The Most Confusing Jacket in America
The Atlantic explores the cultural irony of Palantir, a defense-tech giant, releasing a high-end chore coat. The article contrasts the jacket's practical design with the company's controversial reputation for military AI and surveillance work.
Why it matters
It highlights the intersection of corporate branding, political ideology, and the normalization of defense contractors in consumer fashion.
Ali Cherkis for The Atlantic June 25, 2026, 7 AM ET Share Save N othing about the Palantir chore coat makes any sense. Mine is a size small, though it’s so oversize that I look like a teen wearing a hand-me-down. Then there’s the color: a piercing blue that’s nearing the shade of an iMessage bubble. The jacket is also the most comfortable and practical garment I own. It’s buttery soft and as heavy as a blanket, with three massive patch pockets that each can hold a paperback book. The coat’s plastic buttons—swirls of black and blue—are unlike any I have ever seen.
The article frames the company's activities through a critical lens, focusing on their controversial military and surveillance contracts.
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