The military jacket is marching back in style in 2026.
Regal, military-inspired jackets swept the Fall/Winter 2026–2027 runways in a range of interpretations, from cropped leather cape silhouettes to slinky dresses to bodysuits. Defined by its metallic hardware, ornate embroidery and often shrunken fit, the jacket added romance and opulence to the season.
Denim is proving to be the perfect match for the structured jacket with designers like Cinq à Sept and Sinead Gorey pairing jean versions with lace-trimmed blouses and Mongolian fur trim jackets. Ann Demeulemeester styled a military jacket with gold-trimmed black jeans.
The breadth of trims and detailing gives designers the freedom to push the regalia look as far as they like. Keburia added golden cords and medals. Khaite went minimalistic yet bold with oversized braiding. The decorative jacket also speaks to the growing trend for brooches on men’s and women’s fashion.
Labrum featured brooches on F/W 26-27 denim.
The jacket is another example of a millennial-defining trend being reimagined by Gen Z. The last time the style was in demand was in the late 2000s, at the height of the Indie Sleaze era.
Back then, these ornate jackets—popularized by labels like Balmain and celebrities like Beyonce, Rihanna and Kate Moss—became the perfect companion to skinny jeans, often styled with studded stilettos or scuffed Converse sneakers. The look carried a distinctly British-infused edge—equal parts rebellious and bohemian—that defined the cool, downtown aesthetic of the time. If the green anorak defined millennials’ off-duty weekend, the military jacket owned their nighttime looks.
