1970s | JCPenny | wool shirt jacket | vintage | made in USA | great colour

1970s JCPenney USA Made Wool Blend Shirt Jacket
Calm Blue Plaid with Deep Navy Pile Lining

This is an excellent example of a 1970s American shirt jacket from JCPenney, produced during the era when the company still sourced a significant portion of its garments from domestic mills. Made in the United States, this piece represents the classic cold-weather workwear silhouette of the decade: durable, warm, and built with practical details that modern fast-fashion versions never replicate.

The exterior is a soft and calm blue plaid, the kind of understated colour palette that defined everyday American outerwear in the seventies. Unlike the louder buffalo plaids associated with the 1950s, the seventies ushered in earthier and cooler tones. This muted blue, paired with cream and navy lines, gives the jacket a grounded and gentle appearance. It feels timeless and relaxed rather than costume-like, making it very wearable even today.

Inside, the jacket features a deep navy pile lining. This material was popular in the late sixties and throughout the seventies because it offered warmth similar to shearling at a lighter weight, while retaining a soft, almost blanket-like texture. The pile lining is one of the most charming details of vintage American shirt jackets and is a strong indicator of authenticity. It instantly brings a sense of nostalgia for camping, roadside diners, and long winter drives.

The dual chest pockets, snap front closure, and classic collar follow the standard workwear design language of the period. JCPenney in the 1970s offered private-label garments that were often manufactured by midwestern or west coast mills, which supplied them with flannel, wool blends, and pile linings typical of American outerwear of that time.

The combination of calm plaid tones and a rich navy lining gives this jacket a warm, approachable presence. It is the kind of piece that looks better the more it is used, and it carries with it the sense of reliability that defined vintage department store workwear.