Denim Jackets Offer the Perfect Fall Layering Piece

Fashion's quiet luxury chapter is slowly moving aside, and in its place comes slightly louder luxury. The silhouettes that do more than whisper are still simplistic with real-world wearability but invite moments where your personal style can shine through. The best jean jackets leading the fall 2024 denim trends are an example. It appeared the shared philosophy across brands was to push the humble jean jacket beyond its style expectations. As Kendall Becker, the director of fashion at retail intelligence platform Trendalytics, puts it, "The luxury market is setting the tone for revitalizing denim jackets."

In Tory Burch's Fall 2024 collection, the American designer included a sharp denim track jacket with a pointed collar and strategically placed zippers, blending her signature sportswear spirit with fine tailoring. Schiaparelli revealed cropped acid-washed jean jackets with giant gold buttons reminiscent of the '80s, while Versace and Stella McCartney sent out cargo-style denim outwear that felt perfectly in tune with fall's favorite barn jacket trend.

Classic trucker styles made an appearance, too; Dior had a cute, cropped option that's a clever transitional dressing investment.

Beyond the catwalks, Fashion Month showgoers used their best jean jackets as vehicles to layer and lean into personal style preferences. Flair-filled denim jacket outfits emerged as a defining street style trend on the New York sidewalks, while jean trench coats embellished with silver hardware and sized-up truckers juxtaposed colorful slinky slip dresses in Milan and Paris.

Quiet is not really in the vocabulary for the most enticing jean jackets this season, but they can be one of the most malleable pieces of outerwear you own, giving you complete creative control. Ahead, Becker offers insight into the market's key silhouettes (spoiler alert: the bigger the oversized denim jacket, the better) with street style inspiration to guide you as you shop Marie Claire's curated edit for the 33 best jean jackets for women this year.

The Classic Trucker

A classic trucker silhouette that's freeform in fit but not overly baggy is a great place to start. We're partial to options done in faded medium-blue washes, like J.Crew and Levi's. They achieve a well-loved look that vintage fans will be fond of—especially since they didn't have to do any of the thrifting heavy-lifting in searching for one.

Utility Denim

Barn jackets have swiftly emerged as a foremost fall 2024 trend. As a result of their newfound ubiquity, brands are now iterating on the workhorse staple in various textiles and materials—including sturdy, rough-and-ready denim. Everlane's pocketed ranch style and Reformation's corduroy collared field jacket are two top trending standouts.

Big and Baggy

"As with much of the outerwear market, boxy and oversized silhouettes are key [for fall 2024]," details Becker. As a high and low-priced option, Khaite and Favorite Daughter offer denim jackets that epitomize the baggy silhouette in perfect form—not too oversized, where they'll swallow you whole, but tailored enough that the loose fit looks intentional.

Not a Shirt, Not Quite a Jacket

The agreeable denim shacket, a shirt-jacket hybrid, blends the best of both sartorial worlds. Options like the below by Banana Republic and Lauren Ralph Lauren are light enough not to bog down your top half but sturdy enough to act as a cozy top layer. Courtney Busch, a styling team lead at Stitch Fix, has a denim shacket outfit idea for your consideration: "I would opt for classic straight-leg jeans paired with an oversized denim shacket for a denim-on-denim look," says the stylist. It's what's otherwise known as a Canadian tuxedo.

Cut It Short

For those who've been keeping an eye on the overarching fashion themes lately, you'll recognize that hemlines continue to get shorter or, in the case of the celebrity-adored no-pants trend, barely there. Becker says this bare-it-all attitude also filters into consumer demand for denim, citing that searches for "cropped denim jackets are up 19 percent from last year.”

Tell Me About It, Stud

Silver rivets were an outerwear trend from fashion week's street style that broke free from the pack—every city block glistened and gleamed with hardware and grommets. A studded denim jacket is a strategic way of dabbling into bold dressing, mixing a bit of flash with the wardrobe staple's innate classic appeal. Styling-wise, keep it simple; a knit dress and a luxurious pair of black leather boots will do.

Dark Denim

When you tire of a true blue wash, pivot to darker denim. AGOLDE's black denim jacket is a perennial favorite amongst fashion editors—including MC's fashion crew. L'AGENCE's lady jacket is another smart buy since it taps into a foolproof, retro sophistication with its collarless and cropped silhouette.

Blazer Denim Two-For-Ones

When your best blazers made of tweed, twill, and wool feel too formal, consider a denim option that doesn't read stuffy. The silhouette remains inherently professional—whether boxy, oversized, or cinched in an hourglass fit—but the fabrication makes the blazer feel more relaxed. Go for Ganni's nipped-in style if you prefer a form-fitting silhouette, or if you'd rather have a looser look, try Abercrombie & Fitch's under-$100 jacket.

Put a Print On

"If you already have plenty of classic denim jackets in your closet and you're looking for a more adventurous version this season, try a patterned style," encourages Stitch Fix's Busch. A wildly printed denim jacket is an easy opt-in for the leopard print trend, while a multi-wash quilted coat aligns well with what Becker sees as spring's breakaway trend. "I'm seeing patchwork as a strong style in the market. They're currently up 33 percent from last year," the Trendalytics fashion director shares.

Sherpa or Shearling

"Lean into the more insulated and textured denim jackets for a chic late fall, early winter look," advises StitchFix's Busch. Considering the American brand has become synonymous with denim, Levi's sherpa-lined jacket is a traditional option worth adding to your outerwear arsenal, while Re/Done taps into the of-the-moment bomber jacket trend with its plushy aviator style.

Watch Out for Spills

Out in the chaotic and messy real world, a bright white denim jacket is a risk—but it's absolutely worth taking. For those really feeling risky, take the lead from the above member of the Fashion Month crew and pair a light jacket—like Signficant Other's slightly distressed jean shacket—with white denim trousers.

A Trend-Proof Trench

Casual yet sharp, aspirational yet accessible—denim trench coats are classic with a casual and contemporary slant. Try styling The Frankie Shop's dark-wash style with a pair of ballet flats in one of fall 2024's top color trends—rich burgundy, perhaps?