The Old Money Jacket Trend London Fashion People Are Ditching Their Blazers For
It can be hard to accept sometimes, but even the mightiest trends have to fall at least a few notches eventually. There are simply too many unexpected and interesting new silhouette options for just one to reign forever. Case in point: Blazers, the fall outerwear style that's run unopposed in fashion politics for the last decade, have seen a slowdown in popularity ever since another luxe jacket option began rising the ranks among the industry's most stylish dressers.
The outerwear alternative I'm referring to is a barn jacket, an old money staple that's slowly but surely becoming one of fall's most sought-after buys. Long frequented by the royals—including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Princess Kate—during their vacations away in the British countryside, the utility item typically features a corduroy contrast-color collar, multiple deep pockets, and a warm lining. (Bonus points if it's plaid.) The outer layer is almost always made of canvas or waxed cotton, two materials that are strong enough to withstand rainy weather.
London's fashion crowd, though, has successfully changed the narrative around barn jackets, showcasing ways to style options by Barbour and Whistles as well as high-end alts by The Row and Toteme for anything but hunting, fishing, and farm chores. For example, Dua Lipa recently styled an oversize green-and-brown option with short shorts and a baseball cap for a walk on the beach. For a similar occasion, London-based content creator Lucy Williams paired hers with a white tee, black barrel-leg jeans, and Onitsuka Tiger sneakers.
Back in the city, Marilyn Nwawulor-Kazemaks took a slightly more sophisticated approach, wearing her cream version with a white tee, cuffed jeans, socks, and loafers, and Belfast-based Marianne Smyth swapped out the loafers for ankle boots and added a Western belt.
Barn jackets aren't just beloved on Instagram. A number of luxury brands have caught onto the practical piece and its growing fan base, taking the opportunity to include high-end versions of the barn jacket in their runway collections. At the F/W 24 Hermès show, a model donned a belted longline version in olive green with matching tailored trousers. Back in London, Victoria Beckham styled a pair of flowy, caramel-colored pants with a turtleneck and an Aston Martin green leather barn jacket. Those are just two of the newcomers in this space that will be hitting stores soon when more fall collections drop.
If you're as smitten with barn jackets as every editor, influencer, and celebrity on my Instagram feed right now, keep scrolling. Everything you need to fill your closet with barn jackets is below. Sorry, blazers, but we need your hangers.
Shop the barn-jacket trend:
This story was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joinedBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
-
I Couldn't Help But Notice That L.A.'s Coolest Dressers Always Wear This Shoe Trend With Black Trousers
If you guessed ballet flats, you'd be wrong.
-
Not Leggings, Not Bike Shorts: The Very Specific Activewear Trend L.A. Fashion Girls Wear to Pilates and the Gym
Perfect for a West Coast summer.
-
35 Incredibly Chic Finds I Immediately Shared With My Fashion-Editor Friends When I Found Them
They're so good I want them all.
-
So This Is the Grown-Up Way to Style a White T-Shirt Right Now
According to Julianne Moore.
-
Fashion People in Their 20s and 50s Wear This Flat-Shoe Trend With Skirts to Look Chic
Hint: It's not loafers.
-
In SoHo, These Three Fashion Items Are Considered Every Fashion Person's Holy Grails
Worn separately or together.
-
Return Those New Flats—*These* Are the Cool Shoes Fashion People Are Wearing With Dresses and Skirts
Fresh and unexpected.
-
Every Season Has a Fun Heel Trend—This Is the One People Will Wear With Jeans This Summer
Dua Lipa is on board.