Herno La Giacca: How to Wear a Men’s Padded Blazer

Herno La Giacca is the house’s classic padded blazer: a tailored jacket in recycled nylon microfibre with a light coating on the reverse, which gives a soft hand and a waterproof matt finish, plus a removable windproof bib with a two-way zip. At Coveti it costs $1,720 and comes in seven colours. Wear it over a knit and wool trousers wherever a wool blazer would get rained on.

Quick answer

• What it is: one of Herno’s legendary classics, alongside L’Aviatore bomber: a blazer shape built like outerwear.
• Fabric: recycled nylon microfibre with a light coating for a soft feel and waterproof matt finish.
• The bib: a removable windproof bib with two-way zip fastening that fills the open neckline.
• Price at Coveti: $1,720 for the La Giacca Padded Blazer, $1,970 for the hooded down version.
• Colours: black, anthracite, light grey, blue, dark brown, light taupe and chantilly.
• Sizing: your usual jacket size; Coveti lists Herno’s Italian size minus 10 as the UK/US chest size.

What is La Giacca?

Giacca is simply Italian for jacket. Herno uses the name, with the article, for a piece it treats as a signature: the padded blazer. In its own product copy the jacket introduces itself as basking on the banks of Lake Maggiore, which is where Herno has worked since Giuseppe Marenzi and Alessandra Diana founded the company in Lesa in 1948.

The idea is simple and clever. Take the outline of a tailored blazer, with lapels and a shaped waist, and build it from the light technical nylon Herno is known for. You get a jacket that looks right with trousers and a knit, but that shrugs off drizzle and blocks wind. The removable bib is the finishing trick. Zip it in and the open front of a blazer closes up like a parka. Zip it out and you have a clean blazer again.

La Giacca sits in a family of named classics. L’Aviatore is the bomber, Lo Smanicato the vest, Il Cappotto the coat and Il Blazer a flannel version of the same blazer idea. If you want the rest of the brand story, the Herno brand page covers it.

Padded blazer vs wool blazer vs down jacket

What is the bib on a Herno blazer for?

A blazer leaves your chest exposed between the lapels. The bib is a panel that zips into the jacket and fills that gap, like a built-in scarf. Herno describes the La Giacca bib as practical, removable and windproof, with a two-way zip. Several other Herno blazers in this drop use the same idea, including the 2-Layer Windstopper blazers and the cashmere blazers, which carry a bib in Nylon Ultralight.

Practically, wear the bib in on the commute and take it out at your desk. It also lets one jacket work across a wider band of temperatures than a normal blazer.

La Giacca colours and sizes at Coveti

The best Herno padded blazers for men

Nine picks: three La Giacca colours, its hooded sibling, and five other Herno blazers built on the same idea.

1. La Giacca Padded Blazer in Black

The most formal La Giacca. Recycled nylon microfibre with its light coating gives a soft, waterproof matt surface, and the removable windproof bib zips in with a two-way zip. Black works over charcoal trousers and a black roll neck for evenings, and over a white shirt for the office. At $1,720 it suits the man who wants a single jacket that can go to dinner straight from a rainy commute.

2. La Giacca Padded Blazer in Dark Brown

The modern colour choice. Dark brown is softer than black and pairs naturally with cream knits, grey flannel and navy. Same fabric and same removable bib as every La Giacca, at $1,720. It has the widest size run of the colours, from chest 38 to 48, so it is the one to choose if you sit at the larger end. It suits men building a warm, neutral wardrobe.

3. La Giacca Padded Blazer in Light Taupe

The lightest-looking La Giacca, for men who wear a lot of navy and want contrast. Light taupe sits between grey and beige, so it works with denim, white trousers and navy knits. It has the same recycled nylon microfibre, coating and removable bib, at $1,720. Sizes run 40 to 46. It suits spring and autumn weekends, and travel to cities where it rains in short bursts.

4. La Giacca Hooded Down Jacket in Anthracite

The same La Giacca fabric, recycled nylon microfibre with a light coating and waterproof matt finish, cut as a hooded down jacket rather than a blazer. It is the more casual sibling, at $1,970. Anthracite is a dark grey that hides city grime. It suits the man who likes the La Giacca finish but wants a hood for proper weather, and it also comes in black, blue and light taupe.

5. Il Blazer in Navy Blue

The flannel take on the padded blazer, at $2,220. Herno brushes a soft, lightweight flannel in wool, viscose and polyester on both sides for an enveloping feel. It is totally washable, has a subtle twill weave for durability, and carries a water-repellent finish. It looks the most like traditional tailoring of anything here. It suits the man who wears a blazer every day and wants one that can go in the wash.

