I recently found myself rewatching the documentary The September Issue for the hundredth time—you know, the one which follows American Vogue staffers (specifically Anna Wintour) and offers a glimpse into what that “glamorous” world looked like back in 2007. As you’d expect, there’s many memorable quotes in it, but one that stuck out to me on this viewing was an editor’s exclamation that “the jacket is the new coat”. Working in fashion myself for the last decade, I like to think I can take the industry with a pinch of salt and appreciate the absurdity of sweeping statements like this declaring one thing “in” and another “out”. But it did get me thinking about how cyclical fashion is, and how jackets and all the exciting jacket trends for autumn 2023 are taking up an awful lot of my brain space right now—more so than, say, coats.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a self-confessed outerwear addict so if anyone can appreciate a good coat it’s me. But I do think coats are more likely be classic, timeless pieces you invest in and pull out year after year—a camel Max Mara belted number, a perfect beige trench, or a tailored black wool style, for example. Whereas jackets are there to have a little fun with—and while every purchase should still be a thoughtful one that fits with your personal style, it feels like there’s more room to play around with texture, shape and style within the jacket realm.