Donkey jacket

A donkey jacket in the United Kingdom is a medium length work jacket for men, with about 5 large buttons down the front, and is typically made of unlined black or dark blue thick Melton woollen material, with the shoulders back and front reinforced and protected from rain with leather (or later PVC) panels. It is untailored at the waist so hangs down straight from the shoulders. The front vertical edges fall straight and are squared-off at the bottom edge which is also straight horizontally with no vent at the back. In length it reaches 3 or 4 inches below the crotch area. It has no lapels and buttons tightly up to the neck with a broad and stiff up-turnable collar to protect the neck from wind, cold and wet weather. It is thus well suited to outdoors work in demanding conditions. It makes no concessions to fashion and contains no superfluous visual design elements. It is a brutally functional garment.