Allow me to set the scene: It's a crisp autumn afternoon. There's a slight breeze in the air and the perpetually wafting scent of pumpkin spice. Your summer sandals and tank tops are packed away in storage, and you've begun to call on cold-weather staples, starting first with outerwear. Lightweight trench coats, faux fur jackets, oversized blazers—the best fall jackets keep you protected from the season's chill while also offering a one-and-done stylish effect. And while on the topic of outerwear, consider familiarizing yourself with the best winter jackets and coats (opens in new tab), too, because once the cold weather hits—and, oh boy, you can count on it hitting hard—you want your collection of cozy wares to be stocked and at the ready.
On the importance of a good jacket, Moda Operandi (opens in new tab)'s chief merchant, April Hennig (opens in new tab), references the late, great street style photographer Bill Cunningham. "As [Cunningham] once said, 'fashion is the armor to survive everyday life.' And outerwear truly is the ultimate coat of arms," she says over email. Hennig adds, too, that fall/winter 2022's offerings are particularly inspired and designed with the wearer's best interests in mind. "As we return to our new post-pandemic normal, designers provided an incredible array of investment outerwear intending to dress women so they can return to the world, ultimately living their day-to-day life in these jackets."
Ahead, Hennig along with two trend forecasters break down this season's crop of outerwear silhouettes and offer insight on what to think about when hunting for a new fall jacket. You'll find an edit of our favorite jackets available to shop, too.
What to Look For in a Fall Jacket
"A fall jacket should be an investment—a piece in your wardrobe that you can wear for the cool months, and even years to come," describes Hennig. Thus, she advises you think critically about how your outerwear can best serve you. "It’s important to pick the right material for your home climate and to consider what you don’t already have in your closet, be it a leather layering piece, a dressed-up topcoat, or true cold-weather outerwear."
Terrie Isaac (opens in new tab), head of creative at BDA London's Trendhub, concurs with the Moda Operandi merchant. "A coat is an investment that needs to be able to deliver from a practical standpoint as well as being aesthetically relevant. Functionality with style underpins the fall 2022 season," the trend analyst succinctly offers. "And while a statement piece is great," says Isaac, "if your budget doesn’t stretch to more than one jacket, keep it simple with a classic, timeless piece for fall."
What Are Fall 2022's Jacket Trends?
- Maximalism Strikes Again
"There are also a lot of maximalist fabrics coming through in vivid new colorways across the season’s key silhouettes, including extreme bouclés, reimagined checks and houndstooths, and highly textured wool-looks," says Isaac. Hennig concurs, specifically shouting out everyone's favorite Mattel-inspired moment as a leading color trend for fall's jackets: Barbiecore. "Driven by the highly anticipated upcoming Greta Gerwig film and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s mastering of the shade in his Fall/Winter 22 collection, candy-coated pink will be everywhere," she explains.
- Oversized Everything
"This season, we see longer, oversized proportions," Lindsey Smecker (opens in new tab), the principal trend and marketing director at ESP Trendlab (opens in new tab), tells us over email. Moda Operandi's Hennig agrees, sharing that a capacious coat or jacket "adds instant polished nonchalance to any look. Her personal favorite oversized fall jacket is "a double-breasted blazer with strong shoulders and an oversized body that doesn’t skew too David Byrne in fit."
- Dare-To-Be-Touched Textures
According to Hennig, designers are heading in a "full-on faux fur direction, with statement coats being bolder, fluffier, and with plenty of amped-up drama" and "shearling collars [adding] luxurious touches." Hennig adds that while "we have seen these fabrics on runways time and time again, designers have found new (and in the case of eco-fur, technologically-cutting edge) ways to reinvent and revisit them for this season."
