According to Fashion Week, This Is the Only Jacket You'll Need Ever Again

(Image credit: Getty)

published 24 October 2017

It's Spring 2018. Or Fall 2017. Whatever your perception of reality—fashion or layperson—they both have about the same weather for which all other outerwear—leather, denim, vinyl—has been forsaken by Fashion Month in favor of the anorak. (Sirens go off in the distance.) This is the way of the future, and it looks pretty damn good, as the following designers show.

Collina Strada

Woman wearing a bright green rain jacket

When you go to a festival and it starts raining but you misjudged the forecast so you have to wear your friend's extra $1 Duane Reade poncho. Except it's not a poncho nor made of the flimsiest plastic nor embarrassing until after your fifth cider, when you start to embrace it.

Public School

See above but add "when you actually do check the forecast and pack a plastic poncho on purpose to be part of your festival look, with a matching fanny pack and shorts."

Shop similar: Topshop, $75

BUY IT

Matthew Adams Dolan

Model wearing a pink trenchcoat on a catwalk

Expectation: a trench coat, because that's what adults would top their work shirt and pants with. Could-be reality: a sporty fashion anorak—that's pink. ["Plot Twist" by Sigrid plays.]

Oscar de la Renta

Model wearing a pink coat walking down a catwalk

It's a sign.

Shop similar: Stutterheim, $184

BUY IT

Calvin Klein

Model wearing a long blue raincoat walking down a catwalk

Why do I want this tea-length Glad bag? Who can explain the vagaries of human passion?

Shop similar: Urban Outfitters, $149

BUY IT

Dion Lee

Model wearing a coat open walking down the runway

First, there were fashion side-snap pants (not just for Channing Tatum). Now, enter the fashion side-snap sleeve, perfect for dramatically ripping apart when someone doesn't believe you've got yoga biceps now or insults your honor, and you have no choice but to bop him in the nose.

Isabael Marant

Model wearing a shiny jacket doing the catwalk — And moving on to France but a French designer referencing surfers, perhaps one who is Mac DeMarco's neighbor in Far Rockaway.

Balenciaga

I can picture Shia LaBeouf trudging stormily down the street with a trompe l'oeil anorak hanging around his neck, puzzling the paps and making him even more of a fashion icon to a certain set of young men.

Céline

I can, weirdly, picture Shia LaBeouf in this too, standing in front of a crowd stormily denouncing capitalism while wearing a knee-length leather anorak that rings in at a few thousand dollars, at least.

Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at Marie Claire. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.