check—with a faded pair of selvedge jeans, worn with high-top canvas sneakers. It’s a look that’s wins every single time.

The Tellason Type III handles this combo better than most because it’s a little longer than a vintage ones. It covers the flannel tails without looking cropped, keeping everything tidy even when your shirt’s untucked.

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Monochrome: Sharp, Simple, Slightly Moody

Strip everything back. Black jeans, grey sweatshirt, white trainers, dark sunglasses. It’s minimalist, modern, and razor sharp. You’re playing with tone rather than colour here—the deep indigo of the jacket almost reads as black, which makes the whole outfit feel deliberate.

If the weather turns, layer an oilskin coat over the denim jacket. It adds another matte texture and turns this into a rain-ready uniform. The key is restraint: keep the palette tight, the fits clean, and the details functional. Less workwear cosplay, more downtown cool.

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Office Casual: Desk Double Denim

Here’s where things get interesting. Think of the denim jacket as your blazer. Start with black jeans or another dark base, a crisp white oxford shirt tucked in, and a knitted tie for texture. Then layer a vest under the jacket—a nod to tailoring without going full suit.

Finish with premium leather trainers. They’re polished but relaxed, bridging the gap between workwear and workplace. This outfit walks that fine line between creative and professional, proving that denim doesn’t have to stay in the workshop.

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Autumn Ready: Falling Leaf Camouflage

By the time the leaves start to fall, layers are your best friend. It’s cold in the mornings and evenings, sometimes surprisingly warm in the afternoons.

For this look, you start with a waffle-knit thermal or a light sweatshirt. Then you throw on your Type III before you have the game-changer; the puffer vest. On your legs, a pair of broken-in jeans, on your feet a pair of well-made boots. I’d also a beanie for colour—a little pop against all that brown and blue.

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Winter Warmt: When the Jacket Becomes a Shirt

When temperatures drop, the Type III becomes a mid-layer—and it looks incredible that way. Wear it under a deck jacket or a similar winter coat, with a chambray shirt underneath, and a pair of well-faded jeans. Add insulated boots and leather gloves to keep the cold out.

The textures stack up beautifully: jungle cloth, selvedge, chambray, and leather. It’s the kind of layered combination that feels built, not styled. Once everything’s broken in, it moves as one piece.

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It’s Not About the Jacket (But It Kind of Is)

If you’re looking for one denim jacket to wear for the next decade, this is it. Because you don’t need a wardrobe full of denim jackets. You really just need one that can do everything. Tellason’s Type III is proof of that.

It’s classic without being old-fashioned, simple without being boring, and versatile enough to follow you from the first wear to the last fade. Whether you’re layering it under waxed cotton, wearing it with white jeans, or throwing it over a T-shirt and boots, it always looks like you.

That’s the beauty of a well-made piece: it doesn’t just fit your body, it fits your life.

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DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site