The chore coat first emerged in 19th-century France, where it became the daily uniform for laborers, railroad engineers and farmers. The most recognisable, classic jackets we’ve come to know were made from durable cotton drill or moleskin - locally known as Toile de Chine. Fabric mills dyed the jackets with a distinctive rich French benzoate based blue dye - a colour selected as it would mask the dirt and stains from daily work. The jackets were so prevalent throughout France that they became referred to as bleu de travail which translates directly to ‘blue work’. This is also where the term “blue-collar worker” first emerged.