6. Blue Blazer with Bib in 2-Layer Windstopper

The performance option. Polyester microfibre is bonded to a high-performance membrane that breathes and has a water column of 20,000 mm. Herno cuts it as a slim fit with an adjustable construction, so the bib can be worn attached and removed based on weather and style. At $1,970, sized 36 to 50, it suits men who cycle, walk and travel in all weather. Black and brown versions are also available.

7. Wool-Blend, Viscose and Suede-Effect Blazer in Navy Blue

A padded blazer in cloth rather than nylon. The wool and viscose blend has a soft feel and a luxurious look, trimmed with soft suede microfibre. Inside, Herno uses goose down padding with striped quilting, and the bib is removable. The lapel collar keeps it tailored. At $2,110 it suits men who want the warmth of La Giacca with the texture of wool. A chantilly version is also stocked.

8. Iron Blazer in Arendelle and Monogram

Super-matt polyester that feels lightweight, soft and velvety, with light feather padding and a removable bib with two-way zip for the mid-season. Classic lapels, button fastening and a welt breast pocket keep the tailoring cues. Iron is a mid grey that sits well with navy and white. At $1,720 it matches La Giacca on price, and it suits men who want a velvety surface rather than a matt one.

9. Dark Taupe Blazer in Pure Cashmere and Nylon Ultralight

The top of the range at $3,880. A pure cashmere cloth with a sable-effect finish is soft, radiant and rich in the hand. The bib is in Herno’s iconic Nylon Ultralight, highly water-resistant with a silk-like feel. It is the most refined blazer in the drop, and dark taupe keeps it understated. It suits the man who already owns La Giacca and wants a dressier version for evenings.

How do you wear a padded blazer with tailoring?

Treat La Giacca as a blazer first and outerwear second. That means the trousers carry the outfit.

• Office: black La Giacca, white shirt, grey wool trousers, dark leather shoes. Bib in for the commute, out at the desk.
• Smart casual: dark brown La Giacca over a cream crew neck, with darted wool trousers and suede trainers.
• Weekend: light taupe La Giacca over a navy polo from Herno’s T-shirts and polos, with dark denim.
• Cold days: add a thin gilet underneath. Our guide to men’s down vests covers which ones fit under a blazer.

Avoid wearing La Giacca as a suit jacket with matching trousers. The nylon and the wool will never match, and the point of the jacket is contrast. A fine merino knit from the knitwear edit under it is the most reliable combination.

How should a padded blazer fit?

Order your usual jacket size. A padded blazer should button without pulling over a shirt and a fine knit, with the shoulder seam at the edge of your shoulder and the sleeve showing a little shirt cuff. Because it is padded, it sits slightly fuller than a wool blazer; that is intended. Size up one only if you will wear a thick knit under a slim-fit piece such as the Windstopper blazer. The Herno size guide has the full Italian to UK/US table.

Browse all men’s jackets and the full Herno collection at Coveti. Every piece is checked for authenticity before dispatch and ships worldwide by express courier, with duties calculated at checkout.

Read next: the men’s shacket guide, how to layer a Herno gilet and quiet luxury menswear built on Herno.

Frequently asked questions

What is Herno La Giacca?

La Giacca is Herno’s classic padded blazer. It is made of recycled nylon microfibre with a light coating on the reverse, giving a soft feel and a waterproof matt finish, and it has a removable windproof bib with a two-way zip.

How much does Herno La Giacca cost?

At Coveti, the La Giacca Padded Blazer costs $1,720 in every colour, and the La Giacca Hooded Down Jacket costs $1,970.

Is Herno La Giacca waterproof?

Herno describes the La Giacca fabric as having a waterproof matt finish, created by a light coating on the reverse of the recycled nylon microfibre. It handles rain far better than a wool blazer.

Can you wear a padded blazer to the office?

Yes. A padded blazer such as La Giacca looks right with a shirt, a fine knit and wool trousers. Wear the bib on the commute and remove it indoors for a cleaner blazer line.

What size La Giacca should I buy?

Buy your usual jacket size. Coveti lists Herno’s Italian sizes as UK/US chest sizes, which equal the Italian size minus 10, so IT 52 is a 42.

What colours does La Giacca come in at Coveti?

Coveti stocks the La Giacca Padded Blazer in black, anthracite, light grey, blue, dark brown, light taupe and chantilly, all at $1,720.