They say that manners maketh the man, but in fashion land, we say that jackets maketh the outfit. No matter what you wear underneath, your outer layer can dictate the mood of your entire ensemble. After all, every jacket style has its own unique character: from the I’ve-never-touched-a-tool chore jacket, to the I-can-be-my-own-bad-boy biker; the I-missed-out-on-Oasis-tickets parka, to the I-wish-I-was-Alexa-Chung-circa-2005 peacoat. But for autumn/winter 2024? The street style crowd has spoken, and it’s all about the free-loving-in-Woodstock suede jacket.
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Naturally, it was Prada that made some of the earliest moves in the suede jacket revival with its autumn/winter 2023 show, which saw oversized suede jackets offer an earthy counterpoint to starched white mini and midi-skirts. Inevitably it was the collection that launched a thousand replicas, and fast forward to 2024 and suede jackets are everwhere: from Western-inspired fringed styles to minimalist button-ups.
The thing about a suede jacket is it’s the perfect transeasonal dressing piece. Ideal thrown on over a summer dress, it’s also – as we saw at the Prada show – the sort of textural top layer that will complement the winter-ready pieces you already own: wear it with a cashmere knit and jeans, or over a midi-skirt and shirt. Best of all? A suede jacket, like us all, gets better with age.
Scroll down to see five ways to wear this season’s trending jacket.
