The zip detail on an overshirt is one of those things that either looks considered or looks like it wandered in from a mid-2000s catalog. The difference is almost entirely in execution. A clean, tonal zip with good pull hardware and proper stitching around the placket reads as intentional. A chunky, contrasting zip in a bad colorway reads as an afterthought. We’ve been through a lot of both, which is why this collection exists.

What we were looking for specifically was overshirts where the zip earns its place without shouting about it. Pieces that layer properly over a t-shirt and under a heavier coat, that work as a light outer layer when the weather can’t make up its mind, and that feel like a real garment rather than a transitional filler purchase. Fabric weight matters here too. Too light and the zip detail looks costume-like. These are the ones where everything lands in the right place.