Looking to purchase a carhartt active jacket as I hear they're quite durable, warm, and with time and wear fade to have a very distinct and unique comfort/look.

Considering either the washed duck flannel variation in a coffee color off of Carhartt's website or a discontinued sandstone duck variation in brown that I've seen on amazon. I'd go with the sandstone version in a heartbeat apart from the fact that the sellers are charging an extra ninety bucks which is completely absurd.

Curious on peoples opinions about these newer firm duck variations, and to be completely clear I'm considering purchasing the J140 not the 104050 whose cuffs, pockets, and lining I despise. I know the sandstone is supposed to be softer but I figure I'd wash the jacket a few times before wearing it with a little vinegar or beat it with a mallet or something. What I'm really curious about is the durability of the jacket, if there is any difference between this style and the sandstone variant, as well as whether one is noticeably warmer than the other.

I hear a lot of complaints regarding the newer carhartt stuff being somewhat shite and I'm not interested in blowing 110$ on a jacket of inferior quality. I would MAYBE be willing to splurge a little big if the difference was that significant, but even if y'all proclaim it's worth it i might just continue to sport the Dri Duck coat I have now.

Admittedly I'm not in a blue collar profession. I do manual labor around the house ranging from petty yardwork to carpentry and some finer carpentry projects, but I generally just like workwear as it affords me the relief that the article of clothing I buy today will probably still be in my closet ten years from now and will look even better as said years go on. The J140 stylistically, like it or not, is probably as good as a workwear jacket gets, so it makes sense so many hipsters are buying these en masse.

One last thing. Say it's still a decently durable and warm jacket--what do you reckon I should go for in terms of sizing? I'd like to layer with a hoodie and perhaps a long sleeve and undershirt during the coldest months (Chicagoland area btw), and I'm 5'11 150 lbs. I'm thinking medium, but I worry about how much the article will shrink with each wash. I've also heard that larges fit like double XLs in the chest even on people that are around 6'2. Medium tall, perhaps?