Shop the Best Fall Jackets
- Best Trench Coat for Fall 2022: Everlane The Gathered Draped Trench Coat (opens in new tab)
- Best Denim Jacket for Fall 2022: Khaite Rizzo Denim Jacket (opens in new tab)
- Best Leather Jacket for Fall 2022: Mango Short Leather-Effect Jacket (opens in new tab)
- Best Duster Coat for Fall 2022: & Other Stories Long Fuzzy Wool Coat (opens in new tab)
- Best Bomber Jacket for Fall 2022: The Arrivals Kala III (opens in new tab)
Best Trench Coats
"The classic trench is updated with refined details and slight nods to a utility aesthetic in 2022," details Isaac. "Clean and minimal, almost reworked [trench coats] in versatile tones of neutrals, navy, and black are a must." Smecker adds, too, that the best trench coats of the season offer a practical function, meaning they go beyond just providing a timeless and sleek look. "An element of functionality is key—think reversible jackets, detachable collars or hoods, waterproof materials, etc.," says the trend forecaster. For instance, a chic rain jacket in a trench silhouette doubles as a weather-resistant option that's a bit more sophisticated than your standard nylon slicker.
Best Denim Jackets
A denim jacket is a wardrobe essential for a reason. Casual with a classic Americana feel—the best women's jean jackets are ideal for fall because they're a lightweight layer with nearly endless styling combinations. A Britney Spears circa 2001-esque Canadian tuxedo moment, anyone?
Smecker adds that fall 2022 sees innovation beyond the traditional styles in classic denim washes, too. "Quilted jackets and jean shackets are trending this season, too, and are freshened up with unconventional stitching in wavey, floral, or logo patterns," she details.
Best Leather Jackets
"We are predicting the structured leather jacket to be a staple this season in an evolution away from the leather blazer to the leather trench," details Smecker. Moda Operandi's Henning agrees: "From hardware-heavy moto jackets like Khaite's with a traditional moto with a looser fit to LaQuan Smith’s reimagined version of the staple with a cropped cut and seductive feel, the leather jacket is officially back for Fall ‘22."
Best Duster Coats
"In single-breasted or double-breasted iterations, the longline coat is a key style for fall 2022," details Hennig. Specifically shouting out floor-sweeping duster coats, the expert says the style's "clean lines and relaxed silhouette make it an effortless way to finish a look. And with exaggerated proportion play being a trend across categories this season," she says, "it’s fitting that jacket lengths have followed."
Smecker echoes Hennigs, saying "maxi coats are the must-have outerwear of the season. Opt for either "a structured, neutral wool maxi coat for a timeless addition to any wardrobe or a duster coat in a bold color, abstract print, or statement plaid."
Best Bomber Jackets
"The bomber jacket is back in a big way in fall 2022 and there are so many interpretations," Smecker shares. "I particularly love the vintage-inspired bombers in an oversized silhouette. Other options include the sporty varsity bomber and the vegan leather bomber."
Meet The Experts
April Hennig is the Chief Merchant for luxury e-commerce retailer, Moda Operandi. With over 15 years of experience in the fashion industry, April’s knowledge of multi-brand retail and brand leadership experience made her uniquely well-suited to join Moda’s Executive Leadership Team. Prior to her appointment at Moda, April served as President of Jonathan Simkhai and the Vice President Divisional Merchandise Manager of Women’s Contemporary at Bergdorf Goodman.
Lindsey Smecker is Principal and CEO of ESP Trendlab, a leading design and consumer trend forecasting agency headquartered in NYC. For over four decades, ESP Trendlab has partnered with trend forecasting and futurist agencies from around the world to represent and curate their services. ESP Trendlab's expertise is trusted by the most influential leadership brands, including Apple, Disney, Nordstrom, Uniqlo, New Balance, Aritzia, Tom Ford Beauty and Pottery Barn. Leading ESP Trendlab's intelligence, Lindsey blends strategic level thinking and cultural zeitgeist with core design aesthetics to ultimately shape products, brands, and the world in which we live.
As Head of Creative at London based agency BDA London overseeing bespoke and their ready to buy commercial trend solution, Trendhub, Terrie combines creativity with strategic vision to create tangible solutions. Terrie delivers trend directions and strategic intel through a bespoke lens, providing 20+ years of forecasting experience while imparting a wealth of knowledge when communicating concepts. She has consulted across a broad range of design markets and at all levels. With a process driven by creativity and strategic thinking, she is always seeking to evolve and stay agile within the business, and the industry as a whole.
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