mackinaw cruiser vs the irvine jacket
the new j. crew catalog arrived sometime last week. thumbing through it i noticed a jacket eerily similar to the filson mackinaw cruiser. j. crew is calling it the irvine jacket (bottom pic). it’s essentially the exact same jacket as filson’s. it’s wool with chest flap pockets, handwarmer pockets, and buttons at the cuff. it doesn’t look half bad, but i’d still go for the mackinaw cruiser. filson’s been making their jacket since 1914; j. crew since 2011. no contest here.
to take the train 
It may be the fact that I already have a Mac but I would also side with Filson. The JCrew is a Wool Nylon blend. The Filson is 100% long hair virgin wool. The Filson is substantial but still breathable when working hard in the cold. The Jcrew would trap moisture in against the body. The real downside of the Filson is that the Flap pockets in the front and the Game Pouch on the back make it virtually un-tailorable and the cut is boxy by design. I need to do a few more push-ups to fill mine out
@Drake Excellent points. I meant to mention the difference in wool in the post. Thanks man.
Both seem to be in good quality and design but I always prefer one from NorthFace. Proven by nature, tested by time 😉 and it they never stop exploring…