Remembering the Donkey Jacket: A Workwear Icon

At Howsafe, we have a soft spot for the classics. One garment that always sparks nostalgic smiles is the humble donkey jacket – that heavy wool coat with the leather (or later PVC) shoulder yoke that was once as common on British worksites as the sound of a whistle. In its heyday, the donkey jacket was the badge of the working man, seen on everyone from coal miners to binmen. Today, however, you’d be hard-pressed to find one on a building site. In this post, we take a fond look back at the donkey jacket’s history, its rise in British workwear, and explore why it gradually trotted out of the workplace – and what’s taken its place.

From Canals to Coal Mines: A Brief History

The donkey jacket’s story begins in the late 19th century. It was reportedly first designed in 1888 for labourers building the Manchester Ship Canal. These canal workers (or “navvies”) operated steam-powered winches known as donkey engines, which likely inspired the jacket’s name. The coat they needed had to be tough and weatherproof – and so the classic donkey jacket was born. Made of thick Melton wool with a straight, untailored cut, it featured a high stiff collar to turn up against biting winds and rain. The defining touch was the reinforced shoulder panel in leather (later replaced by rubberised PVC) to keep rain off and protect the wool when carrying loads on the shoulder.

This unassuming coat quickly became a staple for manual labourers across the UK. By the mid-20th century, you’d see donkey jackets on dockworkers, road crews, farmers, and construction workers everywhere. It was the default work jacket – utilitarian, tough and the only jacket available for working outdoors in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Builders wore them so routinely that they were often nicknamed “builder’s jackets.” Even Britain’s public service workers adopted them: council bin collectors famously wore donkey jackets on their rounds, pairing them with flat caps and hefting metal dustbins on their shoulders in true postwar fashion. The National Coal Board issued donkey jackets to miners, sometimes with bright orange shoulder pads emblazoned “NCB” and even reflective strips sewn on – a hint of high-visibility to come.

The Working-Class Hero’s Uniform

What made the donkey jacket so popular for so long? Simply put, it was everything a good work coat should be. Donkey jackets were warm, cheap, shapeless, capacious, easy to button with cold-numbed fingers, with big pockets and a generous collar for wind protection. In an era before high-tech fabrics, thick wool provided reliable insulation even when damp, and the design was roomy enough for layers underneath. The jacket’s rugged build meant it could take a beating: it wouldn’t easily tear if you were hauling bricks or scrap on your shoulder (thanks to those leather/PVC patches), and it lasted years with a bit of care. You could get any colour you wanted – as long as it was black or navy blue. Fashion was beside the point; the donkey jacket was about function, an everyman’s coat that looked the same whether you were a shipyard worker or a night-shift binman.

Why the Donkey Jacket Faded Away

If donkey jackets were so great, why don’t we see them on worksites anymore? In short: time and technology moved on. By the late 1980s, the trusty donkey jacket had begun to look like a dinosaur next to modern safety gear. One obvious reason is visibility and safety standards. The donkey jacket’s dark wool made workers nearly invisible in low light or traffic – a big no-no as regulations tightened. Starting in the 1970s and 80s, employers began issuing bright fluorescent vests and coats. At first, many workers simply threw an orange hi-vis vest on over their beloved donkey jacket. But as health & safety rules got stricter (eventually requiring full high-visibility outerwear on many jobs), the old dark jackets just didn’t meet the code.

Another factor was practical performance. However hardy it was, the donkey jacket had its drawbacks. For one, it was heavy – especially when wet. Despite the leather or PVC yoke helping a bit with rain, a wool coat will never be as waterproof as modern rain gear. On the flip side, that PVC panel could turn the jacket into a sweatbox during hard work. Breathability was not its strong suit. Over time, workers found themselves preferring lighter, more comfortable jackets that allowed easier movement and didn’t smell of wet sheep after a rain!

There’s also the matter of style and image. In the 21st-century workplace, companies tend to provide coordinated, branded PPE and uniforms. A bulky black wool coat with safety pins in it doesn’t exactly scream “professional attire” to modern eyes. Bright corporate-branded jackets have largely taken over. Through the 90s and 2000s, fluorescent high-vis gear all but pushed it out. Today, no one wears donkey jackets any more, not even dustmen. The sight of a dustman in a donkey jacket is now something you only see in old photos shared on nostalgia websites.

Modern Workwear: What Took Its Place?

In the absence of donkey jackets, what do British workers wear to keep warm, dry and safe nowadays? The short answer is a whole new generation of high-tech workwear that balances comfort, protection, and safety visibility – things our old woolly friend could only dream of. The most obvious successor is the high-visibility safety jacket. Modern work jackets are made of lightweight, often waterproof materials and come with reflective tape banding the arms, shoulders and waist. These jackets ensure you can spot a worker from a hundred yards away. Many are insulated but use synthetic fillers that are warm and much lighter than heavy wool.

Aside from hi-vis bomber jackets and parkas, workers now have options like softshell jackets – thin, water-resistant coats that are windproof and stretchable, ideal for active jobs. On dry days, many tradespeople opt for a cosy fleece jacket or hoodie, often in company colours, combined with hi-vis vests when needed. Layering is key: a modern crew might wear a moisture-wicking base layer, a fleece mid-layer, and a waterproof outer shell, all of which together weigh less than that single old donkey jacket!

Crucially, all modern workwear has to meet strict safety certifications. High-visibility clothing today conforms to standards like EN ISO 20471, which ensure a garment has enough fluorescent area and reflective material to be seen from afar. Additionally, employers have realized that better comfort and ergonomics in workwear mean happier, more productive staff – so there’s been a push for lighter, breathable fabrics that don’t overheat the wearer in summer yet still provide warmth in winter.

Honouring the Past, Embracing the Future

We admit it – we get nostalgic about the old donkey jacket. It was more than just a coat; it was a symbol of pride, graft, and solidarity. There’s something comforting in the mental image of those simpler days: a gang of workers in their wool coats huddled around a brazier fire on a frosty morning, or a binman tipping his cap as he lugs a dustbin on his back, donkey jacket protecting him from the chill. That heritage still resonates. In fact, the donkey jacket has seen a bit of a retro revival in fashion circles in recent years – proving that a good design never truly dies.

Yet, we can’t help but appreciate the new gear that has replaced it. Modern workwear is lighter, safer, and frankly a lot more user-friendly. No one misses being cold and soaked in a heavy wool coat, or invisible to passing traffic on a dark evening. The evolution from donkey jacket to high-vis technical jacket is a prime example of how progress in design and materials has made work safer and more comfortable for millions of people. At Howsafe, we’re proud to supply today’s generation of workers with PPE that keeps them seen, secure and snug – but we also tip our hard hats to the trusty donkey jacket for its decades of service.

In the end, the tale of the donkey jacket is a tale of progress. We can wax lyrical about the good old days of manual labour uniforms, and chuckle about how you could have any colour as long as it was black. But we also recognize that things have changed for the better on the work front. So here’s to the old donkey jacket – may it enjoy its well-earned retirement – and here’s to the bright, innovative workwear that’s taken its place, helping Britain’s workforce get the job done safely, efficiently, and yes, maybe even in style.